Blackberries In The Dream House (review)
The day before taking a trip to Seattle I was at the library. As I was checking out I noticed three books on the display shelf that said something like, “Staff Recommendations.” One was a book I had previously read and enjoyed so I took the recommendations seriously. Blackberries In The Dream House was one of the other recommended books. I picked it up, noticed it was set in Japan, and checked it out.
Normally I bring two books on a trip with me, just in case I have lots of reading time or in case one is a dud. To be sure this one wasn’t a dud, and because I wanted to travel light, I looked at the Amazon.com reviews. Glowing reviews galore, I took only one book and looked forward to diving into Blackberries In The Dream House.
Just a few paragraphs into the book on the plane and I realized I was in trouble. The author was obviously not Japanese but was pretending to be one in the story. In addition, the author felt the need to pour syrup over everything said. Metaphor overkill is an understatement. I found I couldn’t believe anything said or get into the story or the characters.
If you like fiction that emphasizes fictitiousness or paintings loaded with color but no real substance then perhaps you will like this book. Personally, I can’t understand why anyone would recommend or gush on about this book–especially if they have the slightest clue about Japan.
I’m guessing the author visited Kyoto once, was captivated by the place, and then thought she could write like someone who lived there more than a hundred years ago. And those heaping praises on Diane Frank, the author, maybe have a romanticized vision of Kyoto in their head, even though they have never been there, that they think Frank has somehow captured.
Sorry to be so negative in my review, but maybe I will save someone from packing only this book on a trip and making the same mistake I did.
January 18th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
One has to watch out for Amazon reviews. More than a couple times authors have been caught posting reviews of their own books under fake names. I would not put it past some “publishers” to also have people do the same to tout books.
I found it interesting that most of the reviews for this book were by people who only have written one review. I take that as a sign someone has been trying to make this book look better than it is. I could be wrong but why so few reviews by the reviewers then?
January 18th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
Yes, you have to be careful with reviews. A lot of books set in Japan have been written by people only with an interest in Japan and they might not have always been there or lived in Japan.