I decided to be brave and try to listen to this, since I have access to the audiobook but not the book itself. First time I’m doing listening only, and I don’t know how you all can do it. The first chapter took me 6(!) listens until I felt I understood enough to proceed. Second chapter only 3, probably because I found what helps my comprehension. Apparently it’s not speed that matters to me - making it slower doesn’t help at all. But pausing between sentences makes all the difference. It gives my very slow brain time to process what I heard, and suddenly all the gibberish falls into place and becomes actual words. Most of the time. Also, the idea was to listen to it on walks, but apparently I can’t process multiple stimuli all at once (taking in the scenery, filtering out background sounds), and I concentrate much better sitting at my desk (which defeats the purpose, but okay).
Anyway, this was a lot about my listening troubles and nothing about the book, so let’s remedy that: I really like the writing so far (first two chapters), and I’m intrigued by their relationship. I would be horrified by the husband’s mother’s attitude (just give me children, who cares if you never touch your wife, or how she feels about it, or whether you’re even capable of providing a nurturing home for growing children. It’s your duty as an only son), but I’ve seen variations of it so many times already in so many other books, that I consider it par of the course by now. I’m sure I’ve missed details (and I can barely stand it, let me tell you), but hopefully not important ones. Let’s see what chapter 3 brings!
book needs to be many levels (10+) below what I can read with my eyes to go audiobook only or I have to be content with a lot of whitenoise.
This is true for Japanese for me, too. With English, I need the slight distraction of walking/chores to keep focused on the story. With Japanese, just sitting somewhere is best, though I can do nature walks and sitting in the tram, where I don’t have to watch out for traffic or anything.
Unfortunately, parents like this exist in RL and quite a lot of them, too.
Glad you are sharing your thoughts here. I was a bit surprised when I got new notifications for this thread.
I find it’s harder for me to sit still and listen to audiobooks be it in English or in Japanese, it’s simply not enough stimulus I suppose?
But I also have to be careful of which books I choose because while listening it’s much harder to pause to look up unknown words, and building up a “listening” vocabulary where I mapped the words I know in text to their sounds when I hear them took a little bit of time. It does become easier though!
I think also this one might be harder as audio only because it can be a bit rambley and isn’t about plot development / action + consequence and some scene changes can be non sequiturs
Nah, I think it’s on the easier side as far as audiobooks go, at least for me. The fact that I don’t process spoken language fast enough is a me problem - I sometimes even lose the plot in my native language, and I always have subtitles on regardless of language. I’m just much better at reading I suppose.
I think it is getting easier (read chapter 3 and started 4) now that the scene is established (the beginning of any book is almost always the hardest part until you get your bearings), and I really like both the writing and the narration. I wouldn’t have been able to bear listening to each chapter multiple times if I didn’t.
Chapter 4. Kon is certainly an interesting character. My guess is that he totally expected to be seen by them as they returned from the station, and was planning to spend the night with them. Rather risky joke, but he seems to be the type to do such things. I love how Shoko seems to be in love with the idea of gay men, and watches them as if they’re rare magnificent creatures full of mystery.
I listened to this chapter only once, but with frequent pauses and lookups, and with repeating some parts here and there. My comprehension wasn’t 100% of course, but good enough, I should hope. Progress.
Chapter 6. I didn’t quite get how the Kon-Mutsuki quarrel played out (Mutsuki set him up on a date with some girl because he couldn’t well avoid it? Then what? I’ll need to relisten) but I’m also creeped out by the middle-school mention. In middle school you are 12-15? Even if Mutsuki was in high school it’s still creepy, given Kon’s very young age. On the other hand, something Mutsuki said before about Kon being his きっかけ makes me think that he was very young himself when he fell in love with him? So maybe there’s no major gap. I’m also increasingly curious why Shoko wanted this marriage. Her previous boyfriend broke up with her because she wasn’t normal enough? Or did I mishear? Did she think she wouldn’t get a normal relationship, or did she actually fall in love with Mutsuki?
