Ariel talked about buying Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto on the Books Unbound podcast and it sounded like a crazy premise, so I immediately ordered it from the public library. By the time I listened to the episode where she said she didn't love it, I was already invested in reading it.
Morimoto was tired of the corporate life, where it didn't matter if he was there or not. So he stopped working and started a service where he was available to just show up, as long as he didn't have to do anything.
In this book, Morimoto is interviewed by the editor who then actually wrote the book. He gave simple answers and the editor wrote it up. Mostly it's a series of anecdotes about the types of situations he played a part in - helping someone get their stuff after a breakup, trying a new drink at Starbucks with someone, going to concerts or other events with people, etc.
I thought this was going to be a super duper fun book, but instead it just felt like it was written by a fifteen-year-old with a deadline. I'm not sure if that's the fault of the original answers by Morimoto or if it's the fault of the translation, but it seemed full of contradictions and repetitive stories.
Consider:
So what I really want as Rental Person is to have no defining attributes - no good points, no bad points. (page 54)
AND THE NEXT PAGE:
After a while I got fed up with it, and so I tried to dilute my ice-cream soda image, tweeting that I'd decided to switch my allegiance to lemon squash. I think it's good to tweet about changes like that. It makes Rental Person seem human. (page 55)
Pick a lane, Rental Person, pick a lane.
Anyway, it was an interesting diversion, but I think this is really a story about a disaffected, lazy man who doesn't actually think about things very hard. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you really love all things Japanese. 3.5/5 stars
Line of note:
There's certainly a difference between childhood and adulthood in terms of the cost of stress that friends or friendship involve. Friendship for an adult seems very complicated. Rather than all-around friends, people seem to have friends for specific purposes - friends to go drinking with, for example, or friends to play computer games with, and friends to go to concerts with. (page 143)
I think this is an interesting observation. Do you have all-around friends or specific-purpose friends?
Hat mention (why hats?):
So I think I was very lucky that the first bit of headwear I bought wasn't a hat, a beanie, or a baseball cap - just a work cap. (page 53)
There is no way I'm reading it but the premise made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI have both all-round friends and specific-purpose friends! Some friends are the kind where we are compatible doing things together, you know?
Yes, I do know what you mean about having both types of friends. I feel like I'm going to start classifying my friends this way now that I read this book.
DeleteI guess I have both kinds of friends, but I enjoy when the specific purpose friends evolve into all-around friends?
ReplyDeleteI liked your review, Engie--but not enough to pick up the book myself. Another easy one to avoid. I'm glad, because my TBR list is out of control!
The premise of this book is SO INTERESTING. Oh, well. Life's too short to read a bad book just because the premise is interesting.
DeleteI read that one and yeah, was kind of underwhelmed by it. It was a quick read, but nothing I would recommend to others.
ReplyDeleteMany of my friends are people I met through knitting, but although we do a lot of knitting and yarn-related activities, I wouldn't say we do nothing else. Are they general-purpose friends, though? Some yes, some no. I don't know; I guess I need to think about that more.
I think it's interesting that people are talking about friends on a continuum (like, knitting friends can be come all-around friends over time, right?). Friendship in adulthood is tough.
DeletePick a lane, rental person. That cracked me up. This sounds like an interesting concept, but pretty sure I would not enjoy a book that reads like a 15 year old writing to beat a deadline.
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting thought - that so many younger people have friends to play video games, or play sports with, etc. I've not really thought of that before. I have friends who I tend to socialize with when we are doing couple social time vs time with just girlfriends, if that makes sense.
Yeah, we definitely have friends who we do certain events/activities with and don't really socialize with them outside of that. It's so interesting to think about how I classify my friends, though - I've never thought about it before!
DeleteHuh. I'm wondering if this book would be appropriate for a 15 year old? It sounds like something my daughter would like, and she does like all things Japanese. Or is it more geared towards adults?
ReplyDeleteI think it's PERFECT for your daughter. Honestly, it would probably really resonate with her. There's nothing inappropriate (language, sex) in it at all!
DeleteConcept is amusing, but i think I can leave this one alone.
ReplyDeleteI... don't think I have friends for specific purposes? My friends are my friends, for the most part, and I will go for tea, go to a movie, go to a bar or go for a walk with pretty much any of them. If I worked full time that might be different. There is one group of people I only see once a year at World Trivia Night, but I would happily hang out with any of them outside of this, it just hasn't come up.
A fifteen year old with a deadline, lol. A fifteen year old with a deadline AND a book deal? Sigh.
ReplyDeleteIntriguing premise, though.