Genres
Description
A charming tale of friendship, love, and loneliness in contemporary Japan Sentaro has failed. He has a criminal record, drinks too much, and his dream of becoming a writer is just a distant memory. With only the blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the passing of time, he spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a type of pancake filled with sweet bean paste. But everything is about to change. Into his life comes Tokue, an elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past. Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. She begins to teach him her craft, but as their friendship flourishes, social pressures become impossible to escape and Tokue's dark secret is revealed, with devastating consequences. Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship. Translated into English for the first time, Durian Sukegawa's beautiful prose is capturing hearts all over the world.… (more)
Publication
Oneworld Publications (2017), 224 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member Beamis12
Most of the books I have read by Japanese authors seem to contain little emotion in their writing. It is the situations themselves that evoke feeling in the reader as the story is told in a very matter of fact fashion. We are introduced to a young man named Sentaro, he has spent time in prison,
A beautiful book that takes the reader from a shop selling confection to a sanitarium for lepers. These two stories combine, these two lonely people, and a teenager named Wakena will take from each other, but also give much back. The prejudice of the people toward lepers even though the disease had been cured for years. The lives of those who lived in the sanitarium, many since they were young, taken from their families is ably described.
The true meaning of life, much more fulfilling than that of just being of service or the usual measures that we base a successful life on is wonderfully told. In the end lessons will be taught and learned, a friendship between two will show one a different way to live. Three generations will form a life affirming friendship for each. A short book but one that illustrates an important point. How do we live our lives? Do we open our eyes to see, hear what is going on around us or do we fully experience and learn all we can?
ARC from Edelweiss.
Show More
feels like he is a failure in life. He runs a Dorayaki shop, selling these confections filled with sweet bean paste. He goes from home to work and back again. This is his life, and he is lonely. He advertises for a helper, not that he needs one, but because he wants someone with whom he can talk. An old woman, named Tokue, in her seventies with gnarled hands asks for the job. After much persuading, he agrees to try, and this relationship will change his life.A beautiful book that takes the reader from a shop selling confection to a sanitarium for lepers. These two stories combine, these two lonely people, and a teenager named Wakena will take from each other, but also give much back. The prejudice of the people toward lepers even though the disease had been cured for years. The lives of those who lived in the sanitarium, many since they were young, taken from their families is ably described.
The true meaning of life, much more fulfilling than that of just being of service or the usual measures that we base a successful life on is wonderfully told. In the end lessons will be taught and learned, a friendship between two will show one a different way to live. Three generations will form a life affirming friendship for each. A short book but one that illustrates an important point. How do we live our lives? Do we open our eyes to see, hear what is going on around us or do we fully experience and learn all we can?
ARC from Edelweiss.
Show Less
LibraryThing member srms.reads
4.5⭐️
“All experience adds up to a life lived as only you could. I feel sure the day will come when you can say: this is my life.”
Sentaro Tsujii, once an aspiring writer, now works in the Doraharu shop making and selling dorayaki, a Japanese sweet made with pancakes and sweet bean paste.
“It’s my belief that everything in this world has its own language. We have the ability to open up our ears and minds to anything and everything. That could be someone walking down the street, or it could be the sunshine or the wind.”
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa is a bittersweet, heartwarming and deeply moving story. The prose is simple yet beautiful. The vivid imagery of the sights and sounds of the busy streets, the cherry blossoms and the bustling shops and food make you feel as if you are walking with the characters as they bare their souls to one another. The author also sheds a light on the stigma and prejudice faced by people like Tokue, deprived of the life they desire. After living in a closed-off colony for decades, she now has nowhere to go even though she is free to travel. There is so much she wants to do with her life but she has been unable to. But does that render her life meaningless? What does it mean to lead a meaningful life? In a world that measures success with tangible yardsticks and visible “contribution” to society, Tokue’s wisdom as she shares with Sentaro and Wakana is in acknowledging that life lived on the fringes can also be a life worth living as long as your heart and soul are willing to experience all that world has to offer as she has strived to do despite all she has been through. As she shares her story, she teaches Sentaro that even though her life hasn't given her what she wanted, rather than brood over her past disappointments it is important to appreciate whatever she did have and how being mindful of the world around you may instigate positive change in your life and even in how you feel about yourself.
