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The End of the Moment We Had
On the eve of the Iraq War, a man and a woman meet in a nightclub in Tokyo. They go to a love hotel, and spend the next five days in a torrid affair.
In the second story, a woman living in a damp flat obsesses on the filthy state of her dwelling. She remains in bed for the duration of the narrative, but the drama and tension of her inner life - spiralling further and further into her memories and anxieties.
In the second story, a woman living in a damp flat obsesses on the filthy state of her dwelling. She remains in bed for the duration of the narrative, but the drama and tension of her inner life - spiralling further and further into her memories and anxieties.
122 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2007
44 people are currently reading
1671 people want to read
About the author
Toshiki Okada
19 books24 followersToshiki Okada (岡田 利規 Okada Toshiki, born July 3, 1973) is a Japanese playwright, theater director, novelist, and founder of the theatrical company chelfitsch. He is known for "his use of hyper-colloquial Japanese and his unique choreography."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
September 17, 2018
I feel like grouping this short novel with another short novel from Japan that came out at the same time (Convenience Store Woman)- and I do wonder, is this a trend? If so, more please!
It is the eve of the Iraq War and two characters end up spending almost a week together in a love hotel, but there are encounters with other people on both sides of that story. The author shifts from one perspective to another, and this fills in the story in a lot of ways, and I enjoyed the different versions and unexpressed thoughts, especially in a culture like Japan.
The encounters are short, the long-term is not explored, but I enjoyed this quick read.
Thanks to the publisher for giving me access to the title through NetGalley. It came out September 4th, 2018.
It is the eve of the Iraq War and two characters end up spending almost a week together in a love hotel, but there are encounters with other people on both sides of that story. The author shifts from one perspective to another, and this fills in the story in a lot of ways, and I enjoyed the different versions and unexpressed thoughts, especially in a culture like Japan.
The encounters are short, the long-term is not explored, but I enjoyed this quick read.
Thanks to the publisher for giving me access to the title through NetGalley. It came out September 4th, 2018.
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August 14, 2024«E, de certa forma, a escrita é o ponto forte destes dois contos. Ainda assim, achei ambas as histórias muito fracas: mesmo sendo apenas o retrato de vivências comuns, não consegui perceber o propósito de nenhuma delas, não percebi onde é que são “histórias sobre a necessidade humana de conexão” e, ironia das ironias, não senti qualquer ligação ao que li.»
Review completa em: https://ritadanova.blogs.sapo.pt/the-....
Review completa em: https://ritadanova.blogs.sapo.pt/the-....
April 5, 2018
This is novella-length, made up of two pieces. The first is about two people who meet in Tokyo and spend several days in a love hotel while the second is about a beleaguered wife descending into a spiral of ennui and depression. Both written in stream of consciousness, the first one was affecting in how two people tried to create and sustain an extraordinary moment outside of daily reality. It is set on the eve of the US attack on Iraq, and there are antiwar demonstrations in Japan, and these two are trying to create their own temporary world. I thought it was particularly effective how the point-of-view shifted from third to first, and from one character to the other. I was quite moved by that desire to recreate a new space in the old, to stop time in that attempt, to halt the future as you know it's going to play out.
The second story required an interesting first-person voice but somehow, it lacked that. A thoroughly dispassionate tone is hard to maintain in order to interest the reader and that seems to be the problem with the second story. If it's all about interiority, make that person as interestingly fucked-up as you can, I think. I believe Notes from Underground should be the text that sets the bar in that regard. I think maybe the second story was influenced by Clarice Lispector's The Passion According to G.H? I haven't read the Lispector book but I know that a cockroach is involved. So in this story about a woman contemplating her life I was waiting for a cockroach to show up. And what do you know, one does come along. Unfortunately, the cockroach came too late. And this is something I never thought I'd say about anything.
The second story required an interesting first-person voice but somehow, it lacked that. A thoroughly dispassionate tone is hard to maintain in order to interest the reader and that seems to be the problem with the second story. If it's all about interiority, make that person as interestingly fucked-up as you can, I think. I believe Notes from Underground should be the text that sets the bar in that regard. I think maybe the second story was influenced by Clarice Lispector's The Passion According to G.H? I haven't read the Lispector book but I know that a cockroach is involved. So in this story about a woman contemplating her life I was waiting for a cockroach to show up. And what do you know, one does come along. Unfortunately, the cockroach came too late. And this is something I never thought I'd say about anything.
January 7, 2020
"Time is always pushing us forward, and even if we want to slow down a little it never listens, so we give up hope for it ever letting up, but for now, just for now, time felt like it'd been unplugged and we had given a reprieve. That feeling filled our bodies little by little, or maybe it came all at once, but there it was. That was what we wanted, so we tried to make it happen, and it actually did"
~
Comprising of two short stories, The end of the moment we had and My place in plural. I loved both stories, My place in ia bit more. Both stories offer us a glimpse into ordinary lives, with the Japanese 'slice of life' and stream of consciousness narrative. They're very visceral and a sharp testimony to life's harsh truths.
