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(3.50/5)February 21, 2024
September 22, 2024
A jump into the world of a struggling boxer
A least to me this felt a lot bleaker than the classic sports novel.
You jump into the head of an insecure boxer, who's struggling to get out of a rut of losses. It definitely shows some of the harsher realities of boxing, the crippling blow a loss deals to you, the amount of pressure a fight puts on you, and the fact that we can't all be number 1.
Rating as three stars, as I thought it was an interesting insight into the boxing world, but I found there was a lot of somewhat existential worries in the main characters head. (Which is something in an English novel maybe I'd have no problem with, but in Japanese I struggled a bit more with)
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The Life of a Boxer
"1R1分34秒" (the "R" stands for "ラウンド") offers a captivating look into the world of boxing, following the journey of a second-rate professional boxer known as "ぼく" (boku). After a crushing defeat and being abandoned by his coach, he begins to question his commitment to boxing. A senpai former boxer turned coach steps in to mentor him, leading to a deeper exploration of the protagonist's relationship with the sport.
The novel's plot is quite linear and straightforward for an Akutagawa prize winner, and is reminiscent of other sports novels or mangas. However, what sets "1R1分34秒" apart from the crowd is its rich exploration of the main character's psyche. Written mostly in the first person, it provides intimate insight into his thoughts, emotions, victories, defeats, and uncertainties throughout his boxing journey—before, during, and after matches, as well as during training and weight cutting. The boxing matches were also described with such rawness and gripping detail that I found myself unable to put the book down during them. The combination of intense fights and the character's emotions made me feel like I was right there in the boxing gym with the narrator for the entire 140 pages and made for a really fun and immersive reading experience.
Even if you're not a boxer (like me - I spent a lot of time during the first third of the novel googling the terms and watching boxing matches on YouTube to understand what was going on), the novel's themes are universally relatable for anyone who has ever tried to pursue a passion and experienced a setback or two along the way. I'd recommend it if you like sports, character-driven stories, or stories about overcoming internal weakness and conflict.
My favorite quote from the novel: ぼくはたんたんと走りがながら、そうか、ウメキチはボクサーとしての自分しかなかったんだな、と心得していた。ボクサーが膨らませんとする外周に、ボクシングはぴったり追走してくれるか？裏切られるに決まっている。どんなすぐれたボクサーも、さいごにはボクシングに裏切られて、そうしてボクシングをやめる。それが才能というのの残酷さだ。