Customer Reviews

Mr. Foreigner

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After living as a foreigner in rural Japan (Shikoku) for over 2 years, I found this book hilarious. It is definitely satire and full of grotesques. However, the characterization of Daniel's Japanese girlfriend is SPOT ON. Not to say all young Japanese women are like this, but gaijin-o-philes ARE typically older women finally edging out of their cutesy adolescence (This usually lasts until about 27) when they are finally putting away their Mickey Mouse socks.

The subtle nuances, such as many Japanese furtively attempting to hide their surprise at seeing a foreigner in their midst is ingeniously correct. I jump at seeing other foreigners too and try to hide it. Everyone is usually so homogenic that it is surprising to see someone new and different. And many people often call me "Foreigner" and "Alien" to my face and suggest I go meet other foreigners like myself and do "foreigner things together."

It is one thing to read books about Japan and visit as a tourist. The experience is completely different living and working here. Foreign workers soon realize that the Japanese cannot be wacky and polite all the time, and that the enormous strain that the Japanese put themselves under for long hours and company loyalty, is demanded of foreign workers as well. Behaviors that are known as "cruel" are considered "acts of dedication" here.

The Japanese give many gifts and are gracious to tourists, and initially to foreign workers, but then demand to be paid in kind with much sacrifice in terms of family, salary, choice, independence, loyalty, etc.

The characterization of Daniel's ESL School boss had me and my friends in stitches. Her character is not grotesque. I have met several owners of small private English schools that are like her or worse. Whenever I interview with someone like Chiba-san, I quickly run for the hills and make sure I do not sign anything or leave any information about myself.

On the other hand, Daniel was in a terrible situation, did all the wrong things, and put himself in harm's way repeatedly in a very doltish manner. This was done, I believe, to maximize the comedic effect. Daniel knew very well about Japanese behavior as viewed from a very English perspective. Yet, he knew next to nothing about the culture, i.e. he had no idea who he was tangling with.

This is a good book, serving up a side of Japan that is rarely seen in novels or academic texts. It should be taken with a grain of salt, but it serves as a decent counterpoint to books on shrine-ettique and Ikibana.

Atmospheric and ominous, this short novel reads like a cross between a Raymond Chandler detective story and a Haruki Murakami romp. It also recalls elements from recent films "Lost in Translation" and "Shall We Dance?", though the book is much darker than either. The mood is lightened by the well-observed, broken-English dialogue spoken by the Japanese--truly a hoot--but it must be pointed out that the Japanese, or at least the ones depicted in this book, do not come off well at all.

Daniel, teaching English in Japan without a proper visa, loses his passport, and has an affair with Keiko. Later, her dodgy family family become involved, and problems begin to multiply for Daniel.

This short, fast paced novel, is not nearly as good as the author's "English Passengers", but still provide's a good hour or two of easy reading.

See also: Aliwal

Since I'm familiar with both British and Japanese cultures, I was really looking forward to reading this. I was horrified. The Japanese are portrayed as narrow-minded. He makes fun of their broken English. The Japanese girlfriend is the sterotypical submissive Asian woman. The plot is extremely far-fetched. The main character lacks sympathy. He's taking advantage of this girl and then has no backbone when standing up to her family. He hasn't even called his own parents in three years but the father is supposed to be a jerk even mentioning this fact. The most disturbing part of the book is a man named Samuel who's married to a Japanese woman. He's portrayed in a very unsympathetic light and I found the whole role he plays and thinly veiled anti-Semitism.

The main character is glib and self-serving. The book is very superficial. Wish I hadn't bought it.