Specs
Reviews
(4/5)Good book, left me wanting more
This book covers a history of reading as a hobby in Japan post-Meiji. It was interesting to read about the trends in the reading public across the years, the changes in themes of books, and how reading connects to self-improvement. A few more thoughts:
- I'm not sure it ends up answering the titular question, aside from "yeah, reading isn't as popular anymore as a form of distraction".
- It's really waffley at the beginning about "what counts as reading", broadening the meaning to any "good" use of free time, like cooking, art, or spending time with family. Then of course, the rest of the book focuses on reading and it doesn't answer the question with regards to those other topics.
- I'm not entirely convinced that the trends in themes of literature are real. The author brings up examples of each theme, but doesn't show the bigger picture in terms of data.
- It would have been interesting to hear about pre-meiji Japan too, but I guess that's a lot to ask.
- The conclusions were fine. Of course it all comes down to neoliberalism.
*Review contains general spoilers about topics discussed in the book
Why can’t we read for pleasure when we’re busy with work? After experiencing a reading slump in the first half of the year mostly due to work-related reasons, I started reading this book, hoping it would give me insight into why. Initially, I expected a pop-science book about the brain and concentration limits based on the somewhat misleading vibe of the title and cover. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was more like reading a thesis that covered a very wide range of topics, starting with the history of reading and labor in modern Japan from the Meiji era onwards. It moves through time, finally examining the present-day labor market in Japan (and much of the developed world) and exploring what it means to exist as a worker and engage with knowledge and information in the current hyper-competitive global capitalist economy.
I have to say that this book was an extremely engaging read from start to finish, but I enjoyed the chapters on the history of labor and reading in the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa eras the most, as the history of those periods is a special interest of mine. These chapters were packed with absolutely fascinating insights into topics like the role books, knowledge, and literature played for Japanese workers in different classes, what people did for fun, and the overall values of the time. Journeying forward into the late Showa era and times of high economic growth, and then the resulting bubble, burst, and so-called “ice age” that followed, the author explained how the rise of self-help books and reading for knowledge to help differentiate and advance oneself mirrored the situation in the labor market within the 年功序列 system.
The last third of the book ventured into slightly abstract philosophical territory, exploring the advent of the internet and the difference between knowledge and information. The author hypothesized that much of our modern lives is dominated by “noise” from the unknown, resulting in a rise in people seeking less noise, fewer unknown factors, and less contact with people or things different from us—which is exactly what books expose us to. Beyond the excess noise, the author argues that we have internalized capitalistic values due to instability and risk in the labor market and seek to exploit ourselves, squeezing productivity and value out of every minute of our day. This leads to an inability to enjoy any book that comes with extra content or the unknown—instead, we look for exactly what has value to us at present in the form of direct information to advance our job, hobby, or otherwise, which leads to burnout or slumps.
I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book the most for all the historical information it contained. I learned a lot that helped me better appreciate older classics I've read from authors such as 夏目漱石 or 谷崎潤一郎, and for that alone, this book was worth reading. However, the last one-third was also a treat. I was impressed by how the author tied everything together. I found myself nodding along to the content and was really struck (and forced to pause and think) by parts about self-exploitation, the idea that it’s possible to completely devote ourselves to our work or hobbies, and the negatives of the concept that we should “love our work.” Some of the thoughts in this book helped me contextualize and process my own life experiences and feelings about existing in the labor market in the year 2024.
If you enjoy Japanese history, sociology, economics, or philosophy, or if the book’s themes resonate with you, you may enjoy it as much as I did. It does have a lot of academic vocabulary, but the author's writing style is very clear and logical, making it easy to follow. Familiarity with basic economic terms (think words like 労働, 疲労, 消費, 価値) and modern Japanese history (明治維新, 氷河期, リーマンショック) will make it easier to read, but it’s also a great opportunity to learn if you’re not already familiar with the vocabulary. Highly recommended!
It isn't your fault if you stopped reading
Since Bungakushôjo's review already covers the content of this book thoroughly, I'll focus on what I felt was missing from it.
She never touched on the 読書史 of people who didn't work, namely women. In the book, they suddenly appear in the 1980's as if they hadn't existed before... If you want to fill in the blanks, there seems to be a wonderful book on the topic:『女性と図書館―ジェンダー視点から見る過去・現在・未来』.
Another issue, is the absence of concrete steps for getting out of the "grind" mentality (全身全霊) . This lack of solutions is something many recent anti-capitalist books and films struggle with. It's not enough to point out that it's harmful, we already know that. We need tangible alternatives, or else it's just castles in the air. As Naomie Klein puts it, "the biggest challenge is overcoming the way neoliberalism has waged war on our collective imagination, on our ability to truly imagine alternative futures".
I highly recommend it still!