“I began to understand that we were born in order to see and listen to the world. And that’s all this world wants of us. It doesn’t matter that I was never a teacher or a member of the workforce, my life had meaning.”
This is a beautiful story, meant to be read, reread and shared with friends. This short novel is a beautiful reminder to pause, reflect and truly experience the world around us and in the process be kinder to each other and to ourselves.
Excerpt from the Author's Note:
“ Over the aeons the universe has nurtured life forms whose very awareness makes them involved in its continued existence. Hence we are all alike in having materialized on this Earth because that was what the universe so desired. The ill, the bed-ridden, and children whose lives are over before they’ve barely begun; all are equal in their relationship to the universe. Anyone is capable of making a positive contribution to the world through simple observation, irrespective of circumstance.”
“All experience adds up to a life lived as only you could. I feel sure the day will come when you can say: this is my life.”
Sentaro Tsujii, once an aspiring writer, now works in the Doraharu shop making and selling dorayaki, a Japanese sweet made with pancakes and sweet bean paste.
Show More
This is not his chosen vocation and his working in the shop is a means of paying off his previous debts to his employer. Having previously served a two-year prison sentence, he is also aware that his checkered past limits his options in terms of employment opportunities. He is not content with his life and listlessly passes his days. One day he meets seventy-six-year-old Tokue Yoshii, a Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) survivor who has lived in a leper’s community, ostracized from mainstream society since she was diagnosed at the age of fourteen. Though she is now cured and after the Leprosy Prevention Act had been repealed in 1996, is allowed to mix freely, her illness has partially disfigured her face and affected her fingers. She convinces him to let her work alongside him, making sweet bean paste with care and precision – a sweet bean paste that elevates the reputation of the shop and has customers lining up for more. Among the customers is school girl Wakana, who befriends Tokue and Sentaro. However, Tokue’s medical history becomes an issue that affects business and eventually results in her quitting. However, their unlikely friendship continues and they continue to meet , correspond and positively impact each other’s lives.“It’s my belief that everything in this world has its own language. We have the ability to open up our ears and minds to anything and everything. That could be someone walking down the street, or it could be the sunshine or the wind.”
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa is a bittersweet, heartwarming and deeply moving story. The prose is simple yet beautiful. The vivid imagery of the sights and sounds of the busy streets, the cherry blossoms and the bustling shops and food make you feel as if you are walking with the characters as they bare their souls to one another. The author also sheds a light on the stigma and prejudice faced by people like Tokue, deprived of the life they desire. After living in a closed-off colony for decades, she now has nowhere to go even though she is free to travel. There is so much she wants to do with her life but she has been unable to. But does that render her life meaningless? What does it mean to lead a meaningful life? In a world that measures success with tangible yardsticks and visible “contribution” to society, Tokue’s wisdom as she shares with Sentaro and Wakana is in acknowledging that life lived on the fringes can also be a life worth living as long as your heart and soul are willing to experience all that world has to offer as she has strived to do despite all she has been through. As she shares her story, she teaches Sentaro that even though her life hasn't given her what she wanted, rather than brood over her past disappointments it is important to appreciate whatever she did have and how being mindful of the world around you may instigate positive change in your life and even in how you feel about yourself.
“I began to understand that we were born in order to see and listen to the world. And that’s all this world wants of us. It doesn’t matter that I was never a teacher or a member of the workforce, my life had meaning.”
This is a beautiful story, meant to be read, reread and shared with friends. This short novel is a beautiful reminder to pause, reflect and truly experience the world around us and in the process be kinder to each other and to ourselves.
