The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami

What is it about?

Ten stories told through the eyes of ten different women, all of whom have one thing in common: their love (or affection) for the main character, Yukihiko Nishino.

OK, but what is it really about?

We meet Mr. Nishino in ten different stages of his life, and he is introduced to the readers through the perspective of the women he makes a connection with, be it as a friend, a lover or a partner. We see Nishino as the boyfriend of a woman’s roommate, a colleague who seduces his supervisor, an ex-lover who can’t seem to move on. As such, the book encompasses the various sentiments and notions that come along with the feeling of being in love: jealousy, desire, passion, loneliness, tragedy, betrayal and infidelity.

Is it any good?

After reading the first two stories, I was a little perturbed. The first one used elements of the mystical-supernatural, whereas the second story included a scene that left me downright repulsed. Therefore, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the rest of the book, but alas, the remaining eight stories didn’t pick up on either the supernatural, nor the disturbing incident. That’s why the book is a bit misleading at first - “Parfait” and “In the grass” feel disconnected from the other chapters, even though they add different layers to the complex character of Nishino and interestingly enough show him at the last stage of his life, close to death, and in his early years, as a teenager. It is the latter, the glimpse into his life as a young boy, that lays the foundation of the man Nishino is to become.

What is delicious and simultaneously dissatisfying about this book - I wouldn’t even call it a novel, but rather a collection of short stories, because even though they are connected by Nishino, they also perfectly stand on their own - is the fact that we learn more about Nishino’s character as we go on, discover a different side to the man, an unexpected tenderness, a sudden crudity, yet even after reading ten stories that all focus on the connection between Nishino and a different woman, he still remains an enigma, a man whose mind and inner workings are hard to grasp and understand: charming and alluring one minute, sad and aloof the next. Instead, we get a clearer picture of the women whose lives he touched, destroyed or enriched.

Favorite character?

It’s hard to determine a favorite character when the author only allows you to spend such little time with them. Yet after reading this book, the one woman who was still in my mind - perhaps because she was the one I could relate to the most - was Eriko, the seventh love of Mr. Nishino, who tells her story in “Keenly.” Her vulnerability is touching, her inability to let down her guard comprehensible, her realization that she may have had feelings for Nishino after all nothing short of tragic. It’s not like she hadn’t suspected it when Nishino was still around, but the courage to admit it even to herself comes too late. And yet, even when the quiet and familiar loneliness comes back to dominate her life again, Eriko remains unfazed, composed - strong.

Most memorable quote?

“A world without darkness would be unthinkable.”

Conclusion?

Hiromi Kawakami has a very distinct writing style that is often described - for want of a better word - as quirky. Allison Markin Powell, who translated this book from Japanese to English, does a fine job at conveying the worlds the characters of “Ten Loves” inhabit, and an even greater job at giving each woman her own voice.

I have read other reviews that called the book disappointing and a far cry from Kawakami’s other works, most notably “Strange Weather in Toyko” and “The Nakano Thrift Shop” (both of which I’ll review at some point as well). I somewhat agree with the latter statement: “Ten Loves” may not be as bewitching as “Strange Weather in Toyko”, but I’d never call it a disappointment. I love the premise of the book and - as mentioned before, except for the first two stories - enjoyed its quiet, unconventional approach.

AT A GLANCE

Title: The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino

Author: Hiromi Kawakami

Published by: Granta Publications (2019)

Pages: 195

Language: English