About this item
Highlights
- Takeout Sushi is a collection of 17 illustrated short stories set mostly in contemporary Japan that explore feelings of belonging, displacement, and the strangeness of everyday human interaction.In an innovative, fast-paced company, a man's job comes under threat when a team of robots are brought in to replace the HR department.
- About the Author: Christopher Green was born in Middlesbrough, UK.
- 272 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Short Stories (single author)
Description
Book Synopsis
Takeout Sushi is a collection of 17 illustrated short stories set mostly in contemporary Japan that explore feelings of belonging, displacement, and the strangeness of everyday human interaction.
In an innovative, fast-paced company, a man's job comes under threat when a team of robots are brought in to replace the HR department. A husband's search for shortcuts to his domestic tasks goes painfully wrong. Overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, a foreigner takes a weekend break and discovers something other than solitude in the mountains.
Marking Christopher Green's debut adult fiction and inspired by his own experiences, these whimsical slice-of-life tales are full of heart and humour -- perfect for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
Review Quotes
"Green's writing is beautiful: it's just concise enough to make the stories tense and involving but it contains fascinating detail that evokes a strong sense of place. The stories' settings vary from domestic dilemmas to dystopian office dramas, with the angst ramped up accordingly. Placing the stories in Japan increases the importance of certain types of behaviours matching society's expectations, which potentially amplifies the embarrassment of these faux pas many times over. The characters find themselves in awkward situations, where they must face the consequences of their actions."--TripFiction
"Christopher Green peels back the layers of everyday life in Japan, exposing moments of introspection, weirdness and all gamut of emotions, with a charm, humour and equality of vision that underscores the essential humanity of Japanese and non-Japanese characters alike. A most rewarding read."--Alison Watts, translator of The Boy and the Dog and Sweet Bean Paste
"Takeout Sushi is a wonderfully varied short story collection. The stories here range from the speculative to the realistic, but they're all united by sensitively written characters, and offer a unique glimpse into life in Japan (and other places too). These are fine short stories with some brilliantly unexpected twists."--Jenna Warren, author of The Moon and Stars
"Why isn't there more fiction about office life? I found myself asking this question as I devoured Christopher Green's sharply written stories which often feature men at work in Japan. Green has the ability to turn the most ordinary of situations--a salaryman ironing his pants, a commuter picking up objects dropped on the train floor--into an unexpected and entertaining tale. Takeout Sushi is a triumph from a fresh perspective."--Suzanne Kamata, author of The Baseball Widow and The Beautiful One Has Come: Stories
About the Author
Christopher Green was born in Middlesbrough, UK. He has also lived in South Africa, Germany and, since 1994, Japan, where he works for an IT company. He started writing shortly after moving to Japan, and one of his short stories was published in a magazine a few years later. Chris and his Japanese wife live just outside of Tokyo with their daughter. His hobbies include writing poor haiku in Japanese and playing darts badly--but not at the same time!