A surprising catch from a unique voice.
A fun, illuminating introduction to a piece of Japanese life rarely glimpsed by outsiders.
A bustling center of trade for the people of Japan—and the largest seafood center in the world—the storied Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is nonetheless being threatened with relocation to a new site, one that critics charge is unfit and polluted. But the rascally Nakamura has made it his personal mission to stop that from happening. The author loves the Tsukiji Fish Market right where it is, and the adoration he has for this fascinating hub of commerce and culture comes across in an often quirky narrative that reveals as much about him as it does the Japanese fish trade. In addition to preparing freshly caught salmon aboard Russian trawlers and in far-flung factory towns, the former Japanese fish inspector used to lead maverick tours through the vast Tsukiji complex before ultimately turning to writing. Nakamura assumes the role of intrepid tour guide here as well, dipping into the vast intricacies of the Tsukiji Fish Market and the samurai-sword–wielding vendors who make their living there. An odd mix of surprising biography, in-depth history and zealous advocacy evokes the often discordant strains of music referenced in the title. And like jazz itself, Nakamura’s unvarnished writing successfully creates a narrative totality that becomes curiously infectious once the accepted rules of grammar are dismissed. He has as much to say about processing deep-water salmon as he does the human experience, reflecting on Tsukiji’s idiosyncratic hierarchy, as well as his own personal demons. And after his latest tour ends, readers will likely want to know more about both the unconventional author and the ultimate fate of the Tsukiji Fish Market.
A surprising catch from a unique voice.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615630182
Page Count: 132
Publisher: Tomoe Planning Office Co. Ltd.
Review Posted Online: Feb. 27, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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