Boken er utgitt: 2009
Originaltittel: The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Norsk: Hotellet på hjørnet av bitter og søt
Oversatt: Kari og Kjell Risvik
Forlag: Pentagruel
Antall sider: 284
Jeg ble litt nysgjerrig på denne romanen fordi jeg skjønte den omhandlet en tid og et tema i amerikansk historie som jeg visste for lite om, dessuten var det interesse for den i lesesirkelen. Jeg hadde "fortanker" om den som en "sweet" story i kategori med mange lignende...men jeg ble faktisk positivt overrasket. Dette er Jamie Fords debut roman. Se nærmere hans web-site med en del bakgrunns-stoff.
Åpningen starter i "nåtid" 1986 utenfor The Panama Hotel der hovedpersonen Henry Lee forstår at en ny eier åpner hotellet og gjør tilgjengelig eiendelene til japanske familier. Familier som ble oppsamlet og sent til interneringsleir i 1942 da amerikanerne kom i krig med Japan etter angrepet på Pearl Harbour (desember 1941). Dette skjedde i virkeligheten også.
120000 mennesker av japansk opprinnelse ble sendt til internerings leire i Idaho, Arizona, California og andre stater - de fleste av dem var "med skam å melde" amerikanske statsborgere. På kort varsel ble hele det japanske samfunnet i Seattle oppsamlet og alle eiendelene deres ble lagret ett eller annet sted, slik altså her i Panama Hotel.
Spesielt en japansk parasoll vekker minner hos Henry. Han bringes tilbake til 1940-tallet som kinesisk annen-generasjon er han i 12-årsalderen og på vei til å bli "amerikaner" med de vanskene det innebærer for den kinesiske minoriteten i Seattle, Washington. Hans beste venn ble Keiko Okabe på samme alder, men hun var etnisk Japansk også på god vei til å bli "amerikanisert". Forbindelsen kineser-japaner var vel like problematisk i 1942 som forbindelsen "amerikaner"-japaner. Henrys far har et inngrodd hat til japanerne, her ligger det store mangeårige konflikter til grunn i forholdet Kina-Japan, og de er også overført til det "nye" landet. Men til tross for "fedrenes synder" oppstår det et utrolig fint vennskap mellom Henry og Keiko, dette er varmt og vakkert skildret. Likeså det livslange vennskapet som knyttes mellom disse to og den fargede musikeren Sheldon.
Når Keiko blir internert med hele den japanske "forræderske" befolkningen blir disse to skilt fra hverandre i førti år...de kan i starten bare håpe på at krigen tar slutt og at en forsonende vind en gang skal blåse over USA og resten av verden og at krigens konflikter og motsetninger skal være glemt, i hvert fall gjemt. (Rose-Marie har mer omfattende innholds-referat)
Henry hadde ikke noe valg, mente han, enn å ta farvel med Keiko da hans nasjonalistiske far var så uforsonende når det gjaldt omgang med japanere. Det var først ved farens dødsleie at Henry skjønte at faren hadde "fikset" livet hans ved å hindre brevkontakt med Keiko...den "rette" kinesiske piken han hadde giftet seg med ble nok en god kone og god mor for Marty, og Henry var glad i Ethel...men han hadde aldri glemt Keiko.
Når Ethel er død, når Panama Hotel er tilgjengelig for leting etter fortiden graver Henry etter denne i den støvete kjelleren. Og det blir et møte med fortiden.....
Dette er en fin historie om vennskap, kjærlighet, utholdenhet til tross for plikter og foreldre-lojalitet...og ikke minst tilgivelse og det å elske i stedet for å hate. Fint skildret er også far-sønn forholdene i to generasjoner ....her er det nytt håp og nye tider med Marty, Henrys sønn. Selv om han ikke er så fremtredende i romanen får han en betydnings-full rolle.
Man kom lett inn i "storyen" i denne romanen synes jeg, man blir engasjert, og kjedelig er den i hvert fall ikke. Språket flyter lett og til å handle om mimring og søt kjærlighet etc så synes jeg den unngikk å havne i "klisje-fellen"...og en annen fordel som gjorde romanen lettlest: den hadde et enkelt og oversiktlig persongalleri som var lett å holde styr på, og skiftingen frem og tilbake mellom 1942 og 1986 fungerte utmerket.