~
The first story opens with a group of drunk men making rambunctious comments in a train. They're on their way to a club to attend a performance. Once they reach the club, one of the guys leaves his group and goes to a love hotel with a girl he meets there. They spend four days there, talking and having sex. Their conversation was an example of how little we understand people whom we interact with. The story is set in the background of the America-Iraq war. Both of them remain self absorbed, trying to find an escape from the protests and remain silent observers.
~
The second story, My place in plural, is about a young woman who is dissatisfied with her husband, although she has everything in life. She takes leave fr her work, stays at home, lies down in bed, observes her house, the grime and mold which has accumulated. She thinks of her husband who works two jobs, but still she wants something more from him. She starts reading a blog about a call center. She begins to think about her husband and their relationship, their arguments, and about her husband's thought process.
~
Both stories explore the meandering thoughts of their protagonists. They have only one moral, Life goes on. A visceral and an interesting read.
3⭐
~
Comprising of two short stories, The end of the moment we had and My place in plural. I loved both stories, My place in ia bit more. Both stories offer us a glimpse into ordinary lives, with the Japanese 'slice of life' and stream of consciousness narrative. They're very visceral and a sharp testimony to life's harsh truths.
~
The first story opens with a group of drunk men making rambunctious comments in a train. They're on their way to a club to attend a performance. Once they reach the club, one of the guys leaves his group and goes to a love hotel with a girl he meets there. They spend four days there, talking and having sex. Their conversation was an example of how little we understand people whom we interact with. The story is set in the background of the America-Iraq war. Both of them remain self absorbed, trying to find an escape from the protests and remain silent observers.
~
The second story, My place in plural, is about a young woman who is dissatisfied with her husband, although she has everything in life. She takes leave fr her work, stays at home, lies down in bed, observes her house, the grime and mold which has accumulated. She thinks of her husband who works two jobs, but still she wants something more from him. She starts reading a blog about a call center. She begins to think about her husband and their relationship, their arguments, and about her husband's thought process.
~
Both stories explore the meandering thoughts of their protagonists. They have only one moral, Life goes on. A visceral and an interesting read.
3⭐
September 22, 2018
Dafuq did I just read
March 27, 2018
This series has long had a very frustrating lack of quality control, and here we're on the downside of that equation. The first story meanders through a marshmallow of nothingness, and I gave up long before the sex hotel and all the fruitiness started, so badly uninteresting the whole affair was. Only to find, blow me, that the second story was even more piffle. I rate Pushkin as a publishing house, and have enjoyed a lot of their books of different kinds over the years, but this spread of Japanese novellas, short novels and collections really needs a rethink if this offering is the best it thinks it can bring us.
April 2, 2018
this is the latest book of Pushkin press Japanese Novellas which Pushkin has started to translates Japanese new best sellers
this book has won Kenzaburo Oe Prize
the book contain two unrelated stories which we the first one seemed easily readable while the second was hard to grasp and understand what is happening inside it.
th first part of the book or story starts with a bunch of drunk guys who seems to be unaware of where they are going or how noisy their talk is to their surrounding and eventually the six of them find their way to a club in which one of the drunk guys hooks up with a girl and they leave together to love hotel where they spend four days making love and talking how is that possible i don't know.
ironically through these four days in which they talked about everything they didn't bother themselves to ask each other their names
" time which is always pushing us forwards, pushing us forwards, and even if we want it to slow down a little it never listens, so we give up hope of it ever letting up, but for now, just for now, time felt like it’d been unplugged and we had been given a reprieve. That feeling filled our bodies little by little, or maybe it came all at once, but there it was. That was what we wanted, so we tried to make it happen, and it actually did."
the second story is about women who refuses to go to work and spends all her day beside thinking about the best excuse to not go to work but also about her difficult relationship with her passive husband and about her last read blog and about examining her room from kitchen to window.
from her obsession about her husband imaginary blog to her inability to understand her husband passivity in life
although it was my first time i read the Pushkin Japanese novellas and somehow unsatisfying the reading was i intend to read the other books also because who can resist Pushkin press alluring books
this book has won Kenzaburo Oe Prize
the book contain two unrelated stories which we the first one seemed easily readable while the second was hard to grasp and understand what is happening inside it.
th first part of the book or story starts with a bunch of drunk guys who seems to be unaware of where they are going or how noisy their talk is to their surrounding and eventually the six of them find their way to a club in which one of the drunk guys hooks up with a girl and they leave together to love hotel where they spend four days making love and talking how is that possible i don't know.
