I don’t think I have posted any thing about The Makioka Sisters, the Japanese story that I abandoned for almost a year. Have I?
Since the beginning of this month, I have been committed and determined to finish this book.
Actually, it wasn’t as boring as I first thought, and I’m delighted to announce that I have finally put my finger on the reason behind my first disappointment.
When I first started reading the book, I couldn’t follow the narrative. By the way, this wasn’t my first time picking up a Japaneses book. I have read some, and I really found them interesting. But, I just found out that I couldn’t build any imagination of this novel’s world into my head.
I first thought it might be because there are so many characters with similar names. Still this wasn’t the first time, I had read an old book with so many characters with similar names.
So, based on the books I have recently finished, I finally found the reason behind this lack of interest: the slow, quiet rhythm of the book compared to my recent readings.
But, the story might be worth discovering, I thought and decided to give it a second try.
As I continued reading, the book drew me into its pages bit by bit. Over the last few days, I began following the narrative and imagining its scenes. Somehow, I regained this reader’s interest and curiosity to know what’s going to happen next.
Then it just struck me, as I was writing this post, that this old Japaneses story was written in its unique culture voice, telling the story of an old world and its traditional people. The reader, me, who feels lost, bored, or disappointed at the beginning, might be the one to blame not the narrative, not the characters, and definitely not the author.
It’s not the story’s fault that today’s pace goes faster than light. It’s the reader’s challenge to understand that, once upon a time, there were people who used their minds in a slower rhythm world, one that appreciated the virtue of patience.
With reading thoughts,
Nahla
