Sharing short reviews of two delightful reads – A short story collection by a Nobel laureate and a feel-good memoir of times spent in a wonderful school by a Japanese TV personality.

Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro

Most avid readers have read Ishiguro. Even the ones who don’t read fiction have heard of Never Let Me Go and Remains of the Day. I am one of those readers who has not been tempted to pick up his books despite his immense popularity. Therefore I was most surprised to find myself reaching for Nocturnes, a short story collection by Kazuo Ishiguro from the free book shelf at the digital detox corner at my workplace. 

Succumbing to the poetic praise heaped on him by a fellow reader in my Singapore book club, I thought short stories would be a easy way to dip my toes into Ishiguro’s writing and I’m glad to report that I enjoyed this collection of “five stories of music and nightfall”.

The theme of music permeates through all the stories with most of the protagonists having musical talent. From Janeck the guitarist in “Crooner” who has made his way from Eastern Europe to play in a band at a piazza in Venice and has an unexpected evening with a famous singer to the young man who wrote songs and returned for the summer to the eponymous “Malvern Hills”, disillusioned with the London music scene only to run into a reasonable successful musical couple, the talented cello player who becomes a protege to an older woman in “The Cellists”, the stories connect an aspiring musician with someone who has already found some level fame and is way ahead on their journey. 

Except for Come Rain or Come Shine which revisit a sort of reunion of a complicated college friendship between two men and a woman, the other four stories stay true to the theme of creating an unusual but believable tale in which music is an integral part of the narrative without making it music-heavy. In each case, we root for the upcoming talented musician but learn that fame comes at a price and being a musician cannot always be its reward.

A light touch of ironic humour laces all the stories but my favorite was the title story “Nocturne”. Without giving any spoilers it brings back a character from an earlier story and plants her besides a saxophonist who is undeniably talented but is now trying to rectify a situation that he hopes will jump start his music career. This story had me laughing at the visual imagery and the slapstick nature of the laugh out loud funny scenes which seemed incongruous yet perfect for the underlying gravitas of the story.

My opinion: I am sure tales are a major departure from the kind of writing Ishiguro is known for but I was thrilled to have been swept away in these tightly written short stories about music and musicians.

Totto-Chan – The little girl at the window

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

Translated by Dorothy Britton

Totto-Chan is a classic Japanese book that I came across multiple times over the years but didn’t get a chance to read until it was lent by a generous fellow reader. In an era where it is easier to hand devices of passive entertainment to children instead of interacting with them, the premise of Totto-Chan will come as a breath of fresh air as well as a revelation of how children’s education can be shaped for the blossoming of  their inherent potential without enforcing rigid curriculums and piling on expectations that sap their spirit. 

The true story of the author, Tetsuko, begins when she is expelled from her primary school for being disruptive. Her mother, although concerned, takes her to another school, Tomoe, which looks and functions very differently from her previous school. The curious, friendly and talkative Totto-Chan is fascinated by the classrooms in railway carriages, a gate made of tree trunks and a principal who takes the time to listen to her for hours when she first meets him and then heartily welcomes her aboard.

In small vignettes, we get to watch Totto-Chan and her classmates navigate the serious business of learning and growing up in a fun and interactive way that accommodates their interests, energy-levels and attention spans. From designated space and time for scribbling, to outdoor excursions, picnics and library hours, the children are always engaged and excited to return to school.

Totto-Chan’s own life with her parents and dog Rocky seems calm and peaceful, filled with her mother’s loving attention and wonderful music provided by her musician father although the rumblings of the Second World War draw close. While the school has perfected the art of teaching children to eat healthy (a lunch that has something from the ocean and something from the hills), organise sports days in which even differently-abled children can win uniquely configured races and come up with activities in which all children come to appreciate their physical differences without being made to feel awkward, they are not immune to illness and death as they lose a classmate and Totto-Chan returns from a holiday to find Rocky gone.

The book is an ode to a school and its forward thinking principal Mr.Kobayashi, written by the author who had promised to grow up and teach at Tomoe, although she could not keep her word. The school was in operation for only a few years and was destroyed during the Second World War, yet it left an indelible impression on Totto-Chan and her classmates and influenced who they grew up to be.

My opinion: A feel-good story that will remain a classic because the world will continue to grapple with the tough job of how best to educate the children of each generation in an ever changing world.