Rosh's Reviews > Takeout Sushi
Takeout Sushi
by
by
In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended!
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This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan without risking the writing style’s not working for me yet again.
Usually, I avoid cultural fiction by non-OwnVoices writers as they often tend to be stereotypical. However, author Christopher Green has been a long-time resident of Japan, so his view of Japan has to be somewhat genuine. This factor also worked in favour of my interest.
“Takeout Sushi” is Green’s debut adult fiction collection, with some of the stories being inspired from his own experiences. The tales offer a memorable medley of both nihon-jin (Japanese resident) as well as gaijin (non-Japanese outsider) points of view, possibly due to the author’s dual perspective into the country of his residence.
The seventeen stories in this book are divided across two sections: “Stories of Japan, today”, which has thirteen stories, and “Stories of Other Places and Times”, which has the remaining four stories coming from non-Japanese settings. While I enjoyed most of the tales, the Japanese ones were superior to the rest.
Most of the Japan-centric stories in this collection have the main character as a non-Japanese settled in the country. They are ordinary characters living ordinary lives until one decision of theirs takes a turn for the extraordinary. The stories thus evoke a variety of emotions, ranging from hope to panic to fear to laughter. Each of them impacts the head and the heart!
It would have been easy to write every Japan-based story as a set of experiences of immigrant settlers. However, the stories in this book are absolutely varied in theme, never feeling repetitive or stereotypical, and none of them are about adjusting to the Japanese way of living i.e. the immigrant perspective. I appreciate this writing choice because it gives the book a far widespread range of topics and emotions to explore, and also makes it stand out in the plethora of similar-sounding immigrant narratives.
The stories in the second section offer a slightly different experience. Though these also had variety in content and intriguing characters, somehow they left me wanting more. Again, they aren’t bad stories at all. But in comparison with the outstanding Japanese set, the non-Japanese ones don’t leave as much of an impact. I wouldn’t even have minded if these stories had been skipped in favour of more Japanese experience tales.
Regardless, the writing in both sections is impeccable. Most stories have a clear flow, and whether written in first person or third person, you actually *feel* the narrator’s emotions. The author’s writing seems almost effortless, whether he is penning something funny or serious. The emotions spring genuinely from the situation and don’t feel shovelled into the narrative.
The endings of some of the tales felt a little abrupt. Thankfully, a majority of the stories reach a more realistic finish, if not a perfectly happy one. I like such endings better, but those who want a short story to seal off neatly might be dissatisfied.
Every story is introduced with a little illustration that represents the upcoming tale nicely. These add to the allure.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the seventeen stories, nine stories reached or crossed the 4 star mark. All the remaining stories got between 3-3.5 stars. In other words, not a single bad story for me; all were either good or great. My top favourites were:
All in all, I loved this unusual story collection. While the setting is primarily Japanese, the stories are more about the people than the place, and the human emotions are universal.
Heartily recommended to all lovers of short fiction and East Asian fiction, and to those who enjoy the journey more than the destination. This is one sushi (and the only sushi) that I’d love to try again!
3.9 stars, based on the average of my rating for each tale.
My thanks to TheWriteReads, Neem Tree Press, author Christopher Green, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of “Takeout Sushi”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan without risking the writing style’s not working for me yet again.
Usually, I avoid cultural fiction by non-OwnVoices writers as they often tend to be stereotypical. However, author Christopher Green has been a long-time resident of Japan, so his view of Japan has to be somewhat genuine. This factor also worked in favour of my interest.
“Takeout Sushi” is Green’s debut adult fiction collection, with some of the stories being inspired from his own experiences. The tales offer a memorable medley of both nihon-jin (Japanese resident) as well as gaijin (non-Japanese outsider) points of view, possibly due to the author’s dual perspective into the country of his residence.
The seventeen stories in this book are divided across two sections: “Stories of Japan, today”, which has thirteen stories, and “Stories of Other Places and Times”, which has the remaining four stories coming from non-Japanese settings. While I enjoyed most of the tales, the Japanese ones were superior to the rest.
