How Do You Live? by Genzaburo YoshinoMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a lovely book! I particularly liked it when I found out that it was written especially for school children in Japan way back in 1937. It was meant to be an ethics textbook, only in storybook form.
Neil Gaiman points out in the introduction how it reminded him of Moby Dick: there's a narrative but also so many separate chapters about so many other different things. I think I learned more about Napoleon and Gandhara Buddhas from this book, than from any other source!
It tells of the adventures of Copper, a sophomore in junior high school, who tries to navigate teenaged life without the benefit of a father's guiding hand, for his dad had already passed away.
* tear *
His father's last words meant for his son were: "I want him to become a great man! A fine example of a human being."
And so Copper's mom and uncle join forces in trying to help a naughty lad become "great," but not in riches nor power. For them, a great life -- the only kind of life worth wanting -- is one spent in helping others, in bringing only good and beauty to the world.
The combination of epistolary chapters with present-day events was quite charming, and will make anyone want to pick up pens to write their "impressions."
We race through our days so quickly. Am grateful for this little book that invited me to stop and smell the sampaguitas. And go over my day, the consequences of my actions, to regret my mistakes and resolve to do better next time.
"Art and knowledge have no borders." How wonderful that this will soon become a Studio Ghibli movie, some 90 years after its publication!
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