Hiromi Kawakami born in 1958 is a Japanese novelist born in Tokyo. She graduated from the University of Ochanomizu Women. Since its inception in 1994, it's definitely become one of the most popular writers in Japan, and one of those who manage to offer their stories in the West. In 2000, she received the Tanizaki Prize for his novel Sweet Years. Cest quest appeared in 2007 in France, The Flea Nakamo.
In an outlying district of Tokyo, Mr. Nakano holds a flea market without pretensions, where work alongside him two young men, Hitomi and Takeo. Takeo is primarily responsible for recoveries of objects in individuals who move their homes or emptied of their bulky, while quHitomi the narrator of the novel, looks after the shop. To these three, they should Masayo to add the artist's sister Nakano, who often goes to the flea market and Sakiko, the owner's mistress.
The novel is divided into twelve chapters, each of which tells a little story, a skit tied to an object, but the common thread of the novel are our five characters and especially the relations between Hitomi and Takeo. Their loves are complex because not say. Words do not come because their idea that they are in love even apart from one another is not clear in their head. He is completely immature meanwhile, if it is more enterprising, she is not really attached to her feelings. The Western reader finds there the strange relationships between beings that Japanese novels have familiarized us. Silent or vague feelings evoked by allusions or trivial gestures that are sometimes a little corny, but to accumulation of local original sources one can only believe them.
Hiromi Kawakami offers a modern novel and quaint at a time; modern as it unfolds today antiquated because it reminds us of the tradition of your Japanese novel is exquisitely delicate, feelings discovered by bit. The narrative is punctuated with tiny unimportant details that weave a priori but in the background the "exotic" setting that seduces. These are odors ("From the body of Takeo, the smell of rain is one shot up into my nostrils"), small noises ("i moves the table and paper silver in the pie Crissé") or elements incongruous ("You realize, at his age, to walk around with an alarm against the satyrs!") that enrich the text. At the flea market Nakano time seems suspended, precariously balanced between a reassuring past that moves away and an uncertain future that approach.
Nakano often speaks by ellipses and thoughts sometimes seem dumb answer questions Hitomi concerning its relations with Takeo, unless his obsession disturbs his mind. Lauteure makes wonderfully well, these scenes where lunch boss and employees gathered around a bowl of noodles, share this characteristic privacy and taciturn people who have long.
When sachève novel, Nakano sold his shop and three years later he opens a new one. Everyone had left his side but on the occasion of the inauguration, all the actors find themselves, life seems to take its course, like yesterday and yet different. A new round souvre, time for true love Hitomi and Takeo?
"Hitomi, you know, I, I'm clumsy, I'm sorry. Takeo had a small voice. Awkward? About what? About everything. No. But not you know. Dailleurs, me neither, I do not know my take. Really? Say Takeo looked me straight in the eyes for once. Hitomi, do you also, live, all that, you evil? "