ironically through these four days in which they talked about everything they didn't bother themselves to ask each other their names
" time which is always pushing us forwards, pushing us forwards, and even if we want it to slow down a little it never listens, so we give up hope of it ever letting up, but for now, just for now, time felt like it’d been unplugged and we had been given a reprieve. That feeling filled our bodies little by little, or maybe it came all at once, but there it was. That was what we wanted, so we tried to make it happen, and it actually did."
the second story is about women who refuses to go to work and spends all her day beside thinking about the best excuse to not go to work but also about her difficult relationship with her passive husband and about her last read blog and about examining her room from kitchen to window.
from her obsession about her husband imaginary blog to her inability to understand her husband passivity in life
although it was my first time i read the Pushkin Japanese novellas and somehow unsatisfying the reading was i intend to read the other books also because who can resist Pushkin press alluring books
April 15, 2018
The weakest of the six Pushkin Press Japanese Novellas. I couldn't get into it at all, very disappointed in it. I was looking forward for this one.
Only a short read so not much time wasted and lost.
Only a short read so not much time wasted and lost.
November 26, 2017
เราชอบรู้สึก (ไปเองมั้ง) ว่าการเป็นประชากรในยุคสองพันมันเหนื่อย มันเป็นพิษ มันกัดกินจิตใจ และเราก็รู้สึกว่าสองเรื่องในเล่มนี้มันสะท้อนเรื่องดังกล่าวออกมาโดยเฉพาะเรื่องที่สองที่ทำให้เราหน่วงในใจชะมัดเลยระหว่างอ่าน เพราะเราพบว่าการใช้ชีวิตในแต่ละวันมันทุกข์ทนจังเลย มันต้องพยายามหนีออกไปในหนทางที่แออัดคับแคบ และเมื่อได้รับวาระพิเศษจากการอุบัติขึ้นของเรื่องใหญ่ระดับโลก ใครจะกระโดดเข้าไปร่วมขบวนก็ไปเถอะ แต่เราขอใช้โอกาสนี้หลีกหนีออกจากโลกดีกว่า
เรื่องแรกเป็นอะไรที่ดีงามทั้งตัวเรื่องและวิธีการ เราชอบวิธีที่โอกะดะชิพต์เสียงเล่าข้ามไปมาระหว่างตัวละครสองตัวและแนร์เรเตอร์ ก่อนที่จะค่อยๆ ลบพรมแดนเส้นแบ่งออกไป จนตอนหลังสรรพนามมันเปลี่ยนจาก 'ฉัน' เป็น 'ผม' เป็น 'เขาและเธอ' ตอนไหนบ้างก็ไม่รู้ รวมถึงวิธีเขียนไดอะล็อคที่มีเอกลักษณ์และแอ๊บเสิร์ดยังกับออกมาจากบทละครของเบ็คเก็ตต์ซึ่งทำให้เราอยากเห็นตอนที่มันเป็นละครเวทีมากๆ
แต่เรื่องที่สองดร็อปจากเรื่องแรกไปหน่อยอ่ะ ตอนที่ขมวดเรื่องในตอนจบมันเลยไม่ว้าวอย่างที่ควรจะเป็น
เรื่องแรกเป็นอะไรที่ดีงามทั้งตัวเรื่องและวิธีการ เราชอบวิธีที่โอกะดะชิพต์เสียงเล่าข้ามไปมาระหว่างตัวละครสองตัวและแนร์เรเตอร์ ก่อนที่จะค่อยๆ ลบพรมแดนเส้นแบ่งออกไป จนตอนหลังสรรพนามมันเปลี่ยนจาก 'ฉัน' เป็น 'ผม' เป็น 'เขาและเธอ' ตอนไหนบ้างก็ไม่รู้ รวมถึงวิธีเขียนไดอะล็อคที่มีเอกลักษณ์และแอ๊บเสิร์ดยังกับออกมาจากบทละครของเบ็คเก็ตต์ซึ่งทำให้เราอยากเห็นตอนที่มันเป็นละครเวทีมากๆ
แต่เรื่องที่สองดร็อปจากเรื่องแรกไปหน่อยอ่ะ ตอนที่ขมวดเรื่องในตอนจบมันเลยไม่ว้าวอย่างที่ควรจะเป็น
March 7, 2018
I love Japanese literature but this book bored me and made me wish that the publisher had translated something else.
May 11, 2018
Bom dia.
Po všech těch holokaustech jsem si řekl, že si provětrám mozek nějakou břečkou a tak jsem instinktivně šáhl po japonským autorovi, protože jestli je něco na světě, co mě vždy zklame, tak jsou to český volby, můj penis a asijští autoři.
