| Internationally
renowned film auteur Takeshi Kitano has
been applauded for his challenging portrayals of manhood
and men, most notably rogue figures (Hana-bi, Zatoichi).
Discerning fans of his cinematic oeuvre, however,
have also appreciated the lyrical sensibility that infuses
even his most violent works. In Boy, Kitano’s essential
vision is filtered through crystalline prose and the prism
of childhood; the result is a gem of memory and nostalgia.
While his impressive cinematic
output has been compared
to, and introduced to the American public by,
Quentin Tarantino and the like, Kitano’s equally delightful
gift for pure word-craft has been a better-kept secret of
his native Japan. This first American translation of his
literary fiction illustrates the notion of “boyhood”
that
has underlain all his work—as well as that of many a
creator valuing generous and bold invention.
The three stand-alone tales
take place at early, middle
and late adolescence. In “The Champion in a Padded Kimono,”
two brothers—one a bookworm and the other a
jock—learn a lesson or two about hope and desire on
Sports Day. “Nest of Stars” features a different pair
of
brothers for whom stargazing becomes a poignant way
of life. In “Okamesan,” a very young history buff
goes on
his first solo “field mission” to Kyoto where he runs
into
a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Tender and funny,
Boy is a perfect introduction to Kitano’s world
and a
must-read for fans of the artist.
 TAKESHI
KITANO is the recipient of the Golden and Silver Lion
Prizes, Venice Film Festival, for
Hana-bi and Zatoichi. He is also the author
of many prose works ranging from memoirs and fiction to social
criticism and interview collections. Before he achieved worldwide
fame he was one of Japan’s most popular television personalities,
which he continues to be, thanks to his sharp eye and irreverent
sense of humor. Boy is the first literary work by Japan’s
“Renaissance man” to be translated into English. Mr.
Kitano lives and works in Tokyo.
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“The
beginnings of Kitano’s intense and personal style can be
seen in the three early stories contained in BOY. They
offer insights into the later films and they have been extremely
well translated by David James Karashima, who beautifully captures
both the deadpan drollery and the wistful sentimentality.”
—Donald Richie, The Japan Times
“Leave
it to Vertical Publishing, magnates of Japanese pop culture in
translation, to bring one of Kitano’s books to English-speaking
audiences. [These stories] radiate a lovely combination of affection
and nostalgia, the sort of thing Kitano has mined for the best
of his own movies time and again, and they both complement and
extend on his other work. They show up his genius for what it
is.”
—Serdar Yegulalp, thegline.com
“BOY's
three ostensibly lighthearted tales, so personal in tone and intimate
in details about drinking fathers, frightened brothers, and bullying
classmates, put Kitano's identification with children in a clarifying
light.”
—Lisa Schwarzbaum, EW.com
“Kitano
tells the tales simply and directly, avoiding flowery descriptions
and clichéd melodrama, instead creating captivating stories
that are subtle yet strongly visual…. Much
like the boys grow up in the book, these tales will grow on you.”
—Mark Rifkin, This Week in New York
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