Most of the Japan-centric stories in this collection have the main character as a non-Japanese settled in the country. They are ordinary characters living ordinary lives until one decision of theirs takes a turn for the extraordinary. The stories thus evoke a variety of emotions, ranging from hope to panic to fear to laughter. Each of them impacts the head and the heart!
It would have been easy to write every Japan-based story as a set of experiences of immigrant settlers. However, the stories in this book are absolutely varied in theme, never feeling repetitive or stereotypical, and none of them are about adjusting to the Japanese way of living i.e. the immigrant perspective. I appreciate this writing choice because it gives the book a far widespread range of topics and emotions to explore, and also makes it stand out in the plethora of similar-sounding immigrant narratives.
The stories in the second section offer a slightly different experience. Though these also had variety in content and intriguing characters, somehow they left me wanting more. Again, they aren’t bad stories at all. But in comparison with the outstanding Japanese set, the non-Japanese ones don’t leave as much of an impact. I wouldn’t even have minded if these stories had been skipped in favour of more Japanese experience tales.
Regardless, the writing in both sections is impeccable. Most stories have a clear flow, and whether written in first person or third person, you actually *feel* the narrator’s emotions. The author’s writing seems almost effortless, whether he is penning something funny or serious. The emotions spring genuinely from the situation and don’t feel shovelled into the narrative.
The endings of some of the tales felt a little abrupt. Thankfully, a majority of the stories reach a more realistic finish, if not a perfectly happy one. I like such endings better, but those who want a short story to seal off neatly might be dissatisfied.
Every story is introduced with a little illustration that represents the upcoming tale nicely. These add to the allure.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the seventeen stories, nine stories reached or crossed the 4 star mark. All the remaining stories got between 3-3.5 stars. In other words, not a single bad story for me; all were either good or great. My top favourites were:
🌸 Swallows - The emotions in this tale are stunning. It has a subtle kind of frustration and a hope that stems from nature. I have rarely seen male writers capture women’s feelings so well. (Sorry, that’s gender-biased, I know! But still…) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌸 Burned - Easily, the best story of the book. The title made me assume that it might be a story of a disaster. Well, there was a disaster, but a man-made one. A MAN-made one! 😉 I laughed harder than I should have at this tale. My female-identifying friends, you will have a blast reading this. My male-identifying friends, this might be painful to read, but I hope you will learn a lifesaving lesson from this story. 😂 Fingers crossed that ‘Burned’ wasn't one of the stories inspired by the author's experiences! 😬🤭 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌸 Spinning Wheels - Corporate culture at its best, and worst. Loved how well this incorporates Japanese work ethic into a futuristic premise. All those worried about AI and its repercussions might enjoy this story. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌸 The Jogger - Another story that didn't go the way I expected it to, and ended in an even more memorable way! The ending elevated my rating. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌸 Plastic Irises - This one really took me by surprise because I just didn’t figure out where it was going. The titular plastic irises are a nice metaphor to the content. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
All in all, I loved this unusual story collection. While the setting is primarily Japanese, the stories are more about the people than the place, and the human emotions are universal.
Heartily recommended to all lovers of short fiction and East Asian fiction, and to those who enjoy the journey more than the destination. This is one sushi (and the only sushi) that I’d love to try again!
3.9 stars, based on the average of my rating for each tale.
My thanks to TheWriteReads, Neem Tree Press, author Christopher Green, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of “Takeout Sushi”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
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Reading Progress
March 21, 2024
– Shelved as:
arcs-not-started
March 21, 2024
– Shelved
March 27, 2024
–
Started Reading
April 25, 2024
– Shelved as:
4-stars
April 25, 2024
– Shelved as:
anthology-collections
April 25, 2024
– Shelved as:
netgalley
April 25, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 74 (74 new)
message 1:
by
Ian
(new)
-
rated it 2 stars
Mar 26, 2024 01:00AM
I requested this after seeing it in your feed, and I'm happy to have been approved. I have to say that your 'arcs-not-started' shelf is really useful, as I it points me towards ARCs that I might like, which are still available to request. It's a valuable service that you provide :-)
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Ian wrote: "I requested this after seeing it in your feed, and I'm happy to have been approved. I have to say that your 'arcs-not-started' shelf is really useful, as I it points me towards ARCs that I might li..."