Jako vždy, i tentokrát se asijský autor rozhodl napsat úplný blábol, který moc nenavazoval a sem tam se někdo poblinkal. V první polovině sledujeme kluka, který sbalí holku a pak jsou pět dní v motelu, kde pořád dělají hupky dupky. To by mě mělo vzrušovat, ale z PornHubu vím, jak asiatky vypadají při sexu. Myslím, že i sex s rychlovarnou konvicí je daleko zábavnější než s asijatkou, takže mě to tedy moc nevzrušilo. Musel jsem tedy sundat kalhoty a vzrušit se sám, takže tady kniha asi selhala, ale neurazila mě, což je na asijskou knížku vlastně úspěch.
Nadšenej jsem se pustil i do druhý poloviny, která je o manželce, která je jen doma, fňuká a stěžuje si a když přijde domů starej, tak mu v amoku přestřihne kabel od ovladače k Playstationu. Nevím co to tam v Japonsku valej, ale ovladače k playstationu jsou bezdrátový, takže nevím co na mě zkoušej. Asi nějaký sci-fi. Japonec, místo aby jí jednu praštil a poslal ji vykydat prasatům, jako správnej Slovan, je jen smutnej a pak jde do práce, zatímco jeho stará přemýšlí o tom, jestli má blog a co by asi tak do toho blogu napsal. WTF.
Dohromady hodnotím 4/10, kdy 4 jsou za pvní polovinu a 0 za druhou. Jenže včera jsem byl docela navátej, když jsem četl první půlku, takže odečítám 3 body a dávám je sám sobě. Naopak zase přičítám tři body, že to bylo krátký.
Po všech těch holokaustech jsem si řekl, že si provětrám mozek nějakou břečkou a tak jsem instinktivně šáhl po japonským autorovi, protože jestli je něco na světě, co mě vždy zklame, tak jsou to český volby, můj penis a asijští autoři.
Jako vždy, i tentokrát se asijský autor rozhodl napsat úplný blábol, který moc nenavazoval a sem tam se někdo poblinkal. V první polovině sledujeme kluka, který sbalí holku a pak jsou pět dní v motelu, kde pořád dělají hupky dupky. To by mě mělo vzrušovat, ale z PornHubu vím, jak asiatky vypadají při sexu. Myslím, že i sex s rychlovarnou konvicí je daleko zábavnější než s asijatkou, takže mě to tedy moc nevzrušilo. Musel jsem tedy sundat kalhoty a vzrušit se sám, takže tady kniha asi selhala, ale neurazila mě, což je na asijskou knížku vlastně úspěch.
Nadšenej jsem se pustil i do druhý poloviny, která je o manželce, která je jen doma, fňuká a stěžuje si a když přijde domů starej, tak mu v amoku přestřihne kabel od ovladače k Playstationu. Nevím co to tam v Japonsku valej, ale ovladače k playstationu jsou bezdrátový, takže nevím co na mě zkoušej. Asi nějaký sci-fi. Japonec, místo aby jí jednu praštil a poslal ji vykydat prasatům, jako správnej Slovan, je jen smutnej a pak jde do práce, zatímco jeho stará přemýšlí o tom, jestli má blog a co by asi tak do toho blogu napsal. WTF.
Dohromady hodnotím 4/10, kdy 4 jsou za pvní polovinu a 0 za druhou. Jenže včera jsem byl docela navátej, když jsem četl první půlku, takže odečítám 3 body a dávám je sám sobě. Naopak zase přičítám tři body, že to bylo krátký.
May 29, 2023
It took me quite a long time to get through this. The writing style (stream of consciousness) is very confusing (and often boring) and so many things are so strange. I would be however interested to read a play by Toshiki Okada if I get the chance.
March 27, 2018
The End Of The Moment We Had, by Toshiki Okada (translated by Sam Malissa), is the latest in a series of Japanese novellas published by Pushkin Press. It contains two short stories that offer snapshots of ordinary lives, streams of consciousness from a variety of voices. They are visceral in their honesty, disturbing in their depiction of life’s quotidian pain.
The first story opens with a group of loud, drunk men travelling on a train. Their boisterous chatter disturbs other passengers yet no complaints are made. The men make their way to a club where a performance is to be held. One of the group had been told of the venue by a girl he met on an outing to the cinema, their conversation awkward in a way it is hard for the girl to get beyond as she watches the man zone out and then walk away.
After the performance at the club one of the group makes his way to a love hotel with another attendee. They spend four nights at this place, talking and having sex, before going their separate ways. They do not tell each other their names.
The narrative includes thoughts and conversations which demonstrate how little individuals understand or even care about many of those they interact with. The time in which the story is set coincides with the American offensive against Iraq and protests are being held in the streets. The characters observe what is happening – to themselves, close to home, and abroad. They remain self-absorbed, savouring their ability to briefly escape what they regard as mundane.
The second story is told from the point of view of a young woman lying in her bed. She has decided to take the day off work for no justifiable reason. As she stretches out her body and observes the grime and mould in her home she considers her husband who is working two jobs but still leaves her frustrated and dissatisfied with the circumstances in which they live. She reads a blog that details interactions at a call centre. She thinks back on times she has lashed out at her husband, wondering why he reacted as he did.
