Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton connects me to her book because it is about Japanese translation and the experiences of a Westerner in Japan. I have been going back and forth to and from Japan for the last thirty-five years. I never tire of reading about that culture, whether a Japanese author or commentary from an American/European/British perspective. I discovered Polly Barton by reading her excellent translation of Meiko Kanai’s Mild Vertigo—sort of the Japanese literary version of Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. The book is so masterfully written that I have to imagine that the translation by Barton must be equally significant. I’m also fond of her translation of a short story by Izumi Suzuki. Fifty Sounds is a familiar subject matter, but coming from a female perspective makes it new for me.
It takes a while for a Westerner to adopt or be comfortable in a Japanese landscape. There are many levels of acceptance from both sides and being part of that world is always an adventure. I have read and known people who had a hard time in Japan, but some can easily swim in its cultural waters with no problem whatsoever. There are fifty chapters, and each one starts off with a Japanese ‘sound’ in its vocabulary. With that format, Barton reflects or brings up memories of specific incidents or feelings that those sounds provoke. I love the concept and the way she organizes/edits the book.
Barton went to Japan to study Japanese, and here she struggles with the nuances of the English and Japanese languages and how to communicate a somewhat deeper form of conversation between friends and lovers. The ability to express what one sees but finding it difficult to put all of that in specific words or a sentence structure is a challenge. Throughout the book, she writes about Wittgenstein’s thoughts on language and the perception of what language brings to the table. The duality between cultures and how one sees something so powerful, as coming upon a horrific sight/situation, can divide two friends. I found this the most interesting scene in the book, plus a mention of my favorite music figure in Japan, Jun Togawa. If you are interested in writing, how language is used in the context of another culture, and how Westerners perceive that difference, this book would be of interest to that reader.
Thfete is something to discovering that