Your theory is as good as any I've heard, David. I think Japanese literature has, in the past, seemed too strange to Westerners, but now that the West is beyond bonkers, it's not that odd after all. And, yes, the weirdness in Japanese fiction is different enough from our weirdness that it's escapism. Hiroko Oyamada's "The Factory," which I love dearly, is a good example of such a thing.
Oh, I just read Saou Ichikawa's "Hunchback," which is exceptional!
I really enjoyed "The Factory." Such a weird book--but as you say, weird in a very good way. I love the weirdness of Japanese fiction and trying to figure it out without (usually) being brow-beaten by some ridiculously obvious social message.
Your comments on Japanese literature as escapism are interesting. I think that the "genre" of "magical realism" also appeals to many white Westerners who are looking to escape from the burden of shirked social responsibility and collective guilt. What is ironic is how much the literature of non-Western writers is imbued with subtexts which are conveniently ignored by Western readers who look for escapism. It's almost as if the parables of Jesus were re-packaged into a literary form designed to promote entertaining flights of fancy.
I am reminded of how I once read an online reproduction of a 1960's Wall Street Journal article which praised the British music group Pentangle because they made interesting feel-good music without making any statements about social responsibility or social justice. The article was written at a time during which racism was very strong in the United States, the British still held onto Rhodesia, the West still supported South Africa, and the United States was busy trying to conquer Vietnam.
Your theory is as good as any I've heard, David. I think Japanese literature has, in the past, seemed too strange to Westerners, but now that the West is beyond bonkers, it's not that odd after all. And, yes, the weirdness in Japanese fiction is different enough from our weirdness that it's escapism. Hiroko Oyamada's "The Factory," which I love dearly, is a good example of such a thing.
Oh, I just read Saou Ichikawa's "Hunchback," which is exceptional!
I really enjoyed "The Factory." Such a weird book--but as you say, weird in a very good way. I love the weirdness of Japanese fiction and trying to figure it out without (usually) being brow-beaten by some ridiculously obvious social message.
Your comments on Japanese literature as escapism are interesting. I think that the "genre" of "magical realism" also appeals to many white Westerners who are looking to escape from the burden of shirked social responsibility and collective guilt. What is ironic is how much the literature of non-Western writers is imbued with subtexts which are conveniently ignored by Western readers who look for escapism. It's almost as if the parables of Jesus were re-packaged into a literary form designed to promote entertaining flights of fancy.
I am reminded of how I once read an online reproduction of a 1960's Wall Street Journal article which praised the British music group Pentangle because they made interesting feel-good music without making any statements about social responsibility or social justice. The article was written at a time during which racism was very strong in the United States, the British still held onto Rhodesia, the West still supported South Africa, and the United States was busy trying to conquer Vietnam.