Although the actions of the characters are described, it is their meandering thoughts that are being explored. The stories offer little in the way of resolution – life goes on.
An interesting if somewhat sparse read that depicts recognisable human experiences. There may be a dearth of anything uplifting in the narrative, but the reader can empathise with the everyday tribulations.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Pushkin Press.
The first story opens with a group of loud, drunk men travelling on a train. Their boisterous chatter disturbs other passengers yet no complaints are made. The men make their way to a club where a performance is to be held. One of the group had been told of the venue by a girl he met on an outing to the cinema, their conversation awkward in a way it is hard for the girl to get beyond as she watches the man zone out and then walk away.
After the performance at the club one of the group makes his way to a love hotel with another attendee. They spend four nights at this place, talking and having sex, before going their separate ways. They do not tell each other their names.
The narrative includes thoughts and conversations which demonstrate how little individuals understand or even care about many of those they interact with. The time in which the story is set coincides with the American offensive against Iraq and protests are being held in the streets. The characters observe what is happening – to themselves, close to home, and abroad. They remain self-absorbed, savouring their ability to briefly escape what they regard as mundane.
The second story is told from the point of view of a young woman lying in her bed. She has decided to take the day off work for no justifiable reason. As she stretches out her body and observes the grime and mould in her home she considers her husband who is working two jobs but still leaves her frustrated and dissatisfied with the circumstances in which they live. She reads a blog that details interactions at a call centre. She thinks back on times she has lashed out at her husband, wondering why he reacted as he did.
Although the actions of the characters are described, it is their meandering thoughts that are being explored. The stories offer little in the way of resolution – life goes on.
An interesting if somewhat sparse read that depicts recognisable human experiences. There may be a dearth of anything uplifting in the narrative, but the reader can empathise with the everyday tribulations.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Pushkin Press.
June 12, 2019
2 Novellas wrapped into one sexy cartoon-techno book.
The first novella is "The End of the Moment We Had."
We watch a male young adult (early 20s?) embark on two brief vaguely romantic relationship interactions. Even in putting this into words, I still barely feel convinced about the description I gave.
It's nonlinear in a way I haven't really seen before-- the reader is abruptly vaulted backwards and the past is replayed with more details on previously unexplored areas. Every time you feel comfortable with the timeline, again, you'll fall backwards.
The first jump back is to a movie that the male young adult "main" character saw. He was supposed to go with his girlfriend, but she ditched him. He had an extra ticket, so he gave it to a random woman/girl around his age. We rapidly flop into her perspective on events. She's interested in him and absolutely talks his ear off after the movie. For some reason, he stays around and continues engaging her.
At some point after that movie, he goes out for the night to an art performance. He's smashing drunk with his friends. Even though his judgement of the movie girl is "annoying," he's looking for her at the art performance. He meets another woman, and in some blurry fashion, they end up together for days at a love hotel.
We move into the other woman's perspective and end the novella with her. She consistently compares this love hotel vacation to her "everyday" existence, setting them firmly against each other with detailed descriptions.
The second novella is "My Place in Plural"
This one is occurs inside a quiet, stationary afternoon woman. She seems to be struggling with depression but this is never explicitly said; she merely details her sleeping troubles, lack of enthusiasm, particular obsessions, and relationship squabbles. More noticeable even then those elaborations and reflective flexes is the narrator's minute and intense focus on the turning over of her body into various positions as she lays in bed.
We end the story in a hypothetical scene of her relationship. There's a twist in the imagined view of her boyfriend, and the reader is left wondering where this troubled young couple is headed. The last twist is eerie, optimistic, and surprising, and left me unbalanced.
Sad, lithe, quiet novellas.
The first novella is "The End of the Moment We Had."
We watch a male young adult (early 20s?) embark on two brief vaguely romantic relationship interactions. Even in putting this into words, I still barely feel convinced about the description I gave.
It's nonlinear in a way I haven't really seen before-- the reader is abruptly vaulted backwards and the past is replayed with more details on previously unexplored areas. Every time you feel comfortable with the timeline, again, you'll fall backwards.
The first jump back is to a movie that the male young adult "main" character saw. He was supposed to go with his girlfriend, but she ditched him. He had an extra ticket, so he gave it to a random woman/girl around his age. We rapidly flop into her perspective on events. She's interested in him and absolutely talks his ear off after the movie. For some reason, he stays around and continues engaging her.
At some point after that movie, he goes out for the night to an art performance. He's smashing drunk with his friends. Even though his judgement of the movie girl is "annoying," he's looking for her at the art performance. He meets another woman, and in some blurry fashion, they end up together for days at a love hotel.