Excerpt from the Author's Note:
“ Over the aeons the universe has nurtured life forms whose very awareness makes them involved in its continued existence. Hence we are all alike in having materialized on this Earth because that was what the universe so desired. The ill, the bed-ridden, and children whose lives are over before they’ve barely begun; all are equal in their relationship to the universe. Anyone is capable of making a positive contribution to the world through simple observation, irrespective of circumstance.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member Yamamura
A sad but ultimately uplifting book about what makes a life worth while. The story revolves around Sentaro Tsujii, a mediocre confectionery chef and his interactions with Tokue Yoshii an elderly victim of Hansen Disease. Tokue through the act of teaching Sentaro how to make sweet bean paste for
Show More
dorayaki, slowly releases Sentaro from the prison of his melancholy. This is a minor theme as through out the story, the theme of confinement echoes, from Sentaro’s time in prison to the Japanese laws that locked away the victims of leprosy to finally the prisons that we build within our selves. But ultimately it returns to its major theme of what makes a life worthwhile despite all that. I feel Tokue has the right idea and for that I recommend reading this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member cattriona
This is a charming story of friendship, fitting in and human nature. The characters are interesting and well drawn, and the story proceeds at a steady pace without getting too fast. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member BALE
Sweet Bean Paste is an unassuming and passionate novel that successfully attempts to inform all the senses while telling a dark cultural tale and a story - philosophy - about life and human nature. With its straightforward narrative, one must look deeper to find the subtle complexities that make
Show More
this book a flavorful gem. A poignant and artful read. Show Less
LibraryThing member starrywisdom
I found the book both sweet and salty. I had previously seen the movie that the book was based on and so was happy to see it was translated and being published.
The book was sad and sweet, but like a tasty afternoon treat not very filling. As it does flesh out the characters and social issues better
The book was sad and sweet, but like a tasty afternoon treat not very filling. As it does flesh out the characters and social issues better
Show More
than the movie I would say that it is well worth the effort to read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member schulajess
Sweet Bean Paste tells a story of troubled pasts, new friends and the joys of delicious culinary creations, the dorayaki.
Sentaro, Tokue and Wakana illustrate the unlikely friendships between generations. Each looking for a new reason to hope and endure their individual struggles.
Each struggles
As their historys unfold, they find in each other a glimmer of hope. While around them they fight against prejudices new and old.
Sweet Bean Paste reminds us that everyone around us has a story and something to offer the world.
Sentaro, Tokue and Wakana illustrate the unlikely friendships between generations. Each looking for a new reason to hope and endure their individual struggles.
Each struggles
Show More
with past burdens, obligations unfulfilled and the judgement of current society. As their historys unfold, they find in each other a glimmer of hope. While around them they fight against prejudices new and old.
Sweet Bean Paste reminds us that everyone around us has a story and something to offer the world.
Show Less
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
The 2015 film adaptation of Sukegawa's novel An has been released internationally under several different titles–Sweet Red Bean Paste, An, and Sweet Bean–and now the original work has been translated into English with yet another title variation, Sweet Bean Paste. I've not seen Naomi Kawase's
Show More
film, but it seems to have been generally well-received. As for Sukegawa's original novel, it makes for a fairly quick and light read despite some of the story's more tragic undercurrents and philosophical musings. Sentaro is a man with a criminal past, out of prison but still working off his debt by making and selling dorayaki in a confectionery shop owned by the widow of his boss. He's not particularly invested in the job, but that begins to change when an elderly woman named Tokue, her hands disfigured from a childhood illness, convinces him to let her join him at the shop. Bringing a unique perspective on life along with a recipe for sweet bean paste more delicious than any other Sentaro has tasted, Tokue has a huge influence upon the younger man as their unexpected friendship blossoms. Although much about Tokue's past is unfortunate and she continues to deal with the stigma associated with leprosy, she has still found a way to live on in the face of prejudice and discontent. Sentaro has much to learn from Tokue, even if the lessons are bittersweet. Show Less
LibraryThing member hubblegal
Sentaro feels like such a failure. He’s working in a little confectionary shop when all he wants to do is become a writer. He drinks too much and the shadow of his time in prison hangs over him. He spends his days making mediocre dorayaki, a sweet composed of two little pancakes filled with sweet
This is a slow, beautiful book that I absolutely loved. It touched my heart in so many ways. A part of the book explores a chapter of Japanese history that was so dark and sad but the book really isn’t a dark, sad book but rather is very uplifting and inspiring. This a profound story about the meaning of everyday life that brought me to tears but with a smile on my face. Gorgeous book that I’d love to read again one day. I’m going to see if I can get my hands on a copy of the movie, which is called “Sweet Bean”, as I would love to see it.
