Happy New Year 2022!
Since I took the plunge in 2021 to try to read a book in Japanese, it’s become sort of an addiction for me. I love browsing the Japanese bookstores even though I know 90% of the books, I can’t read yet. So I would like discuss what motivates me to read books in another language considering I cannot fully understand what I am reading and the time and effort it takes to read a book.
I think one of the most motivating things for me with completing my first book in Japanese back in September was suddenly it felt like this whole other world of untouchable new books and stories opened up.
Before I always thought, it’s too hard or I’ll never finish, so I didn’t even bother to try for a long time. I love reading fiction in general and I actually searched up books set in Japan by American authors, but the numbers are just so far and few it felt like. And those stories are usually about a foreigner coming to Japan.
Translated texts can be a hit or miss sometimes like Before the Coffee Gets Cold, which I think has not a good translation. I think The Devotion of Suspect X was alright, and I have not read any Murakami Haruki novels yet.
Also there’s just something so satisfying about working hard to complete a difficult book. I felt the same way about trying to read Jane Eyre or the Lord of the Rings. It’s the challenge that makes it feel more rewarding.
My reading advice: Start simple and work your way up.
Some people say you should start with your interest and go from there. I think YES that works well for tv or media, but when it comes to books, you have to still start with something within your range. Kanji is a real deal-breaker when it comes to deciding your novel. Preferably read something you are interested in if you can.
framed in beige 