Glad to know that you are approved, Ian. I am actually midway the book, but as I am reading it for a blog tour, I can't update the status here so soon. However, I am really enjoying this one so far. I hope you like it too.
I actually laughed at your remark about the 'service' I offer through such updates. :D I put these books on that shelf only so that I remember how many ARCs I have in the backlog. If you find some good suggestions, all the better! ;)
Glad to know that you are approved, Ian. I am actually midway the book, but as I am reading it for a blog tour, I can't update the status here so soon. However, I am really enjoying this one so far. I hope you like it too.
I actually laughed at your remark about the 'service' I offer through such updates. :D I put these books on that shelf only so that I remember how many ARCs I have in the backlog. If you find some good suggestions, all the better! ;)
Rosh (is busy; will catch up soon!) wrote: "I put these books on that shelf only so that I remember how many ARCs I have in the backlog. If you find some good suggestions, all the better! ;)..."
Haha :-) Yes, I figured it was for your own benefit. In fact, I considered doing the same thing myself since I've branched out to Edelweiss for ARCs as well as NetGalley, and it'll get more difficult to manage. The fact that your shelf is useful to me, as a side effect of being useful to you, is just a fortuitous outcome of Goodreads not allowing private shelves, I guess.
I look forward to reading your review of Takeout Sushi when you're able to release it :-)
Haha :-) Yes, I figured it was for your own benefit. In fact, I considered doing the same thing myself since I've branched out to Edelweiss for ARCs as well as NetGalley, and it'll get more difficult to manage. The fact that your shelf is useful to me, as a side effect of being useful to you, is just a fortuitous outcome of Goodreads not allowing private shelves, I guess.
I look forward to reading your review of Takeout Sushi when you're able to release it :-)
Ian wrote: "In fact, I considered doing the same thing myself since I've branched out to Edelweiss for ARCs as well as NetGalley, and it'll get more difficult to manage."
It DOES get difficult to manage. When I just began ARC reviewing, I used to mark all these as 'Currently Reading' so that I would know the high priority rads. But soon my Currently Reading list became too long to handle. This shelf makes things much easier, especially for those of us who are on multiple ARC sites. :)
I am sure your review of 'Takeout Sushi' will come out before mine, so I shall secretly compare notes. ;)
It DOES get difficult to manage. When I just began ARC reviewing, I used to mark all these as 'Currently Reading' so that I would know the high priority rads. But soon my Currently Reading list became too long to handle. This shelf makes things much easier, especially for those of us who are on multiple ARC sites. :)
I am sure your review of 'Takeout Sushi' will come out before mine, so I shall secretly compare notes. ;)
Great review Rosh 🩷 the collections seem to be working out for you this year which I am super happy to see.
This sounds so fun! I too have had a rough time with even some of the most beloved Japanese works, primarily due to the writing style, so it could finally be a hit for me. Immediately added to my tbr. Awesome review, as always.
Nice to see your review of this appear, Rosh. I enjoyed reading your take on it - and I do appreciate your point of view on the perspective of the writer. As always, great to read a review with different opinions than my own… although we’re definitely agreed on Burned being a highlight :-)
Stellar review, Rosh! My niece has lived in Japan for over a decade, so I'm curious about this author's perspective as an outsider. I've had mixed success with Japanese authors too. 🩷
Fantastic review, Rosh! We lived in Okinawa for 4 years when I was young. The people and the culture have always fascinating to me. I’m glad you enjoyed this story collection. 💖
I understand your apprehension with Japanese lit since I had a similar experience with the last book I read. So having an outsider who is also not completely an outsider does appeal to me.
The way you've explained Burned is already firing up my brain with ideas about what exactly it may mean :)
Enjoying the journey rather than focusing on the destination led me down the rabbit hole of Chinese web novels and I ended up reading one with about 3000 long chapters. So yep, definitely prioritizing journey over destination.
Fantastic review Rosh!
The way you've explained Burned is already firing up my brain with ideas about what exactly it may mean :)
Enjoying the journey rather than focusing on the destination led me down the rabbit hole of Chinese web novels and I ended up reading one with about 3000 long chapters. So yep, definitely prioritizing journey over destination.