We move into the other woman's perspective and end the novella with her. She consistently compares this love hotel vacation to her "everyday" existence, setting them firmly against each other with detailed descriptions.
The second novella is "My Place in Plural"
This one is occurs inside a quiet, stationary afternoon woman. She seems to be struggling with depression but this is never explicitly said; she merely details her sleeping troubles, lack of enthusiasm, particular obsessions, and relationship squabbles. More noticeable even then those elaborations and reflective flexes is the narrator's minute and intense focus on the turning over of her body into various positions as she lays in bed.
We end the story in a hypothetical scene of her relationship. There's a twist in the imagined view of her boyfriend, and the reader is left wondering where this troubled young couple is headed. The last twist is eerie, optimistic, and surprising, and left me unbalanced.
Sad, lithe, quiet novellas.
May 23, 2020
Not my cup of tea.
August 19, 2020
'The End Of The Moment' by Toshiki Okada is a collection of two short stories - one on the eve of Iraq war about a couple in Japan and the other one centre around a housewife's thoughts and emotions.
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The first story named 'The End of the Moment We Had' starts with Azuma, and his drunken friends going to Super Deluxe (a live music event venue). He heard that their will a music performance in Super Deluxe from a girl he met in the movie theaters, who was super boring and talkative according to him. Anyway he still went in the venue in his drunken state somewhere in his heart wishing to meet this girl, but instead he met someone else. He approached this new girl and that girl too happen to notice him. The event was boring so, afterwards they booked a taxi and went to a love motel.
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The second story 'My Place Is Plural' is about this woman who skipped her part- time job and felt like laying on her bed all day. She was waiting for a cockroach, reading a blog, staring at the ceiling and remembering some useless fights with her husband. I think this woman was suffering from a mental health issue because she seemed demented.
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If I have to say which story I liked more, I think it will be the second one. The first one was okish. It was more about fulfilling each one's sexual desire while discussing a little about the war. They both were like rescuing each other from torments by spending time together inside that motel, but as they separated their moment ended. All the unusual feelings too finished. And the second story through the lead woman the author gives a glimpse about the middle class people in Japan and their struggles.
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Talking about music or movies, war and desire are one of the most common things I have seen in Japanese books(books that I have read till date). This book was not bad. It was average for me. I guess I have read more from this author or any other Japanese author to better understand the hidden meanings in their stories.
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The first story named 'The End of the Moment We Had' starts with Azuma, and his drunken friends going to Super Deluxe (a live music event venue). He heard that their will a music performance in Super Deluxe from a girl he met in the movie theaters, who was super boring and talkative according to him. Anyway he still went in the venue in his drunken state somewhere in his heart wishing to meet this girl, but instead he met someone else. He approached this new girl and that girl too happen to notice him. The event was boring so, afterwards they booked a taxi and went to a love motel.
.
The second story 'My Place Is Plural' is about this woman who skipped her part- time job and felt like laying on her bed all day. She was waiting for a cockroach, reading a blog, staring at the ceiling and remembering some useless fights with her husband. I think this woman was suffering from a mental health issue because she seemed demented.
.
If I have to say which story I liked more, I think it will be the second one. The first one was okish. It was more about fulfilling each one's sexual desire while discussing a little about the war. They both were like rescuing each other from torments by spending time together inside that motel, but as they separated their moment ended. All the unusual feelings too finished. And the second story through the lead woman the author gives a glimpse about the middle class people in Japan and their struggles.
.
Talking about music or movies, war and desire are one of the most common things I have seen in Japanese books(books that I have read till date). This book was not bad. It was average for me. I guess I have read more from this author or any other Japanese author to better understand the hidden meanings in their stories.
October 24, 2022
A bit disappointing, im not sure if it was the translation but i didnt enjoy reading the text of the book especially the dialogue, it seemed a bit childish at times.
Just not for me
Just not for me
July 19, 2025
Two stories with existential, isolation and emotional disconnection theme told in a mood-based storytelling. The titular story was about two young strangers who decide to spend their days at a love hotel, willingly getting detached from the outside world and just drowned in their intimacy and aimless thoughts. Not quite a fan to the execution as it gets me bored with its overlaping perspectives; felt repetitive and I don’t care much to know about the ending,
The second story, My Place in Plural structured in a monologue-styled prose of a wife who is left alone at home while her husband is out. Of a tale on fear, frustration and resentment; dramatic and so draggy it felt like I was decaying as much as the narrator while reading her emotional, unsatisfied outbursts. Another miss for me and much more underwhelming than the first story.
The second story, My Place in Plural structured in a monologue-styled prose of a wife who is left alone at home while her husband is out. Of a tale on fear, frustration and resentment; dramatic and so draggy it felt like I was decaying as much as the narrator while reading her emotional, unsatisfied outbursts. Another miss for me and much more underwhelming than the first story.
