Daughter of the Samurai

My thanks to Lauren, who, several years ago,  recommended this unusual, interesting, and charming book!  Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto was born in a small Japanese village in 1874, just twenty years after Mathew Perry and "the black ships" forced Japan to open to the world.  Etsu's father had once been a high samurai official and she was brought up in the stringent and severe samurai tradition.   She was disciplined and courageous, yet she also proved to be flexible, open-minded and surprisingly thoughtful and sweet.  In Daughter of the Samurai, Etsu relates and reflects on her early experiences in traditional Japan and her later life in America.

When still very young, Etsu was betrothed to Matsuo, a friend of her brother.  Before she ever met Matsuo, however, he moved to America to set up a business. Her family then allowed Etsu to move to Tokyo so that she could receive a "western education" that would prepare her for her new life - in Cincinnati!   Etsu and Matsuo had two daughters, but after Matsuo died, she returned to Japan for several years.  Later, they moved back to America, where Etsu eventually taught Japanese language and culture at Columbia University and authored several books. I discovered that her youngest daughter, Chiyo, also became an author; one of her books had a title,  "But the ships are sailing -- sailing," which puzzled me until I read the concluding paragraphs of Daughter of the Samurai:

"I wonder why they were called "black ships." Do you know, Honourable Grandmother?" 

"Because far out on the waters they looked like clouds of black smoke rolling nearer and nearer, and they had long, black guns that roared. The red barbarians cared nothing for beauty. They laughed at the Japanese boats, whose sails were made of rich brocade and their oars of carved wood, inlaid with coral and mother-of-pearl. They talked like tradesmen and did not want to learn the hearts of the children of the gods." 

The grandmother stopped and slowly shook her head. 

"And after that?" asked the eager little voice. "And after that, Honourable Grandmother?" 

"The black ships and the rude barbarians sailed away," she concluded, with a deep sigh. "But they sailed back many times. They are always sailing. And now the people of our sacred land talk like tradesmen and no longer are peaceful and content." 

"Will they never be peaceful and content again?" asked the little girl, with anxious eyes. "The honourable teacher said that sailing ships bring lands nearer to each other." 

"Listen!" said the grandmother, holding herself very straight. "Little Granddaughter, unless the red barbarians and the children of the gods learn each other's hearts, the ships may sail and sail, but the two lands will never be nearer." 

Years passed, and Etsu-bo, the little girl who had listened to the story of the black ships and the red barbarians, herself went sailing on a black ship that moved without sails, to a new home in the distant land of the red barbarians. There she learned that hearts are the same on both sides of the world; but this is a secret hidden from the people of the West. That makes another chapter to my grandmother's tale - another chapter, but not the last.  The red barbarians and the children of the gods have not yet learned each other's hearts; to them the secret is still unknown, but the ships are sailing---sailing----

Madonna in a Fur Coat - Sabahattin Ali

For July's bookclub, we read Sabahattin Ali's Madonna in a Fur Coat, a very interesting and enjoyable read, although a sorrowful one. Madeline recommended this book, after reading a piece on it in the New York Times ("A Once-Forgotten Novel Unites Turkish Readers in Troubled Times").

The novel's frame is a young man who becomes deeply interested in one of his colleagues, an older German/Turkish translator named Raif Effendi. Raif seems a perfect nebbish, always being berated by his superior and never raising a word of complaint. He piques the young man's interest one day, however, when he suddenly dashes off a quick sketch that brilliantly reveals his superior's brutish yet pathetically miserable ego. After that, the narrator becomes determined to understand the mysterious Raif, despite all obstacles.

The story is ultimately a love story, although a highly unusual one, due to the unexpected gender nonconformity of the protagonists. Raif is hobbled in 1920s society by his "girlish" innocence, and he falls madly in love with the titular "Madonna," a "mannishly" outspoken and independent painter woman he befriends. The two bond powerfully, but struggle to find a relationship that fits their needs.

Beautifully written and surprisingly poignant - would definitely recommend.

Dead Wake - Eric Larson

Dead Wake, by Eric Larson (author of Devil in the White City), is the captivating and tragic story of the 1915 sinking of the British cruise ship Lusitania. Nearly 1,200 passengers (or "souls") perished after a German U-boat torpedoed the Lusitania, an event that rocked the civilized world and helped draw America into World War 1. Larson's skillful storytelling weaves the events of that fateful year into a thrilling page turner, and his detailed portrayal of characters makes them come alive. President Wilson isn't just the cautious and patient man he seems to be outwardly, he is also a passionate man, driven to distraction by his wife's death, and preoccupied by his subsequent courtship of Edith Bolling. Larson recounts several passengers' tales in vivid detail, and clearly went to some trouble to gather stories about victims as well as survivors, so one is not sure when reading if a given personage will be spared or not in the inevitable tragedy, adding to the suspense of the narrative. A very engrossing read which I recommend to all.