Fantastic review Rosh!
This is a really nice book journey :) Fantastic review, Rosh - I'm glad you liked these stories so much.
Oh, this sounds good! I should have paid more attention to the author's name and other details. Anyhoo! adding to my later TBR. I'm glad at least one Japanese book worked for you. ;P
Excellent review, Rosh.
Excellent review, Rosh.
Ah! Your layout and structured content touches my organized heart every single time. Lovely and fun review, Rosh! I specifically liked the Burned review portion. Have to check that out. Also, I know why you have not become a fan of the literature yet. You must try Japanese horror! I'm kidding, but there are some really great ones out there. :) Happy reading, my friend!
Aww this sounds so unique and different! I don’t read a lot of story collections but I am intrigued. Wonderful review Rosh! 💞
Oh wow! seeing the title, at first I thought it will be about food, Rosh!! lol! I haven't read much Japanese lit, though ( apart from manga ) so I gotta start reading Japanese lit this year ( and see what's will be my experiance! lol! )
Japanese lit by outsider sounds interesting as well, Rosh! :D I remembered the word 'gaijin' when I read Fire and Ice now I know what's it mean. LOL! Wonderful review, dear! 🥰
Japanese lit by outsider sounds interesting as well, Rosh! :D I remembered the word 'gaijin' when I read Fire and Ice now I know what's it mean. LOL! Wonderful review, dear! 🥰
Excellent review, Rosh! I'm so happy for you that this collection worked so well. I agree with you--I never will try Sushi. I'm tempted to request this if it's still available. : ) <3 xx
Japanese fiction is definitely different. From my point of view, they tend to have really cool concepts and strong beginnings though not always the best ends. I get why an author who actually lives Japan might be the next best thing, especially considering your previous experience. And the variety in these stories sounds great. Still, wouldn’t hurt if you try some more actual Japanese books. Maybe light novels could be more to your taste? Anyway, good review, Rosh.
Great review, Rosh! This definitely sounds like an interesting collection! Glad it was a worthy read for you! :)
I might be an outlier, but I don't like sushi either. :) Glad this collection of stories worked out so well for you. I think, not a single bad story in a collection means that it's a hit.
Wonderful review as always, Rosh!
Wonderful review as always, Rosh!
I honestly feel the same way about Japanese lit so I get why you chose to read this one due to the author. This sounds like an interesting collection and well worth checking out - great review, Rosh!
An amazing review for this anthology collection, Rosh. I'm extremely tempted, despite me trying to slow down my arcs. Eek! 🧡
Your review had me chuckling (and crying) from the start! Your honesty about not being a fan of Japanese literature and even disliking sushi made me cry a river 😭🌊. And your reasoning for picking up the book because the author isn't Japanese? That's a knockout punch💥😵💫, but I think I can get where you're coming from. Despite your reservations, it's awesome to hear that you enjoyed the collection overall. 🥹
Karly wrote: "Great review Rosh 🩷 the collections seem to be working out for you this year which I am super happy to see."
Thanks, Karly! Me too! I wish the same luck rubbed off on my novels also. :D
Thanks, Karly! Me too! I wish the same luck rubbed off on my novels also. :D
rachelle (m00dreads) wrote: "Aaaah this tickles my curiosity in just the right places. Great review, Rosh!"
Thanks, Rachelle! It's a good one to be tickled about. :D
Thanks, Rachelle! It's a good one to be tickled about. :D
Niharika wrote: "This sounds so fun! I too have had a rough time with even some of the most beloved Japanese works, primarily due to the writing style, so it could finally be a hit for me. Immediately added to my t..."
Thanks, Niharika! I am glad there are others who struggle with Japanese fiction. it seems almost a trend to like that writing style, but it is mostly a miss for me. :/
Thanks, Niharika! I am glad there are others who struggle with Japanese fiction. it seems almost a trend to like that writing style, but it is mostly a miss for me. :/
Ian wrote: "Nice to see your review of this appear, Rosh. I enjoyed reading your take on it - and I do appreciate your point of view on the perspective of the writer. As always, great to read a review with dif..."