December 17, 2016
รวมเรื่องสั้น 2 เรื่อง ดีกรีรางวัล Kenzaburo Oe ปี 2008 แปลเป็นไทยใช้ชื่อ ณ จุดสุดท้ายของวาระพิเศษที่เราได้รับมา (The end of the special time we were allowed) โดย สนพ.กำมะหยี่ ชอบเรื่องแรก '5 วันในเดือนมีนาคม' อ่านแล้วนึกถึงจอห์น เลนนอน กับโยโกะ โอโนะ ตอนออกมาต่อต้านสงคราม ส่วนเรื่องที่สอง 'หลากที่ที่ฉันอยู่' นั้นกลับทำให้รู้สึกอึดอัดจนเหมือนต้องฝืนใจอ่าน แต่ก็สะท้อนความเป็นคนญี่ปุ่นยุคใหม่ออกมาได้ดีทั้งสองเรื่อง
November 19, 2021
A book that isn’t groundbreaking but like a cup of tea. It isn’t too special but I loved the first story because the main characters use sex and love to keep away from the sadness of the war. If you’re the type to read only critically acclaimed books, this will probably not be your type of book. I like Kenzaburo Oe’s comment tho, that this book revives hope for Japanese lit.
April 20, 2022
It feels like there exists some deeper meaning to the book, though I am at present unable to find it. I liked the second story more so than the first one, but neither one sparked much interest if I'm being honest. It was a bit of a repetitive tangent on random events in the characters' lives. That about sums it up.
July 28, 2019
Two excellent, quirky tales from the ever-excellent Pushkin Press. As I was reading them I was thinking it's a bit Kafka by way of Beckett - which seems about right, as Toshiki Okada is also a playwright, and indeed the title story was originally a stage play.
In the first, the title story, a young man and woman meet and spend 5 days, 4 nights in a love hotel, talking and having sex. When it's over, they part, agreeing never to meet again, that this will be some sort of one-off experience, taking them both out of their normal lives, something to cherish as a memory for ever. In the background is the run-up to the Iraq war (the setting is 2005, the book having been originally published in Japan in 2007). The narrative perspective changes from one to the other, and we see how each of the two main characters feel about the experience. It is, in essence, a snapshot of a moment, of a nation and its young people, and how politics and real-life frame and structure our everyday lives.
The second story (My Place in Plural) is very much like a Beckettian monologue, as an unnamed 30 year old woman lies in her futon all day, calling in sick to her work and looking back at her relationship with her husband, who is juggling several jobs and, as we see during the story, is long-suffering of her moods and outbursts. As we go on we start to see the apartment through her eyes: the cracks in the ceiling, the mould in the closets, the filth, and how the setting somehow becomes a metaphor for their own lives.
Here is a wonderful new voice in Japanese literature, translated into English here for the first time. Raw, honest, exciting - even though very little actually happens! I look forward to reading much more in the future from Okada.
In the first, the title story, a young man and woman meet and spend 5 days, 4 nights in a love hotel, talking and having sex. When it's over, they part, agreeing never to meet again, that this will be some sort of one-off experience, taking them both out of their normal lives, something to cherish as a memory for ever. In the background is the run-up to the Iraq war (the setting is 2005, the book having been originally published in Japan in 2007). The narrative perspective changes from one to the other, and we see how each of the two main characters feel about the experience. It is, in essence, a snapshot of a moment, of a nation and its young people, and how politics and real-life frame and structure our everyday lives.
The second story (My Place in Plural) is very much like a Beckettian monologue, as an unnamed 30 year old woman lies in her futon all day, calling in sick to her work and looking back at her relationship with her husband, who is juggling several jobs and, as we see during the story, is long-suffering of her moods and outbursts. As we go on we start to see the apartment through her eyes: the cracks in the ceiling, the mould in the closets, the filth, and how the setting somehow becomes a metaphor for their own lives.
Here is a wonderful new voice in Japanese literature, translated into English here for the first time. Raw, honest, exciting - even though very little actually happens! I look forward to reading much more in the future from Okada.
October 24, 2024
The End of the Moment We Had is a thought-provoking exploration of human connection in a rapidly changing world. It is a collection of 2 short stories. The first story, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗱, is set against the backdrop of the impending Iraq War. The story starts with a man and a woman meeting by chance in a nightclub in Tokyo. Their immediate attraction leads them into a whirlwind five-day affair at a love hotel. This brief, intense encounter unfolds in a casual way while highlighting not just their physical connection but also their emotional vulnerability in a time of uncertainty. The man and a woman enjoy their time at the hotel, running away from the war they know is coming, hoping to hide outside the current of time until it’s all over.
The story offers more than just a pleasure between the strangers. They both share their own complexities with a sense of urgency and longing, revealing their desires and fears. As their relationship grows, the ongoing threat of war interrupts their private and joyful moments, creating tension that emphasizes how fragile their bond is.
