The Factory by Hiroko Omyamada

Format: Paperback
Obtained from: Library (support your public library people)
Print length: 116 pages
Publisher: New Direction Books
ISBN: 9780811228855
Translated by: David Boyd

• Fact #1 – I have never read a Japanese book before, Sure I can’t speak or read Japanese, but I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book that was written in Japanese and then translated. I’ve certainly read books set in Japan, or about Japan, just not a Japanese novel.
• Fact #2 – I will never say this again.
• Fact #3 – It was weird, but I also liked it.

Funny story. If you read my reviews, you probably know I work in a library. If you haven’t, well, now you know. Anyway, I saw this tiny book in our new book collection and decided I’d give it a blast because it sounded interesting, and I figured I could read 116 pages pretty quickly. It turns out I could, but not because it had a fantastic plot or tremendous worldbuilding. I just could not put it down.

The “plot” is told from the perspective of three different people, who work in varying roles in a factory that is the place to work. I figured this would be something like The Warehouse, but I couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, months later, I still don’t quite know what the book is about. There’s a plot about some weird birds and a bridge, and the characters cross paths in the most random of ways, which will probably annoy writing purists. The story is told in rotating chapters among the three characters, but there is no warning about who hosts which chapter. When I started reading it I was really lost until I figured this out.

So, that the hell did I like about it? Well, simply put – the characters. Not just the main ones – all of them. They were bizarre and hilarious and eminently likeable, and the factory where they work was like a stereotype of where we all work, so we can relate in our own way. I realise I have probably done nothing to sell this book to you, but seriously, give it a try. If nothing else you can tick off that “translated from Japanese book” off your bucket list.

Verdict

Weird, occasionally frustrating, but strangely enjoyable.