I …. fell off the bookclub bandwagon because at some point last year I couldn’t keep up with all of them, and I wanted to read books at my own pace, not a a club’s pace… so I don’t know. I have been reading all the club’s books (and 人質の朗読会 too), and I’m keen to read more 小川洋子, but in all fairness I can’t promise I’ll actually participate in the club….
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Nomination post
沈黙博物館
Author: 小川洋子 (Yōko Ogawa)
Page count
- Hardcover: ~312 pages
- Paperback (ちくま文庫): ~384 pages
Some shops list the paperback as 376 pages, probably because of differences between printings or how preliminary pages are counted.
Natively link: 沈黙博物館 (level not yet confirmed)
Summary
Japanese
耳縮小手術専用メス、シロイワバイソンの毛皮、切り取られた乳首……「私が求めたのは、その肉体が間違いなく存在しておったという証拠を、最も生々しく、最も忠実に記憶する品なのだ」――老婆に雇われ村を訪れた若い博物館技師が死者たちの形見を盗み集める。形見たちが語る物語とは？ 村で頻発する殺人事件の犯人は？ 記憶の奥深くに語りかける忘れられない物語。
English
A scalpel used exclusively for ear-reduction surgery, the hide of a Shiroiwa bison, a severed nipple…
“What I sought were objects that would preserve, in the rawest and most faithful way possible, proof that those bodies had undeniably existed.”
A young museum technician, hired by an old woman, visits a village and begins stealing keepsakes left behind by the dead. What stories do these mementos tell? Who is responsible for the murders occurring throughout the village?
An unforgettable tale that speaks to the deepest reaches of memory.
Availability
Hardcover (単行本):
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筑摩書房 (2000-09-07); 312 pages; ISBN: 978-4-480-80355-9 / 4480803556 (Chikuma Shobō, Rakuten Books)
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The hardcover is out of print, so available copies are normally second-hand:
Paperback (ちくま文庫):
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筑摩書房 (2004-06-09); approximately 384 pages; ISBN: 978-4-480-03963-7 / 4480039635 (Chikuma Shobō, Rakuten Books, Kinokuniya)
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Purchase links:
E-book (ちくま文庫 EPUB):
Comments
This is one of Ogawa’s older books. It has been translated into German and French, but my main reason for nominating is that I saw online that Stephen Snyder had a contract to write an English translation. Given his success with Ogawa’s other books (Housekeeper, Memory Police, Mina) and knowledge of her work, that seemed to me like a good reason to choose this.
The impressions from reviews online are fairly consistent. Readers describe it as quiet and beautifully written, but also dreamlike, allegorical, deeply unsettling and sometimes close to horror. Comparisons with Kafka and magical realism appear fairly often. Several reviewers also note that it grows progressively darker despite the calm, almost pastoral atmosphere of the village.
It sounds recognisably like one of Ogawa’s enclosed, otherworldly settings, but with a stronger mystery element and more overtly macabre material than some of her other novels. The official description includes murder, mutilated body parts and the theft of possessions from dead people, so it may not suit readers looking for one of her gentler books.
For learners, one Japanese-language specialist recommends it for N2 and above and notes that the paperback has no furigana.
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Any other nominations? @nikoru
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Oh, sorry! I kept wanting to nominate this but life got in the way in numerous ways…
劇場という名の星座
This link contains all relevant information.
Why am I nominating this?
I was looking for a book for my bingo field „published in 2026“, and I searched for my favorite authors‘s books to check whether they had published something very recently, and what can I say: Here it is! 
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The Poll 
Expected reading pace: We will probably read at ~15-20 pages per week (that number might vary a bit throughout, depending on the book’s breaks and chapters). The pick’s exact reading schedule will be negotiated before the book club kicks off.
Start of Book Club: We will start the next book in ~mid September
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Sorry , have only just seen this. Yes I would be interested in trying to take part again.
Judging from the last book a pace of 15 pages per week was just about doable for me but 30 would not be, (although maybe having read one Ogawa book before will help me).
Ok, I see there is a poll. I have put in 2 votes but if I had a third vote it would be for ブラフマンの埋葬, in other words the only book that maybe grabs me less (to read next anyway) is the 11 year old who stays young.
I probably feel that the book about the theatre may be slightly more manageable than the one about the museum (reminds me of the torture museum… in the book we have just read…), mainly because it seems to be short stories. But I don’t want to influence this much as I can’t guarantee to read at all, although I do hope to do so, and I do also think the argument re which book the translator chose is a good one.
So probably other people should choose and I will try to join in if possible.
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any other votes? eg nudging @Belerith @eefara @gen-shk @Myria @Magyarapointe @crispetynougat
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Hmm…. How do I reconcile knowing I don’t have that much time and being interested in at least 3 of the 4 books ?…. I’ve voted !
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I don’t think I’ll vote, but I’ll keep an eye on the winner!
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I re-read all the descriptions and I actually think they all sound good. I really am not sure currently how much I will be able to participate so have removed my vote.
However I will try my best to join in with whatever is decided if possible as I did very much enjoy the last book we read.
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We have a tie!
We could run a tie-breaker poll, but I’m not sure there are enough here to make that very helpful.
My suggestion is that we go with 劇場 first (since that will allow @nikoru to include it in her bingo). We could follow with 猫を抱いて象
How does that sound?
Assuming no strong disagreement with this plan, @nikoru would you like to run the club for 劇場?
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That sounds like a good idea to me !
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Sounds like a good idea to me.
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Sounds fine! Not sure if I’ll join in with 劇場 since I don’t own it and the Kindle version is on the expensive side. I’ll try if I can maybe find it elsewhere. But I will join for 猫を for sure.
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Sounds good! I also didn’t vote since I’d be fine reading any of the options (for as long as I can keep up, anyway!)
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Hi! Looks like 劇場 is a 短編集 and 猫を抱いて is a novel, in case that sways anyone’s opinion. I’m cool with the plan to start reading 劇場 in mid-September 
Thanks so much @domjcw and @nikoru for organizing!
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Yes, that would work for me!
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I’ve set up a home thread for our book club:
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Quick reminder for everybody: We are starting our next pick from tomorrow!
Here is week 1 to help you along (I will post the subsequent weeks in the book’s home thread only):
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@domjcw Could you please add a link to the book club to the OP?
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