The second story, 𝗠𝘆 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 is about a woman living in a damp, deteriorating flat. Her obsession with the state of her surroundings keeps her confined to her bed, leading her deeper into her thoughts and memories. As we read her internal monologue, we see her spiraling fears and thoughts about her past, particularly the part where she becomes fixated on her husband's imaginary blog and finds it difficult to comprehend his lack of interest in life. This portrayal of loneliness is powerful because it paints a clear picture of her internal conflict as her mind is racing with memories and anxieties.
Although the story's exploration of the character's inner lives is fascinating and written in exquisite prose, I found neither of the stories to be particularly memorable or satisfying. Thank you, @definitelybooks, for the review copy. Giving this 3 ⭐️
The story offers more than just a pleasure between the strangers. They both share their own complexities with a sense of urgency and longing, revealing their desires and fears. As their relationship grows, the ongoing threat of war interrupts their private and joyful moments, creating tension that emphasizes how fragile their bond is.
The second story, 𝗠𝘆 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 is about a woman living in a damp, deteriorating flat. Her obsession with the state of her surroundings keeps her confined to her bed, leading her deeper into her thoughts and memories. As we read her internal monologue, we see her spiraling fears and thoughts about her past, particularly the part where she becomes fixated on her husband's imaginary blog and finds it difficult to comprehend his lack of interest in life. This portrayal of loneliness is powerful because it paints a clear picture of her internal conflict as her mind is racing with memories and anxieties.
Although the story's exploration of the character's inner lives is fascinating and written in exquisite prose, I found neither of the stories to be particularly memorable or satisfying. Thank you, @definitelybooks, for the review copy. Giving this 3 ⭐️
March 12, 2021
okada é dramaturgo e director teatral - e isso nota-se na sua prosa, onde retrata a complexidade dos seus personagens através do recurso a uma forma peculiar de fluxo de consciência.
o livro contém duas histórias: na 1ª, que dá o nome ao livro, dois desconhecidos encontram-se num happening na véspera da guerra do golfo e decidem ignorar o mundo exterior, encerrando-se num hotel praticando uma espécie de "make sex, not war". na 2ª, "my place in plural", somos convidados a ouvir os pensamentos tortuosos, neuróticos e bizarros de uma mulher, deitada em casa, que lê blogs e imagina aquilo que o marido está a fazer.
não achei deslumbrante mas senti algo de beckett e kafka nesta escrita - e só isso já é qualquer coisa.
o livro contém duas histórias: na 1ª, que dá o nome ao livro, dois desconhecidos encontram-se num happening na véspera da guerra do golfo e decidem ignorar o mundo exterior, encerrando-se num hotel praticando uma espécie de "make sex, not war". na 2ª, "my place in plural", somos convidados a ouvir os pensamentos tortuosos, neuróticos e bizarros de uma mulher, deitada em casa, que lê blogs e imagina aquilo que o marido está a fazer.
não achei deslumbrante mas senti algo de beckett e kafka nesta escrita - e só isso já é qualquer coisa.
January 17, 2019
Very brief at about 120 pages, this is made up of two short stories. I’m not a huge fan of them generally, but these were both good. One about a 4 night stand between a young couple who meet at a club (not graphic) and the other about a married woman who seems depressed and not happy with her choices in life.
There is no huge story to either, as you would expect in 60 pages, but they are interesting and even relatable in parts.
There is no huge story to either, as you would expect in 60 pages, but they are interesting and even relatable in parts.
June 26, 2024
Some strong moments, but overall I wasn't a huge fan.
The first short story felt so hard to read to me - the POV kept jumping all over the place, and while I thought it was an interesting concept, it was a bit of a bore to read for me. Pacing was rather slow, even though the story takes place over 5 days.
The second story was amazingly written - which bumped up the rating to a 2 for me, but wasn't strong enough to replace the feelings the first book brought me.
The first short story felt so hard to read to me - the POV kept jumping all over the place, and while I thought it was an interesting concept, it was a bit of a bore to read for me. Pacing was rather slow, even though the story takes place over 5 days.
The second story was amazingly written - which bumped up the rating to a 2 for me, but wasn't strong enough to replace the feelings the first book brought me.
February 12, 2021
A novella consists of 2 stories; 'The End of The Moment We Had' and 'My Place in Plural'. I personally felt uncomfortable while reading this, but it probably was because both stories described the situation and feelings of the characters vividly they were depressing. If you like well-plotted stories, this book is NOT for you.
January 6, 2023
Nothing remarkable about this novella except a ninety-six hour, I beg your pardon for the term, fuckathon. This sounded nice, though
The light in the room feels heavy, like a chunk of ice that is starting to melt and the edges are starting to get soft and round
September 2, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up as that last story was unexpected and left me thinking on it for quite awhile.
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