I don’t remember enough to comment on the quarrel, but I do remember us all trying to figure out the age gap between Kon and Mutsuki too! And I think Shouko’s bf broke up with her because she was too high strung…which talking around the fact that she has depressive episodes and is an alcoholic. I think she adores Mutsuki, but ‘romantic love or not’ is held in tension and one of the enjoyable pieces of the book for me.
Finished chapter 9. I’m really, really liking the book. I’m sad there’s not much left. And I hope it all ends well for them all, and that they can be a happy polyamorous family after all. Mutsuki seems to truly care for Shoko, and Kon is very sharp - he not only likes her but he seems to get her. The dialogue about him wanting a wife too was cute. I didn’t interpret it as “I’m only gay for Mutsuki”, but as “I don’t see such things as gender, only people, and I just happen to want him”. I can believe Kon being totally flexible like that. I find them all really likeable, Shoko included. I do love my protagonists as flawed and tortured as possible.
Finished! The audiobook got easier and easier as I went on, very proud moment for me
And I loved the book. I was about to write my thoughts, but then I read cat’s, and it’s exactly how I feel, so I’ll just quote this:
Towards the ending, it got very, very familiar, almost like déjà vu. I very definitely haven’t read the book in Japanese before, and as far as I know it hasn’t been translated, nor made into a movie. But I still feel very strongly like I’ve seen these three and their relationship before.
First audio only, yes. I wouldn’t say I actually got better as such, I just found what helps me (quiet environment instead of walks, pausing after sentences that don’t immediatly make sense, etc) and i got used to the voice actors, and of course the book itself. I’m sure any new audiobook will still feel very hard at first.
I’d love to continue this kind of practice, but it would need to be books like this one: not too hard, and preferably lacking an ebook edition. Because I hate missing things, even if it’s just little details or nuances, so if there is a readily available text version I’m unlikely to resist getting it.
Hello everyone!
I’ve started reading this, so hope you don’t mind if I put my thoughts in.
I’ve read chapters 1-4 so spoilers for those:
I hope I’m not tempting fate, but I’m so on board with 睦月 and 笑子 treating each other with so much respect/kindness.
For a sham marriage between a depressed alcholic, and a gay guy with a younger lover, it could be going much worse.
笑子’s fascination with 紺 is also really nicely built up so far (and his very well? fed plant lol).
Also was amused at 笑子’s “just let me know when you want to have the orgy and I’ll pop out” and 睦月’s bafflement at it.
And I’m on the same page as everyone else around 紺 maybe screwing a dog?! It’s so far fetched that I kinda see the pov that maybe he was joking around, but I don’t really understand what else he could have been doing?!
A couple of tangentially related language notes:
At one point I caught the author using コンビニエンスストア , instead of コンビニ、and I got to thinking, this is probably a reasonable signal this is a pre-2000 book.
Looking on google trends (which seems to only go back to 2004 for Japanese), コンビニエンスストア is already way less common than コンビニ, and since then has dropped way down.
Also kinda funny, as in British English, “Convenience Store” really bumped around 2019 up as a trend due to コンビニ人間 becoming popular.
Another new term for me 雑魚寝,
I always find these animal based references interesting, as they so often remind me of English phrases which are similar but not quite the same.
In this case I was both reminded of ‘packed like sardines’ - which brings to mind a much more squished and horizontal image than 雑魚寝 seems to.
And also ‘sleeping with the fishes’ - which on the face of it matches a direct translation, but obviously with completely different connotations.
And read chapters 5-9.
I’m really enjoying this book, as most others did.
睦月’s plan to set 笑子 up with her ex unravelled pretty quickly
But damn does 睦月 have patience with 笑子 and 紺 , them on their jolly to visit him working at the hospital I found quite funny. Both of them definitely seem to have childish streaks.
They definitely 
