Rating: 4.5/5
The Dictionary Editorial Department of Gembu Publishing is working on a brand new dictionary, a project that will end up taking them fifteen years to complete. At the beginning of the book, the heads of the project, Professor Matsumoto and Araki, are looking for a young person to take over the project since they will only be working part time as supervisors. One of the employees of the department, Nishioka, suggests a young man named Majime, a true oddball who works in sales but seems like he might have a knack for dictionary editorial work. Majime is soon hired, and they all get busy working on the dictionary, getting sidetracked by other projects as the company seems not to value the new dictionary as much as the people working in the department. Nishioka soon leaves to work in another department, and a young woman comes to work in his place. Over the course of fifteen years, relationships are forged, and the commitment and devotion of the people working in the department is poured out into the pages of The Great Passage.
This book is quite unlike anything I have ever read. It has been translated from Japanese (very beautifully I might add -- I actually couldn't tell.) The Japanese culture is strikingly different than the American culture in a lot of ways. For example: the character Nishioka is presented as a goofball who isn't serious about much, but he seems like the most "normal" character in the whole book. The other characters are intensely serious people who work on the dictionary with such a passion that it almost makes me feel like a slacker--no, it does make me feel like a slacker. I won't lie and say that this book made me fascinated by the dictionary-making process. I can admit that it is important work, but they seem so obsessive about it, it is hard to understand why they love it so much. I am so used looking up words online that I forget there are actually physical dictionaries anymore. That being said, I became drawn in by their extreme passion. I think anyone would be lucky to discover something to be this passionate about, and that is what makes this book beautiful. The characters are all a little strange, but they are fascinating to read about.
The main drawback to this book is that it is a little dull. As in, it's not conventionally "exciting." The pace is slow, and there isn't anything really mind-blowingly amazing that happens. (There is also some very odd social commentary that seems out of place.) This book is simply a snapshot of a group of people who come together and do what they love. It's not about the technicalities of making a dictionary. And while there are some minor discussions about how words can mean all sorts of different things, that's not this book's aim either. This book resonates with me because of the total devotion, love, passion, and commitment these people have for what they do. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a light read and loves books and words. This book is calm and peaceful, poignant, and charming in its own way.
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