Of all the contemporary Japanese literature, there is no doubt that the best-known writer in Western countries is Haruki Murakami, author of works as acclaimed as Kafka on the shore or the memorable 1Q84. However, the Japanese literary scene goes much further and there are even other writers who have crossed borders. A good example is Yoko Ogawa, a woman who achieved unprecedented success with the publication in 2004 of this book Teacher's Favorite Formula. A story that in her country was made into a movie or illustrated in comics. In addition to being translated into various languages, including Spanish.
And the reason is very obvious. Reading her is a real delight. It tells the relationship between three characters. A home helper, her 10-year-old son who is passionate about baseball and a retired math teacher who, due to an accident, has a very peculiar memory. He only remembers what he has done in the last 80 minutes, that and endless formulas and mathematical knowledge. In other words, the numbers are other characters in the narrative, since the teacher relates everything to equations and theorems.
But don't be scared. You don't have to be a math expert to enjoy reading this. In reality, the author tells us how affection, appreciation and even love grows between this peculiar triangle ofcharacters. Since the assistant has never been a very lucky person, and yet since she starts working with this sullen-looking teacher and even cataloged as problematic, her life has become much more pleasant. In addition to the fact that her little son will find a good reference for her education.
We won't reveal much more of the plot. Only that it is a novel that is read quickly, thanks to the simplicity of the style. Something that fits perfectly with the fact that it is the assistant herself who tells us about her experiences. So everything flows with a lot of nature and delicacy.
Perhaps this was the great success of Yoko Ogama, born in 1962 in Okayama. An author who began her literary career by drawing inspiration from the great classics of Japanese letters, and since her debut in 1988 with When the butterfly decomposesshe achieved fame and prestige. And since then she hasn't stopped publishing successful books like Hotel IrisorMy Sister's Pregnancy. In short, it is worth following this author, whose style is easier for Westerners to read than other Japanese writers.