Oneworld Publication is fast becoming one of my favorite publishers. There was a list of some of their books on the last page of this ebook and I realized that the list included some of my best-loved books of 2017, including “They Know Not What They Do” by Jussi Valtonen, “The Temptation To Be Happy” by Lorenzo Marone, “The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman” and “The Postman’s Fiancé” by Denis Theriault. Now I can add this book to that list from a publisher who has a knack for finding unique, one-of-a-kind authors.
Most highly recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Show More
bean paste. One day he has a visit from an elderly woman, Tokue, who wants to work for him. When he tastes her dorayaki, he knows he must learn her sweet bean paste secrets. Their friendship grows until society’s prejudice cause their lives to change.This is a slow, beautiful book that I absolutely loved. It touched my heart in so many ways. A part of the book explores a chapter of Japanese history that was so dark and sad but the book really isn’t a dark, sad book but rather is very uplifting and inspiring. This a profound story about the meaning of everyday life that brought me to tears but with a smile on my face. Gorgeous book that I’d love to read again one day. I’m going to see if I can get my hands on a copy of the movie, which is called “Sweet Bean”, as I would love to see it.
Oneworld Publication is fast becoming one of my favorite publishers. There was a list of some of their books on the last page of this ebook and I realized that the list included some of my best-loved books of 2017, including “They Know Not What They Do” by Jussi Valtonen, “The Temptation To Be Happy” by Lorenzo Marone, “The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman” and “The Postman’s Fiancé” by Denis Theriault. Now I can add this book to that list from a publisher who has a knack for finding unique, one-of-a-kind authors.
Most highly recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member janerawoof
Delightful, moving, gentle tale of a Japanese doriyaki maker, the young man, Saturo, who hires a disfigured old woman, Tokue, to help him in his kiosk. She makes the most delicious adzuki bean filling to stuff the pancakes he griddles. They work together, she teaching him her secret. They become
I do wish there had been a glossary of Japanese terms. For food items I wish there might be more extensive and descriptive definitions than, say, "a Japanese sweet".
Highly recommended.
Show More
friends, also befriending a young teenaged girl. Tokue encourages him to find his own path in life and why she has the philosophy she does. In a letter she discloses what she feels is the meaning of life: appreciation of what surrounds you. This novella teaches the beauty of friendship, especially among different generations. I do wish there had been a glossary of Japanese terms. For food items I wish there might be more extensive and descriptive definitions than, say, "a Japanese sweet".
Highly recommended.
Show Less
LibraryThing member amaryann21
Sentaro thinks he's a failure and by many standards, he may be. But Tokue finds his shop and teaches him how to make sweet bean paste, the deliciousness of which he has never tried before. But Tokue has her own secrets, and they come back to create trouble for her.
The writing is no more than
The writing is no more than
Show More
necessary- beautiful and spare at times. The message comes through without being pounded home. Sometimes we have worth because we ARE, not because we DO. Show Less
LibraryThing member empress8411
With a sweet depth and surprisingly emotion, Sukegawa takes the reader on a sweet journey through redemption and friendship. Sentaro’s days are long and lonely, filled with tasteless bean paste and alcohol. Until Tokue comes. With her bent fingers and savant knowledge of sweet bean paste, she
With simple prose, Sukegawa draws the reader in to the complex lives of the characters. Each character is in need of redemption from their past sins and from the despair that covers them.
It’s hard to classify this book. It’s a gentle read, soft on the spirit but touching to the heart. There is a touch of bitterness to it, as well. Not all things work out, as in real life. But Hope, well, hope comes again, like the Cherry Blossoms in Spring.
Worth reading, in particular if you find yourself in a place where you need a bit of hope. Drink with a soft soul and a fragrant cup of tea.
Show More
transforms Sentaro, and later a young school girl, with her kindness and her story. With simple prose, Sukegawa draws the reader in to the complex lives of the characters. Each character is in need of redemption from their past sins and from the despair that covers them.
It’s hard to classify this book. It’s a gentle read, soft on the spirit but touching to the heart. There is a touch of bitterness to it, as well. Not all things work out, as in real life. But Hope, well, hope comes again, like the Cherry Blossoms in Spring.
