People From My Neighbourhood by Hiromi Kawakami

What is it about?

A collection of flash fiction about the people who live in the main character’s neighbourhood.

OK, but what is it really about?

For those of you who don’t know: flash fiction is a story told in less than 1000 words. Hiromi Kawakami’s book “People from my neighbourhood,” translated from Japanese to English by Ted Goossen, is a collection of flash fiction – 36 loosely intertwined stories on 121 pages that can be read in one sitting.

This is not your typical Japanese neighbourhood. It is filled with idiosyncratic characters that are involved in the most curious incidents. Readers will meet an old man with two shadows that keep fighting each other; a princess with a dubious, murderous past; a young girl engaging in the manipulation of people’s memories; a doctor who insists that some people are hatched from eggs; and a greeting squad with the ability to halt time.

Is it any good?

I didn’t quite know what to expect when this tiny book arrived by mail (although I instantly fell in love with the format and the cover); it wasn’t my first book by Hiromo Kawakami, but my first foray into flash fiction – I guess one can say that I approached this book with caution, but also a healthy dose of curiosity. After reading the first couple of stories, I was certain that my scepticism had been justified. I couldn’t seem to connect to the wondrous, sometimes eerie tales of the people in this neighbourhood.

But then, something strange happened. Suddenly, I felt like I was caught up in a sudden whirlwind – without knowing where it came from, it enveloped me and held on to me with intense power, until I had finished reading the last page. The people in the book began to come alive, their stories filled with colour and an electrifying energy. I wasn’t merely a reader anymore, but a part of the neighbourhood: I could see myself being reluctant friends with Kanae, visiting the House of Music on my birthday, attending the School of Sweets and gambling the night away with Uncle Round. Wasn’t that just me over there, running away from Blackie the dog, belting out a karaoke tune at the Love and discussing Chicken Hell with the old farmer who later turned into a woman?

By the time I put “People from my neighbourhood” back into my bookshelf, it was almost like I had become part of a secret community, as if I had fallen under a magic spell. It was a truly bizarre, yet rewarding experience.

Favorite story?

There were several stories in this book that stood out, but my favorites were “The Elf” and “Weightlessness.”

In “The Elf,” the author writes about a house that people can only enter on their birthdays. Once inside, they can hear music – but not everyone hears the same songs; each person is serenaded with the “music that rules their destiny.”

In “Weightlessness,” the main character and Kanae are caught up in a “no-gravity event.” Instead of remaining indoors and make sure they are weighted down, they slowly lose grow lighter, their feet losing ground, until they float in the air, latching on to tree trunks.  

Most memorable quote?

“Kanae’s sister surprising success – she had been shooting for less than a year – inspired the police to send a recruiter to her home, but she turned him down flat, saying her plans for the future involved becoming a medium who communicated with the dead.”

(This sentence perfectly sums up the wonderful weirdness of this book.)

Conclusion?

“People from my neighbourhood” won’t be an interesting read for everyone. The oddness that underlies these stories is a given – it is never questioned, but accepted as a fact, as normality. If you have fondness for quirky tales, a soft spot for eccentric characters and a penchant for peculiar yet extraordinary storylines, then you’re in for a treat.

AT A GLANCE

Title: People From My Neighbourhood

Author: Hiromi Kawakami

Published by: Granta Publications (2020)

Pages: 121

Language: English