Shiokari Pass

I finally finished Shiokari Pass by Ayako Miura. In all honesty I finished it a few weeks ago but I've been sidetracked with other things and haven't been able to write a review.
To start off, this book was a surprising find. I stumbled upon this book while strolling through NYC. Being the avid book lover, collector and reader that I am I was immediately drawn to the clearance book sale. Rummaging through the books I came across this particular book, which I had never heard before, and purchased it for $1. After a few weeks passed I picked it up and began to read...
The author is a well known Japanese christian author, but I did not know this when I began to read.

At first impression the writing style of the book seemed simple, as if it were intentioned for a younger reader. I admit, I first arrived at this conclusion naively, yet as I progressed into the story the life of Nobuo Nagano began unfolding before my eyes.

The book follows every detail of the moments that shaped the future of this character. To go into further detail, he was raised by a very strict grandmother who deeply instilled in him the values of Buddhism; his mother being a Christian was kicked out of the house for her beliefs and was separated from Nobuo. Not going into details and spoilers, the story reveals the struggles this boy, teenager and man later man goes through as he experiences all the intricacies of being a human being and the meaning of life and death. It is interesting how he deals with the differences between himself and his mother and his mother's character as a person and a loving mother is very touching. There are many instances when Nobuo goes into deep monologues where he reflects upon his character and what it means to be human. This book doesn't contain intense action, complicated situations or anything of the sort, what it does contain is reality, the reality of this man and how he faced himself and ultimately, his calling.

What struck me deeply the more I read was how the simple writing style made the reader understand complex human emotions in a more comprehensive scope. One is able to face the same questions and situations the main character faces, dissecting them neatly and slowly unveiling truths.

In the end, this was an enjoyable, albeit bittersweet read.

Also, this book has been turned into a movie, unfortunately it was hard to find the trailer to put on this post... so here is a bit more about the author: Ayako Miura.  She also has a museum.

Next post will be about the great the big and the encompassing, The Tale of Genji...