Spring, at Barneys
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Hi!! Have you missed me? ;)
In this episode, I talk about a Japanese fiction called Spring, at Barneys (2004) by Yoshida Shuichi, one of my favorite writers.
Spring, at Barneys is a sequel to Yoshida's early novella The Last Son (1999). The early work tells the story of Tsutsui, of how he navigates his life as a young gay man, lives in a world that is malignant and violent to his community, and sways between a life as the boyfriend to someone he does not love and parents' demand of him to form a family. Spring, at Barneys sees Tsutsui in his 30s as he bumps into his former lover in the department store and ponders on his current life as a married man with a kid.
I was mesmerized by Yoshida's nuanced writing, which looks into the seemingly mundane moments of life, and the eventual emotional outbreak of a man who seems to be living a life he is contented of. The writing is effortless and piecing. I tried to translate a few passages that I am very fond of. (23:39)
I talk a bit about the adapted film, which stars Nishijima Hitedoshi (*swoon*).
I also talk about how the idea of 'the past' intertwines with Tsuitsui's escapism. By analyzing a small episode where his father rejects his dream of studying in the US, I argue that the idea of studying/living abroad, as it invites a new form of language, allows physical detachment, and forms a space of literal 'different time zone', embodies the ultimate illusion of freedom and possibilities.
02:30 Introduction of The Last Son
08:00 Introduction of Spring, at Barneys
29:04 TV-Film of Spring, at Barneys
36:54 Some expanded readings including how 'the past is a foreign country' plays out in Yoshida's novel.
References:
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In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
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The Go-Between by L.P.Hartley
Music:
Comes a Time by Grateful Dead