Worth reading, in particular if you find yourself in a place where you need a bit of hope. Drink with a soft soul and a fragrant cup of tea.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
I found this a very interesting book as my perception of what type of story was being told morphed more than once as it progressed.
When it opened, it seemed to be one of those stories where the superficial protagonist gets reluctantly mentored by someone who doesn't, at first glance, appear to be a
About a third of the way through the story, it took a more somber turn. It looked at the life led by victims of leprosy in Japan, both before and after the law that segregated them forcibly from the rest of the population.
Finally, in the last chapter or so, it became a philosophical discussion about life.
The first part entertained wonderfully. The second part was powerful and sad. In my opinion, the third part worked less well than the first two. I could have done without it, although the events in it were necessary for the story to resolve. In other words, I wish the author had just recounted the final events and left the philosophy out of it.
A good read, though.
When it opened, it seemed to be one of those stories where the superficial protagonist gets reluctantly mentored by someone who doesn't, at first glance, appear to be a
Show More
sage. Something like the movie Today's Special. The reader can expect a little humor, a few pithy life-hack sayings and generally has a pleasant time.About a third of the way through the story, it took a more somber turn. It looked at the life led by victims of leprosy in Japan, both before and after the law that segregated them forcibly from the rest of the population.
Finally, in the last chapter or so, it became a philosophical discussion about life.
The first part entertained wonderfully. The second part was powerful and sad. In my opinion, the third part worked less well than the first two. I could have done without it, although the events in it were necessary for the story to resolve. In other words, I wish the author had just recounted the final events and left the philosophy out of it.
A good read, though.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Harvee
I saw the movie based on this book on Netflix and really liked the story of a down-and-out, handicapped older woman who is given a job making dorayaki, a sweet pastry of pancakes filled with bean paste. She helps the struggling owner of the failing shop to attract buyers with her delicious recipe
The characters and plot are heartwarming and unexpected. A very enjoyable novel.
Show More
and cooking. But she hides a secret that will be a huge problem for her and for the shop owner, Sentaro, as time goes by.The characters and plot are heartwarming and unexpected. A very enjoyable novel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member RealLifeReading
The title of the book – and the writer’s name (Durian? As in like the fruit? Or does it have some other meaning?)- was what attracted me at first, as well as the lovely color scheme of the cover.
And what a poignant and moving story this was.
It’s an odd couple kind of story. An ex-con working
(Dorayaki is a Japanese confectionary with sweet red bean paste sandwiched between two small pancakes.)
Sentaro doesn’t want to hire her at first, even though she offers to accept a lower pay. But it turns out that Tokue makes amazing sweet bean paste.
“Unlike the ready-made paste, this was the smell of fresh, living beans. It has depth. It had life. A mellow, sweet taste unfurled inside Sentaro’s mouth.”
Sentaro had been using a commercially-made paste which isn’t exactly the best. He’s been pretty much grudgingly doing his work every day, it’s more about paying off his debt than anything else.
But after he hires her, business begins to improve. And Sentaro starts to be more interested in the making of dorayaki. They experiment with beans from different countries. And since Tokue doesn’t work every day, Sentaro begins to make the paste himself.
However word soon gets out – to the customers, to the shop owner – that there may be something wrong with Tokue. People stay away from the shop, the owner wants Sentaro to get rid of her. But how can he?
Sweet Bean Paste is a story about loneliness, about prejudice, about two outsiders who become unlikely friends. I loved how the focus was just on a few characters and the friendships that developed among them.
And oh, the changing of the seasons, especially with all the cherry blossoms!
“Blossom surrounds him on all sides, as if he is at the centre of a deep, sparkling lake. He senses the full force of emotion that has been dormant in the trees all year, waiting for this once-a-year explosion of joy: their pure, unadulterated happiness.”
And most of all, this book will make you long for a taste of dorayaki. Or maybe you’ll be tempted to try to make your own!
And that was exactly what I did.
(See my blog post for my adventures in dorayaki making)
And what a poignant and moving story this was.
It’s an odd couple kind of story. An ex-con working
Show More
at a dorayaki shop to pay his debts and a 76-year-old woman with gnarled hands who asks him for a job at the shop, offering to teach him her recipe for sweet bean paste, which she says she’s been making for fifty years.(Dorayaki is a Japanese confectionary with sweet red bean paste sandwiched between two small pancakes.)
