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And then, in chapter two the narrator meets Kahona, a former geisha also existing on the same existential plane as him, and by chapter three—I couldn't put the book down.
Kahona is able to share with the man, a former Australian business tycoon called Wolram E. Deaps, the story of her life, and is somehow able to do this by changing the imagery around them, so they can walk through and interact with her memories. The novel is spliced like a film—jumping and cutting between narrative; never lingering too long on any one scene—and moves along at an interesting pace that keeps you turning pages, wanting to know answers to the questions that spring up along the way.
The imagery is vivid, yet not overly indulged, and usually changes with every chapter; and the characters become real and turn into people you start to care about. Most of the story is set in the backdrop of Japan during World War Two, and is filled with amazingly detailed historical tidbits that tie in to the story’s context nicely. Every emotion and scene is subtle and described just enough; you never feel as a reader that you’re being yanked into an emotion, and yet you end up really emotionally invested in the story’s trajectory and outcome.
The only negative points about the book occur in the first few pages, and are only occasionally peppered throughout—which are several references to characters or plot-lines from books and films that are not always explained fully. If, as a reader, you have never seen the film or read the book referenced, you feel left out of an inside joke. But this also, in a strange way, adds another interesting dimension to the novel, which itself feels like a running film reel.
It’s a fascinating read, and I was very surprised after the first few challenging pages to be completely drawn into the story. I didn’t want to do anything else but keep reading. Fantastically researched, captivatingly written, this is a full four out of four that I would read again, recommend to everyone, and be happy to see in its rightful place among bestsellers. I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars.
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