Thanks for your gracious comment, Ian! It is fascinating how books work so differently for us. Then again, life would be so boring if we all loved the same books. :) I am still sorry that this didn't click so well with you. But yes, Burned was hilarious! :D
Thanks for your gracious comment, Ian! It is fascinating how books work so differently for us. Then again, life would be so boring if we all loved the same books. :) I am still sorry that this didn't click so well with you. But yes, Burned was hilarious! :D
Kat (will try to catch up soon!) wrote: "Stellar review, Rosh! My niece has lived in Japan for over a decade, so I'm curious about this author's perspective as an outsider. I've had mixed success with Japanese authors too. 🩷"
Thanks, Kat! 💚 I am sure your niece will also find this insightful.
Japanese authors are so meandering in their writing! I like my books to have more plot. :/
Thanks, Kat! 💚 I am sure your niece will also find this insightful.
Japanese authors are so meandering in their writing! I like my books to have more plot. :/
Nancy wrote: "Fantastic review, Rosh! We lived in Okinawa for 4 years when I was young. The people and the culture have always fascinating to me. I’m glad you enjoyed this story collection. 💖"
Thanks much, Nancy! 💚 It must have been a wonderful experience! I love the people and their disciplined approach. If only I could love the authors too! :D
Thanks much, Nancy! 💚 It must have been a wonderful experience! I love the people and their disciplined approach. If only I could love the authors too! :D
Kavya wrote: "I understand your apprehension with Japanese lit since I had a similar experience with the last book I read. So having an outsider who is also not completely an outsider does appeal to me.
The wa..."
Thanks, Kavya! The first book of the series you last read was probably the only above average Japanese book I have read. The rest have all been below par experiences. Korean fiction clicks so well with me but Japanese just doesn't!
Burned is well worth imagining, but even more hilarious reading. :D
I'll pretend I didn't see your remark about chinese web novels because there's no way I want to enter the research rabbit hole when I already have so much to catch up on. :D (But 3000 long chapters!!?!?! Gosh!)
The wa..."
Thanks, Kavya! The first book of the series you last read was probably the only above average Japanese book I have read. The rest have all been below par experiences. Korean fiction clicks so well with me but Japanese just doesn't!
Burned is well worth imagining, but even more hilarious reading. :D
I'll pretend I didn't see your remark about chinese web novels because there's no way I want to enter the research rabbit hole when I already have so much to catch up on. :D (But 3000 long chapters!!?!?! Gosh!)
Alexandra wrote: "This is a really nice book journey :) Fantastic review, Rosh - I'm glad you liked these stories so much."
Thanks much, Alexandra! It was a lovely set of stories. :)
Thanks much, Alexandra! It was a lovely set of stories. :)
Maureen wrote: "Sounds like an entertaining read Rosh, terrific review 💜"
Thanks, Maureen! It sure was! 💚
Thanks, Maureen! It sure was! 💚
Srivalli wrote: "Oh, this sounds good! I should have paid more attention to the author's name and other details. Anyhoo! adding to my later TBR. I'm glad at least one Japanese book worked for you. ;P
Excellent rev..."
Thanks, Sri! Haha, I almost ignored it because of the sushi reference.
The only Japanese writer I still have high hopes from is Higashino. I hope you guys didn't hype him up for nothing. :D
Excellent rev..."
Thanks, Sri! Haha, I almost ignored it because of the sushi reference.
The only Japanese writer I still have high hopes from is Higashino. I hope you guys didn't hype him up for nothing. :D
Chris Lee wrote: "Ah! Your layout and structured content touches my organized heart every single time. Lovely and fun review, Rosh! I specifically liked the Burned review portion. Have to check that out. Also, I kno..."
Awww, thanks, my fellow organised friend! :D I hope you enjoy reading "Burned" - it will be a horror story to all men! :D :P
If you can suggest good Japanese horror (not to ogory, not too paranormal), I am game!!! :)
Awww, thanks, my fellow organised friend! :D I hope you enjoy reading "Burned" - it will be a horror story to all men! :D :P
If you can suggest good Japanese horror (not to ogory, not too paranormal), I am game!!! :)