I was beyond sold when I found this book at the bottom shelf in Booksale. How could you not get intrigued with a title like that? I read the synopsis and felt a familiar itch to it. More like a Norwegian Wood (by Haruki Murakami) feel to it. I had extremely high expectations for the book which is a bit unfair in a way.
The story was set in Japan a little after the Korean War. Japan was still in the process of trying to pick up the pieces after the tragedy. Toshi the protagonist, is trying to weave his way through the busy streets of Tokyo as a manga artist. He is still getting the hang of things in such a fast paced city compared to his humble home in Hokkaido. A little peculiar thing about Toshi is that he has this fetish for foreigners (Caucasians, preferably); he's never had a Japanese girlfriend before. As the story develops, secrets start to unravel about the actual past of Toshi's parents and about the foreigners he had met in Tokyo.
I was a bit disappointed with some of the secrets revealed since I personally think they weren't given a proper closure in the story. But what made up for that was the "thorough" development of Toshi's relationship with his parents (rapidly blinking back tears proved to be unhelpful, just let the tears flow). I felt like I was the one weeping for Toshi. Overall, the story was raw, honest, and compassionate. It definitely was a lovely and easy read.
P.S. It's nothing like Norwegian Wood but trust me... it's as endearing. You'll love it!
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