Sentaro doesn’t want to hire her at first, even though she offers to accept a lower pay. But it turns out that Tokue makes amazing sweet bean paste.
“Unlike the ready-made paste, this was the smell of fresh, living beans. It has depth. It had life. A mellow, sweet taste unfurled inside Sentaro’s mouth.”
Sentaro had been using a commercially-made paste which isn’t exactly the best. He’s been pretty much grudgingly doing his work every day, it’s more about paying off his debt than anything else.
But after he hires her, business begins to improve. And Sentaro starts to be more interested in the making of dorayaki. They experiment with beans from different countries. And since Tokue doesn’t work every day, Sentaro begins to make the paste himself.
However word soon gets out – to the customers, to the shop owner – that there may be something wrong with Tokue. People stay away from the shop, the owner wants Sentaro to get rid of her. But how can he?
Sweet Bean Paste is a story about loneliness, about prejudice, about two outsiders who become unlikely friends. I loved how the focus was just on a few characters and the friendships that developed among them.
And oh, the changing of the seasons, especially with all the cherry blossoms!
“Blossom surrounds him on all sides, as if he is at the centre of a deep, sparkling lake. He senses the full force of emotion that has been dormant in the trees all year, waiting for this once-a-year explosion of joy: their pure, unadulterated happiness.”
And most of all, this book will make you long for a taste of dorayaki. Or maybe you’ll be tempted to try to make your own!
And that was exactly what I did.
(See my blog post for my adventures in dorayaki making)
Show Less
LibraryThing member Helenliz
This is a story of what gives life meaning. It is set in contemporary Japan, and that background colours the story. Both the main protagonists might be said to not be useful members of society, one being a released prisoner, the other had been held in a sanatorium for decades, having had leprosy.
Sentaro is working making Dorayaki, he does as little as he needs to get by. He wanted to be a writer, but is now in a dead end and is feeling trapped by circumstances and life. Tokue approaches him, asking to work for him and she makes the Sweet bean paste. So Sentaro begins a reluctant education into the art and mystery of making something relatively simple really well. AT thins stage you think this is going to be a tale of master and reluctant pupil and Sentaro's journey to master craftsman. Business booms, Sentaro starts to take pride in his product and in making the sweet bean paste himself. But it takes a darker turn, with Tokue's leprosy rearing its head and business falling away. The background and facts to this are dreadful, but it doesn't shy away from the hard truths. The encouraging thing at this point is that Sentaro doesn't just give up, he now takes pride in his product and keeps his shop going. The final portion has another turn if pace again, with Sentaro and a young girl who used to come to the shop visiting Tokue and learning more about her life and her philosophy of life. It doesn't end happily, but it does end hopefully.
The author's note at the end was very revealing.
Show More
They come together over sweet bean paste, which forms a component of a sweet delicacy.Sentaro is working making Dorayaki, he does as little as he needs to get by. He wanted to be a writer, but is now in a dead end and is feeling trapped by circumstances and life. Tokue approaches him, asking to work for him and she makes the Sweet bean paste. So Sentaro begins a reluctant education into the art and mystery of making something relatively simple really well. AT thins stage you think this is going to be a tale of master and reluctant pupil and Sentaro's journey to master craftsman. Business booms, Sentaro starts to take pride in his product and in making the sweet bean paste himself. But it takes a darker turn, with Tokue's leprosy rearing its head and business falling away. The background and facts to this are dreadful, but it doesn't shy away from the hard truths. The encouraging thing at this point is that Sentaro doesn't just give up, he now takes pride in his product and keeps his shop going. The final portion has another turn if pace again, with Sentaro and a young girl who used to come to the shop visiting Tokue and learning more about her life and her philosophy of life. It doesn't end happily, but it does end hopefully.
The author's note at the end was very revealing.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Disco_grinch
I received a FREE copy of this book in exchange for an HONEST review. This is my OPINION, yours may differ...
