Take a break before the new year.
~Monosus' "Reading Club" #22~

We are finally in the final stretch of March! The new fiscal year will soon begin.
This reading group was held at lunchtime, with the theme of "Taking a Break" in the slightly hectic atmosphere at the end of the fiscal year.

The three members were invited to join us in the lunchtime meeting room, and in a relaxed atmosphere, each member was given five minutes to introduce their book.

Now, let's start the reading group!

Don't be shy! Enjoy it with your free sensibility.
"The Strange Family" by Jean Cocteau

Jean Cocteau (author) "The Strange Family" Kodansha (June 15, 1994) ( Amazon )

I brought along the picture book "The Odd Family" by Jean Cocteau. I don't usually read picture books, but I bought it a few years ago because I thought the cover was beautiful and I was interested in Cocteau himself.

Cocteau was an artist active in 19th century France, and was a multi-talented man who was a poet, novelist, film director, and more. He left behind works in a wide variety of genres, but he only created one picture book in his lifetime. That is this picture book.

At the beginning of the book there is a message to "young readers," which I really like. It says, "If you don't like the colors in this book, use your own colored pencils to color it however you like. Don't be shy." It's like, "Use your imagination!" I like that feeling. The layout, which is written in both Japanese and French, and the illustrations drawn by Cocteau are also cute.

The story is about a child born to a couple, the sun and the moon, who have a dog educate them. The dog then puts a collar on the child and makes him go for a walk, but the sun says, "This is not good!" and in the end, the dog leaves the child to the stars to take care of him, and the matter is resolved. What can I say... the idea is unique, and I've forgotten how free this is (laughs). It's a picture book that makes you want to treasure it so that you don't lose your childlike heart.

A world of ghosts, brought to you by a giant of knowledge
Hiroshi Aramata (author) "How to Love Ghosts: Why People Love Ghost Stories"

Hiroshi Aramata (author) "How to Love Ghosts: Why People Love Ghost Stories" Poplar Publishing (July 2017) ( Amazon )

I saw a book in a bookstore and bought it because of the title: "How to Love a Ghost" by Hiroshi Aramata. The book is about how to interact with ghosts... It's not just about thinking of them as horror, but also about how it's possible to fall in love with a ghost or create a community with them. It makes you wonder, "What does that even mean?" (laughs).

There are many interesting theories about the origins of Japanese ghost stories, such as Chinese ghost stories, and comparisons with "Sentou Shinwa," the source material for the famous Japanese ghost story "Botan Doro."

In China, the talismans used to ward off ghosts apparently had the words "Follow the law," telling ghosts to obey the law. In Japan, however, this has been replaced with a story about people attaining enlightenment through the preaching of monks, which I find interesting.

I was also surprised to see information about Hirata Atsutane, who is enshrined at Hirata Shrine near my company. He seems to have preached teachings that dispel the image of death as impurity.

Knead and stretch. It's so deep.
Yoshitake Shinsuke (author) "Knead and Stretch"

Yoshitake Shinsuke (author) "Knead and Stretch" Bronze Shinsha (2017/10/19) ( Amazon )

I recently saw an original art exhibition at Aoyama Book Center and bought a picture book that had caught my eye.
Looking at the cover, it looks like a bakery, but it's not a type of shop and the name of the shop is not mentioned.

I wake up in the morning and say, "I'll start again today," and just keep on kneading. I don't even know what I'm kneading until the end. I just keep on kneading. I keep on kneading, and if I leave it for a bit, it swells up and bursts, and I gather it up and knead it again. I keep on kneading, and kneading, and kneading... and that's it (laughs).

As the title "Knead and Stretch" suggests, there are no instructions other than kneading and stretching, but as you look at it, your imagination begins to expand. What is the texture? How heavy is it? I wonder if it's not sticky, but smooth, soft, and moist. Just staring at it is fun.

I'm sure they probably knead the dough every day, but seeing them having so much fun makes me want to do the same thing every day in a fun way. I brought this because I thought it was perfect for the theme of "Taking a Break."

Also, Yoshitake's drawings are really cute. The dotted lines on the edge of this hat look like the elastic bands on the lunch staff's hats. Ah, so cute! It was in a prominent place in the store, so I guess it's popular.

After the reading group

A surreal story drawn by an artist, a theory on ghosts by a master of knowledge, a fun picture book that will make you want to knead it. A collection of books perfect for "taking a short break."

I wonder what the next theme will be. See you next time!