A charmingly warm and hopeful story of love, friendship, and the power of human connection. Award-winning Japanese author Shion Miura’s novel is a reminder that a life dedicated to passion is a life well lived.
Inspired as a boy by the multiple meanings to be found for a single word in the dictionary, Kohei Araki is devoted to the notion that a dictionary is a boat to carry us across the sea of words. But after thirty-seven years creating them at Gembu Books, it’s time for him to retire and find his replacement.
He discovers a kindred spirit in Mitsuya Majime – a young, disheveled square peg with a penchant for collecting antiquarian books and a background in linguistics – whom he swipes from his company’s sales department.
Led by his new mentor and joined by an energetic, if reluctant, new recruit and an elder linguistics scholar, Majime is tasked with a career-defining accomplishment: completing The Great Passage, a comprehensive 2,900-page tome of the Japanese language. On his journey, Majime discovers friendship, romance, and an incredible dedication to his work, inspired by the bond that connects us all: words.
My favorite Kindle First selection Most of the May Kindle First selections did not appeal to me; either they were a genre that did not interest me, or they appeared to be “more of the same.” So I decided to try The Great Passage. I love words and reading and all things Japanese, so there was a hint of promise there. I was amazed at how much the book grabbed me and held my interest. It was a great choice for me, and a book I will recommend and reread. The characters felt real, and I could actually feel the pressure to…
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK — unusual subject, intriguing theme, simple plot, fleshed-out characters, MUCH LOVE! I’M GLAD I CHOSE THIS BOOK because itâs much more than a regular story. Itâs âliving wordsâ molding and being molded by people made truly alive by their love of words. We see how words help us humans to connect with each other in amazing and intimate ways. That âgreat passageâ is a journey of 15 years in the lives and through the eyes and words of characters we grow to love, understand, befriend.THE THEME — We see how, like words, people have multiple meanings–every day, every…
Will You Like It? A simple and enjoyable but very interesting read, especially if you happen to be interested in Japanese culture, cuisine, and language, or if you’re simply a lover of words. The story follows the thirteen year process of the Gembu publishing house’s making of a new dictionary called The Great Passage, and how each major character’s involvement with the dictionary transforms his or her life.I think you’ll especially enjoy the book if:-You don’t mind fairly straightforward…