The Call of Cthulhu - H.P. Lovecraft

My friend Terra is a huge Lovecraft enthusiast, and so at her suggestion (her Lovecraftian primer shared below), I have begun my exploration of the genre with The Call of Cthulhu, a very short novel which I greatly enjoyed. The protagonist of the novel is a Man of Science, who is deeply skeptical about his scholarly uncle's mysterious writings on a horrific beast known as Cthulhu. Full of atmosphere and delicious prose - a vivid and enjoyable tale that has definitely sparked my interest in reading more.

A Lovecraftian Primer for the Novice Scholar

Books & Stories

​Works by H.P. Lovecraft

(The following short stories are where I would recommend any budding cultist or bold investigator begin their journey. Many of HPL’s short stories can be found online here: http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/)

The Call of Cthulhu (Gives a good sense of the atmosphere and style in many HPL stories. The central source of the famed Cthulhu mythos.)

The Shadow over Innsmouth (A tale of intrigue and dread in a small town. Introduces some of Cthulhu’sfishier relatives.)

The Whisperer in Darkness (Dread terrors from above. While not explicitly about the King in Yellow, this is the only HPL story that contributes to his mythos.)

​Lovecraft’s Inspiratons

Ambrose Bierce (I’ve never read any Bierce, but I hear that HPL was enamoured of his stories.)

Robert Chambers (He wrote a collection of short stories entitled “The King in Yellow” which alternates between stories of the pallid king and tales of daily life in revolutionary Paris, for some reason. I would highly recommend the story “The Repairer of Reputations” from this collection.)

​Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft

(This list could go on forever – so much current fiction makes at least reference to Cthulhu or unspeakable horrors lurking beneath the waves or beyond the stars… here are a few examples I have enjoyed.)

A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman (Short story in Fragile Things, also available in a beautiful format here http://neilgaiman.com/mediafiles/exclusive/shortstories/emerald.pdf)

Rehearsals for Oblivion (Various short stories which all have something to say about the King in Yellow mythos. Highly recommended if the tattered king strikes your fancy.)

The Hastur Cycle (A more scholarly approach to the King in Yellow mythos. Each story is accompanied byan editor’s note explaining its literary/historical context. This collection includes “The Repairer of Reputations” as well as “The Whisperer in Darkness”.) 

New Cthulhu 2 (This is a short story collection by various authors that I happened across at the library. These stories take HPL themes and legends and address them in a modern setting. I found most of them to be quite enjoyable.)

Locke and Key (Graphic novel which draws from some HPL mythos, also includes a lot of magic that is not from HPL.)

Films, Shorts, & Audio

​Feature Films:

The Whisperer in Darkness (Adaptation by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (2011))

Die Farbe (Adaptation of HPL’s “The Color Out of Space” (2010). Filmed in Austria; subtitled)

Dagon (Inspired by “The Shadow over Innsmouth”(2001). I have not seen this one yet but it is supposed to be quite good)

Re-Animator (Adaptation of HPL’s “Herbert West – Reanimator” (1985). A classic gore-fest.)

The Burrowers (Info here: http://hplfilmfestival.com/films/burrowers)

Short Films:

(While most of these are not strictly Lovecraft, they are definitely Lovecraftian and worth a viewing. If you enjoy any of these, consider coming to the H.P.Lovecraft film festival in Portland in October!)

Fat Rabbit 

(http://www.adampetke.com/#!fat-rabbit/c1qfk)

Frank DanCoolo, Paranormal Drug Dealer

(Full 8 minute film is somewhere on the internet if you look hard enough. Clip can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZmASfMOpxw)

Silas and the Tomb(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlNQecZ6Rj4)

Dirty Silverware (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXkl_j02pNE)

Flesh and Bone (Music video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzJYFGx2pQ4)

The Mill at Calder’s End (I don’t know if you’ll be able to find the full film online, but here is a trailer https://vimeo.com/ondemand/themillatcaldersend)

Thresher (https://youtu.be/SqNdbHHWtBc?list=PLKikQyzc03Rq50vrHUZ5jVeOazbsKq4qf)

