Novel set in Imperial Japan – The Office of Gardens and Ponds, Didier Decoin
The Office of Gardens and Ponds by Didier Decoin
Novel set in Imperial Japan – The Office of Gardens and Ponds, Didier Decoin – The village of Shimae is devastated when master carp-catcher Katsuro drowns in the Kusagawa river. Someone now has to carry the precious cargo of carp to the Imperial Palace and preserve the crucial patronage that everyone in the village depends upon. It falls upon his widow, Miyuki, to take on the journey as she is the only remaining person in the village who knows anything about carp. So, off she goes, towards the Imperial Palace, balancing the heavy baskets of fish on a pole across her shoulders. She also carries her village’s future there too.
BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Office of Gardens and Ponds
BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Office of Gardens and Ponds
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Novel set in Imperial Japan – The Office of Gardens and Ponds, Didier Decoin
Susan @thebooktrailer
What a unique story!
It immediately transports you to Japan of the ancient city and ancient ways of life. The novel easily transports the reader to the Imperial city and the palace, where the Emperor waits for carp to be delivered from a far away village.
From the start, it’s very evocative and lyrical. The writing is unique and the style is simply elegant. Moreover, the turns of phrases and nuances of the language really adds to the story. Kudos to the translator who has conjured this up from the original French. It reads very ‘Japanese’ , ie poetic and lyrical of the time. A language you could imagine being the language of the kingdom.
In addition, for someone who knows very little about ancient Japanese life, this seemed very real and authentic. I felt I’d been in the time and place and was fascinated with the fact of the carp fish. The poorest village depended on the whim of an Emperor and his love of those fish for them to survive and feed their families. Sadly, the difference between rich and poor is very clear.
Those wonderful carp fish..
Probably the most wonderful image and metaphor for the story is the concept of time. Miyaki’s journey, the old tradition of providing fish to the palace.. Those fish and that flowing river weave in and out of the story and provide a wonderful mental image throughout.
Miyaki, the widow of the carp fisherman who has died, is a wonderful character. An example of the pride of someone who wishes to fulfil a duty, a promise made. Add to that the desperation of someone who has to deliver goods to protect the future of their village and you have a very proud and complex character. I felt every step of her journey, ever blister of her feet and every painful thought along the way.
All in all, it’s an immersive read. I could see carp swimming around in a movable sketch as I read. The cover is simply stunning and its a work of art in itself. I could see this novel very clearly in my mind – like a moving tapestry. The vivid descriptions of the landscape, people, colours, textures and aromas of the landscape make it easy to imagine the difficult journey that Miyuki undertakes.
Therefore, I come to the end of this review and realise there’s so much more to say but how you describe such a lyrical novel?
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Translator: Euan Cameron has translated over two dozen books from the French, including works by Julien Green, Paul Morand, François Bizot, Pierre Péju, Jean-Paul Kauffmann, Philippe Claudel and Jean-Michel Guenassia. Furthermore, he has worked on major biographies of Marcel Proust and Irène Némirovsky. He was formerly a publisher at Bodley Head, Random House and Harvill Secker.
