The Tatami Galaxy

This was such a great, unexpected find! I came across it at Lello, in Porto (gorgeous bookshop, by the way, worth a visit irrespective of queues and opinions on JK Rowling) and was drawn to the unusual title and beautiful, anime-like cover.

‘Tatami Galaxy’ implies Japanese sci-fi. I had never read Japanese sci-fi, which contributed to the appeal; however, this hardly reads as sci-fi, and I’d definitely recommend it to those who are skeptical of the genre. It reads more… campus-novel-black-comedy-drama? Something like that. If a DFW novel were set on a campus in Kyoto and took itself way less seriously. Maybe the DFW connection isn’t even that strong: I just think both authors are funny in a similar way.

On comparisons: I find it hard to not think of both Murakami and Kafka. Murakami due to it being Japanese but also having somewhat of a western feel, and the mix of supernatural/sci-fi elements with an otherwise slice-of-life narrative. Kafka due to a protagonist that is overwhelmed by forces it cannot even comprehend - although the tone of the Tatami Galaxy is decidedly lighter than most of what Kafka wrote. I also found Morimi funny in a way that I don’t find Murakami and Kafka.

The translator’s note by Emily Balistrieri is endearing: seems she is a massive fan of Morimi and managed to turn herself from fan to translator by sheer force of will. Admirable!