Escape from Midwich Valley (http://lovecraftzine.com/2015/12/28/free-to-watch-escape-from-midwich-valley-inspired-by-the-shadow-over-innsmouth/)

The Earth Rejects Him (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcDXYYPhdAs)

The Call of Farqunglu (Lego spoof of the genre, very well done. https://youtu.be/n7o6ERhuEN4)

Roe (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn5IemrVVbc)

August Heat (https://vimeo.com/151533546)

Autumn Harvest (Very dark. http://zombiehamster.com/reviews/indie/watch-lovecraftian-noir-autumn-harvest/)

Dark Adventure Radio Theater

A product of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, these radio programmes never fail to provide an evening’s entertainment. More info here: http://www.cthulhulives.org/radio/DART/index.html

A Fine and Private Place - Peter S. Beagle

My bookclub's most recent book is A Fine and Private Place, which was a quick read but did not move me very much. It was sort of a modern take on "Our Place," which I always hated:
 full of the soliloquies of the dead watching the living and trying to make sense of the meaning of life. Parts were touching and I was drawn to the character of Rebeck, a kindly old man who lives in a cemetery and can see and speak to the dead, but I would not necessarily recommend this book to others, as parts were a bit maudlin and overwrought.

An Edible History of Humanity - Tom Standage

An Edible History of Humanity was sort of entertaining, as it contains lots of colorful anecdotes, but much of it felt like a less substantive (and very derivative) version of Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemna (cf the discussion of corn). Moreover, I came away feeling like behind his pseudo-intellectualism, Standage is either really ignorant, or sort of a schmuck. His political beliefs, when they show through, are disturbing.

For example, Standage describes several instances of famines in which the native community starved, while exporting their food for consumption by wealthy foreigners.* However, evidently without realizing the irony in his position, Standage remains shockingly, unabashedly colonialist - he explains the danger of the current popularity of "local food" by stating that, "an exclusive focus on local foods would harm the prospects of farmers in developing countries who grow high-value crops for export to foreign markets. To argue that they should concentrate on growing staple foods for themselves, rather than more valuable crops for wealthy farmers, is tantamount to denying them the opportunity for economic development." I was dumbfounded when I read this... Below I have excerpted only 2 of several passages where Standage plainly describes the misery that results when poor farmers grow crops for wealthy foreigners, but this does not seem to have shaken his ideology.

He also extensively lauds the virtues of nitrogen farming while devoting exactly 1 paragraph to its dangers, trivializes the organic movement, and is a bit over-the-top in his rah-rah Capitalist, anti-Communist jingoism ("Is it a coincidence that the worst famine in history occurred in a Communist state?"). He's the business editor at the Economist, so maybe that explains it?

Anyway, I wish he would take some time out from copying Pollan's rhetoric to read a little Chomsky.

Sigh!

* On p.135, he states that "by the early 1840s, imports from Ireland were supplying one sixth of England's food. This food was produced by men who worked on the best, most easily cultivated land and were typically given small patches of inferior land on which they grew potatoes to support themselves and their families. The English could only keep eating bread, in short, because the Irish were eating potatoes." He later describes, on p.188, how under Mao in China, "the main cause of the famine was not inadequate food production so much as the farmers' lack of entitlement to it. The food they produced went to feed people in the cities, Party officials, and foreigners."

City of Light - Lauren Belfer

City of Light was the debut novel of Lauren Belfer - who wrote Fierce Radiance, reviewed by Eileen previously. The book is kind of a cross between Edith Wharton in Buffalo and PD James! An interesting portrait of, and commentary on, wealthy upper class families in Buffalo in the early 1900's, with a fascinating account of the development of hydroelectric power using water bypassed from the Falls - which aroused passionate opposition from those who revered nature, worshipping the majesty and beauty of the Falls and opposing the forces for development. The main character, Miss Barret, Headmistress of a prestigious girls' academy, is a self-made and independent woman, living within these currents, but unaware of how they direct her life, until she becomes embroiled in a mysterious murder. Ms. Belfer's novels are rich in history and human interaction, powerfully emotional, and compelling. City of Light is not as polished as Fierce Radiance, but is a very worthwhile read - with a bonus for those of us who know Buffalo! For example, a whole chapter is devoted to Elbert Hubbard, the Leader of the Roycroft artists' commune. A hoot! He is depicted as a charming, savvy, and clear-eyed opportunist! Worth the price of admission.