Forum - View topicREVIEW: Missing: Spirited Away Novel 1
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ManOfRust
 Posts: 1935 Location: Seattle, WA |
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This sounds interesting. I might just have to pick it up. Some of the ideas and themes of the story (at least as far as I can tell from the review) sound kind of similar to some of Neil Gaiman's work. I wonder how this would compare to something like American Gods, or if I am just reading too much into the review in drawing these supposed similarities.
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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I have to admit I am intrigued. Although my knowledge of Japanese folklore is nearly non-existent, I enjoy supernatural thrillers quite a bit.
The plot sagging in the middle is a letdown somewhat, but as long as the beginning and end are strong, I can live with that. Sounds like something I will enjoy. I do not have any Japanese novels, but this may be my first. Oh, and one question. As I mentioned above, I have never read a Japanese novel. Since this one is apparently translated, do they keep the right-to-left format (page wise) like translated Manga, or is it in western left-to-right? Just curious. |
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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It's just text. Why would they possible leave it left-to-right? The reason manga is left that way is so to not change the artwork. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Err, don't yo mean leave it right-to-left? Your argument that they leave Manga alone because of the pictures does make sense, though I have the feeling that there is more to it than that. Like "authenticity". When you "read" Manga, even though it is translated, you get the feel of how how it was "supposed" to be read. An authentic experience. I just wondered if they kept the novels the same way to add that authenticity. |
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Hi no Neko
 Posts: 204 Location: Austin, TX |
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Sounds like that would be risky, from the publisher's point of view. Average American #47 is generally more likely to pick up a text novel than "one of them anime comics", but could just as quickly put it back down on the shelf once they find the page order confuses them. As for "authentic", yes, it's best to keep manga in the right order, because the art was designed to go a certain way. Novels are just words put into a story - as long as the pages are in the right order, it doesn't much matter if they go right-to-left or left-to-right. Might as well use the order that most people on this continent are used to. |
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scortia
 Posts: 174 |
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Looks like companies are stepping out of the box a bit now with the novel titles they're picking up.... it's not just Crest of the Stars and other anime-related titles... I wonder if I can be hopeful for Onmyoji to ever get picked up.
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wandering-dreamer
 Posts: 1733 |
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If the story is a good one it shouldn't matter how it's told, right-to-left or left-to-right. In manga the pictures are part of the story so they remain the same, but I think it would be trying for some people to try to read a whole novel backwards. Anyway, this book sounds interesting, I'll have to try to find it at my bookstores (I don't know if they would put this under regular young adult fiction or in the manga section, but I think I found the light novels in the YA section before). |
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larinon
 Posts: 992 Location: Midland, TX |
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I've bought and read the first two volumes of the manga, which I believe is based on the novels, and it's definitely been a good read so far. From the description it sounds like the plots are basically the same, though I don't know if I would read both the novel and the manga. Either way, whichever one you want to pick up, it's a good story worth reading.
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HellKorn
Posts: 1669 Location: Columbus, OH |
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Kind of, though I kept on thinking that the first volume would be more similar to what lain would be like in a horror setting -- minus the exposition and occasionally dull phases. I actually enjoyed the book as it progressed, as the opening is heavily focused on a character that I'm slightly hesitant to label pretentiousness. Some parts of the middle are a bit clunky, though the level of research poured into it make it worthwhile. And the finale is really something. Not the best start, but I'm looking forward to the second book in March. |
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vincentthecon
 Posts: 21 |
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That's what I was thinking, it sounds a lot like magical realism which reminds me of Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez who are all people whose writing often crosses the boundary between reality and fantasy and since that is my favorite style for writing I for one am excited to read this... |
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Andrew Cunningham
 Posts: 521 Location: Seattle |
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Fantastic, hopefully this will bring the series a little more attention.
And thanks for the kind words about my translation. |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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Yeah...I get my directions mixed up all the time (don't even get me started with east and west  )
The only thing having an English novel go left-to-right (got it this time!) would do is make it too confusing for anyone to bother reading it. I know I would pick it up. There's nothing "authentic" about it. Just like which way you read doesn't make a manga authentic, not changing the artwork (or making minimal changes for sound effects) does. |
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chinabean
Posts: 32 |
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i like it a lot, i'm hooked on it, i'm almost done reading; they added a manga in the end of it - of it.
it's basically like a regular book, not manga style i really like the story and the what i call "educational" moments in it really interested me and opened up a lot for me 
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