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa; Translated by Alison Watts
This story centers on three characters: Sentaro, Tokue and Wakana
Each one has their own problems/issues that they must face and
I don't want to go too much into the story and ruin it but I do want to mention a few basics--
The story opens with Sentaro only concerned about ending his debt to the wife of his now dead boss. He cares very little for what he is doing--selling dorayaki--it is a means to an end. Everyday he trudges through his existence using sub-par food materials to make his dorayaki (two small pancakes with sweet bean paste in the middle). He is approached by an old woman (Tokue) asking for a job and willing to work for almost nothing. Sentaro doesn't want to add more complication and difficulties to his life and rejects her. Eventually he relents and she becomes a close friend and the "pivot point" of the story. Wakana is a student that has little happiness in life and no friends. She is from a poor family and rounds out the unhappy trio.
The story flows from the beginning of Tokue's existence in Sentaro's life until her exit and death. The short time the three spend together changes all of their lives and changes them for the better.
The story is simply told. By this I mean that Mr. Sukegawa doesn't use fancy words and flowery phrases to weave his tale, he just tells it plain and simple but the impact is huge. The emotions I felt while read started out almost non-existent (like Sentaro's view of his life) and built until I was thoroughly connected to the trio (less with Wakana than the others but she was still there with me).
The story is simple but extremely touching. Mr. Sukegawa style is simple and non-intrusive on the story but still provides huge impact. The translator--Ms. Watts--did a superb job with the translation (I read tons of Korean and Japanese books and some translations are just HORRIBLE).
I would have to say this is one of the better books I have read in a while. The impact felt at the end was memorable and they story did not let me down from beginning to end. There was one point near the end that I thought was going to really disappoint me but it quickly recovered and the story continued to flow.
My recommendation is to get a copy of this book and enjoy it over a nice weekend.
I give this book a 4.5 out 5 stars!
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa; Translated by Alison Watts
This story centers on three characters: Sentaro, Tokue and Wakana
Each one has their own problems/issues that they must face and
Show More
this is the story about how their lives intertwine and they effect/help one another.I don't want to go too much into the story and ruin it but I do want to mention a few basics--
The story opens with Sentaro only concerned about ending his debt to the wife of his now dead boss. He cares very little for what he is doing--selling dorayaki--it is a means to an end. Everyday he trudges through his existence using sub-par food materials to make his dorayaki (two small pancakes with sweet bean paste in the middle). He is approached by an old woman (Tokue) asking for a job and willing to work for almost nothing. Sentaro doesn't want to add more complication and difficulties to his life and rejects her. Eventually he relents and she becomes a close friend and the "pivot point" of the story. Wakana is a student that has little happiness in life and no friends. She is from a poor family and rounds out the unhappy trio.
The story flows from the beginning of Tokue's existence in Sentaro's life until her exit and death. The short time the three spend together changes all of their lives and changes them for the better.
The story is simply told. By this I mean that Mr. Sukegawa doesn't use fancy words and flowery phrases to weave his tale, he just tells it plain and simple but the impact is huge. The emotions I felt while read started out almost non-existent (like Sentaro's view of his life) and built until I was thoroughly connected to the trio (less with Wakana than the others but she was still there with me).
The story is simple but extremely touching. Mr. Sukegawa style is simple and non-intrusive on the story but still provides huge impact. The translator--Ms. Watts--did a superb job with the translation (I read tons of Korean and Japanese books and some translations are just HORRIBLE).
I would have to say this is one of the better books I have read in a while. The impact felt at the end was memorable and they story did not let me down from beginning to end. There was one point near the end that I thought was going to really disappoint me but it quickly recovered and the story continued to flow.
My recommendation is to get a copy of this book and enjoy it over a nice weekend.
I give this book a 4.5 out 5 stars!
Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
This sweet novella set in contemporary Japan is about a man who is released from prison and runs a Doraharu, which serves dorayaki (pancakes with sweet bean paste). He meets an old women, Tokue, who grew up in a leper colony on the outskirts of town. His unlikely friendship with her and Wakana, a
Show More
school girl who visits the shop, is quiet and lovely. Despite their differences, the three learn to look past their outward appearances to find something deeper. Show Less
Language
Original language
Japanese
Original publication date
2013
Physical description
7.8 inches
ISBN
1786071959 / 9781786071958