Books to read at home during the rainy season
~Monosus' "Reading Club" #04~

This book was brought to the reading group by Mr. Funayama of the check team some time ago. Since the theme is "Staying at home...", I thought a serious book about "death" would be good. I've only read it halfway through, but in one word, I think it's a "book that motivates me."

"You actually don't have much time left in your life, and if you continue like this you'll regret it."
People who realize that they will eventually die live satisfying lives, while those who don't end up with regrets. Even if we understand this in our heads, it doesn't mean we really understand it as something that affects us personally.

The book begins by asking the reader to imagine themselves dying.
I was lying in bed and gradually my consciousness was fading...

There are also many other parts that encourage you to use your body to imagine things, such as "Think about it for five minutes before turning the page" and "Try saying it out loud." Of course, you can't "scream and cry" here (laughs).

What's interesting is that it makes you think, not just think, but actually take action and imagine. I think it would be a good idea to read a book like this on a rainy day and face yourself.

After that, I had a dream where I was a mosquito, and was sprayed with a mosquito spray, and the poison spread and I died. I had a dream where I lost all feeling in my arm, and then with a bang, it popped out and disappeared, and I thought, "This is it!"
That's what I was reminded of when I heard what you just said.

The theme is "staying indoors during the rainy season," so I thought the dark, damp imagery was a perfect fit, and that's why I chose this collection of short stories.

I like the movie "Zigeunerweisen" (directed by Suzuki Seijun, released in 1980), and this album includes the short story that the movie was based on, "Sarasate's Record."

The story is a creepy one in which the protagonist has a deceased friend, whose wife appears at the same time multiple times and asks for her husband's belongings to be returned.
The relics we seek are different each time, but among them is a record of Sarasate's "Zigeunerweisen," which is also the title of the film. When the song is played, a voice can be heard in the middle, and the mystery deepens.

It is not clear whether it is reality or a dream, or whether the friend's wife is alive or dead, so the film has a psychologically chilling quality that is different from typical horror films.

There are other stories I like, such as "Kudan."

"Gen" is an imaginary animal(?) with a human face and a cow's body.
The story of a man who became this "Gen" is told from his point of view. There is a legend that "Gen" makes prophecies, and one day the people of the village gather round saying "Gen is going to make a prophecy now!", but Gen himself says "There are no prophecies! What should I do?" (laughs).

Although they are a little different from ghost stories, many of them give you a strange feeling.
If you're interested, please give it a read.

The movie "Zigeunerweisen" is also very interesting.
The lead actor, Yoshio Harada, is incredibly cool!

Yes, it is. And it's late at night too (laughs). But it's true, I feel better in the morning.
It feels good to have another page completed before the start of work (laughs).

So, the work is submitted at the 60-80% stage.
However, if the coding is sent for checking when only 60 to 80 percent is completed, the checking team will be in tears.

If you do that, I'll push you back (laughs).
However, I think this might apply if you want to check the general outline first.

Actually, I wanted to bring "Glass Mask", but I forgot (bitter smile).

This book was a favorite of a friend in the drama club in high school. At the time, I only heard the synopsis and said, "Oh, that sounds like a good story," but I just found it on the bookshelf at work and read it for the first time.

It's a story about a college boy who is in a band with his old friends and dating a college professor, enjoying his youth to the fullest. I also used to be in a band and lived a self-indulgent life... I felt a strange connection with the main character, so I wish I had read it sooner.

The university professor that the protagonist is dating is married, which means it's an affair. When her female friend asks her, "You're dating without knowing his age?" she replies, "You don't know,"

"Isn't it true that you really need to know what makes the other person happy?
Compared to that, age is like the number of moles you have."

When he said that, I thought, I see!

I've been on and off for quite a while now, so I wasn't really sure about that sort of thing, but when I saw this, I thought, "Ah, that's right. It's written so clearly." (laughs)

That's it!