Fujisan, Randy Taguchi
Fujisan, Randy Taguchi
List: $14.99 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.49

Fujisan

Author: Randy Taguchi, Raj Mahtani

Narrator: Brian Nishii

Unabridged: 6 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/20/2012


Synopsis

From acclaimed Japanese author Randy Taguchi come four unforgettable stories of redemption, discovery, loss, and remembrance anchored by one of the world’s holiest peaks. Mount Fuji has been a source of spiritual inspiration since it was first ascended by a monk over a millennium ago.“Blue Summit” introduces a former cult member struggling to maintain his escape from a mountain monastery, seeking solace in the fluorescent lights of the convenience store he manages. In “Sea of Trees,” three teenage boys who share a fascination with the metaphysical confront the startling realities of death and despair on their final adventure together before parting ways for different schools. “Jamila” chronicles a privileged young man’s descent into disillusionment as he works with a compulsive hoarder to clear her mess. And in “Child of Light,” a nurse struggles as she comes to terms with her role in the oft-brutal cycle of birth, life, and death.Throughout the stories, Mount Fuji stands sentinel even as it fades in and out of view—watching and remembering as it always has.

About Randy Taguchi

Randy Taguchi first began writing online in 1996 and soon attracted a large following in Japan, where she is sometimes referred to as the “Queen of the Internet.” She is a popular and prolific author, whose work includes a busy blog, fourteen novels, just one of which—Outlet—has been released in English to date, many short stories, and twenty-one essays. She is currently supporting the Fukushima Kids’ Summer Camp program, helping children impacted by the 2011 earthquake, and she released a short story entitled “How Japan Made the Nuclear Choice” in reaction to the incident.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lisa on January 21, 2013

It's always better to read a book in the language in which it was written. However, since my Japanese reading pace is slooooooooooooow and this translation was $1.99 on Kindle, I decided to give it a whirl. I received my just reward, as the stories were beautiful and haunting, but the translation le......more

Goodreads review by Tariq on October 13, 2014

Riveting book on the lives of dysfunctional Japanese living under the shadow of the great mount Fuji. I was totally moved by the lucid writing style of Randy Taguchi, who was both bold and sensitive to human emotions. I loved the depictions of the various characters, the literal store supervisor, hi......more

Goodreads review by Ronald S. Green on June 17, 2018

I was pretty happy with this book. The stories took some unexpected and interesting turns from me. I liked the references to AUM and the way she presented the former members as people sincerely working for self improvement. As with some of her other stories, I found her to be well informed about Bud......more

Goodreads review by Tom on October 17, 2019

What a weird book, I didnt enjoy this one. I thought it was going to be with stories relating to Mount Fuji, mostly about some guy and fucked up dreams, eating assholes and killing people to put them in a hole. Silver lining is it was free with kindle unlimited. A book some may enjoy but not for me.......more

Goodreads review by Txredd on July 11, 2017

An effort to read but I'm glad I did. Four thoughtful and moving short stories set in the shadow of Mount Fuji. The translation was jarring at first, but I grew accustomed to the awkward language. I found the characters intriguing and wanted to learn more about them. It wasn't a smooth read, but I'm......more