Dette med Japanske immigranter til USA og hvordan de ble behandlet under og etter krigen visste jeg noe om, men at det var så ekstremt ante jeg ikke. Det gjorde meg nysgjerrig på å vite mer om dette, og det ser ut til at forfatteren har holdt seg nær opp til de faktiske forhold her. Sørgelig at slikt skjedde...og ikke minst at slikt skjer i en eller annen form flere steder i verden i dag...vi burde lære av historien, slik kan "Hotellet" være en viktig roman og vekker...men menneskeheten fortsetter å handle irrasjonelt i mange sammenhenger.
Forfatterens etterord:
Min vurdering av denne romanen: 5
Se også filmen Snow falling on Cedars med relevant tema
Se også: Sanger til Willow Frost - Litterær salong
Short Summary in English:
I was a bit curious about this novel because it referred to a time and events in American history that I knew little about, besides, my reading group wanted to put it up. I had prejudged this novel a "sweet and sentimental" story in line with many similar ... but I was actually pleasantly surprised.
This is Jamie Ford's debut novel. Here is his web site with some background material.
The opening starts in the present in 1986 outside the Panama Hotel where the protagonist Henry Lee (from a Chinese family) understands that a new owner will open the building and make available the assets of Japanese families stored there. Families that were gathered and sent to internment camps in 1942 when the Americans came to war with Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbour (December 1941) . This happened in real life too.
120000 people of Japanese origin were sent to detention camps in Idaho, Arizona, California and other states - most of them were in fact U.S. citizens
Of these stored belongings a Japanese parasol evoked memories in Henry . He was "brought back" to the 1940s as Chinese second - generation boy of 12 on his way to becoming " American " with the difficulties involved for the Chinese minority in Seattle, Washington. His best friend was Keiko Okabe at the same age, but she was ethnically Japanese, also a reason to become "Americanized " . Henry's father has an ingrained hatred of the Japanese, with the background in the long-time conflict between China - Japan - conflicts transferred to the "new" country as well.
But despite of the " sins of the fathers " an incredibly fine friendship grows between Henry and Keiko , this relationship is beautifully portrayed by the writer. Also the strong relationship and lifelong friendship between those two and the coloured musician Sheldon makes an impact in this novel.
When Keiko was detained with all the other Japanese " treacherous " people, Henry and she is separated from each other for forty years ... their only hope was that the war should come to an end and that conciliatory winds should start blowing across the United States and around the world. Henry had no choice, he thought, than to take leave of Keiko when his nationalist father was so unforgiving when it came to dealing with the Japanese . It was only at his father's deathbed that Henry realized that his father had "fixed" his life by preventing letter contact with Keiko ... the "right " Chinese girl he had married was probably a good wife and good mother to Marty and Henry became to love his wife Ethel ... but he had never forgotten Keiko .
When Ethel is dead, and when the Panama Hotel was open for exploration, Henry goes to the sad meeting with the past, in the dusty basement of the hotel.
His son Marty and his girlfriend Samantha go with him to the Panama Hotel in search of the past.
The memorable gramophone record is also found, broken in two pieces…but the song lingers on. (Music is to become important in Jamie Ford's next novel also)
This is a beautiful story about friendship, love, and loyalty ... and , not least, forgiveness and love instead of hate. Nice depicted is also the father - son relationships in two generations .... here is the new hope and new times with Marty, Henry's son.
World history, family history and secrets from the past make this an engaging story -language flows easily, love and romance is part of this story, but there is no sign of falling into the "cliché trap" ... the characters were not too many, they were easily kept track of, and swapping back and forth between 1942 and 1986 worked perfectly .
This story about Japanese immigrants to the United States and how they were treated during and after the war I knew nothing about - interesting historical information and a sad story - and it's sad to think about such things still happen in several places in the world today... we should learn from history, but humanity continues to act irrationally making the same wrong-doings again and again…..
Se også: Sanger til Willow Frost - Litterær salong
Short Summary in English:
I was a bit curious about this novel because it referred to a time and events in American history that I knew little about, besides, my reading group wanted to put it up. I had prejudged this novel a "sweet and sentimental" story in line with many similar ... but I was actually pleasantly surprised.
This is Jamie Ford's debut novel. Here is his web site with some background material.
The opening starts in the present in 1986 outside the Panama Hotel where the protagonist Henry Lee (from a Chinese family) understands that a new owner will open the building and make available the assets of Japanese families stored there. Families that were gathered and sent to internment camps in 1942 when the Americans came to war with Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbour (December 1941) . This happened in real life too.
120000 people of Japanese origin were sent to detention camps in Idaho, Arizona, California and other states - most of them were in fact U.S. citizens
Of these stored belongings a Japanese parasol evoked memories in Henry . He was "brought back" to the 1940s as Chinese second - generation boy of 12 on his way to becoming " American " with the difficulties involved for the Chinese minority in Seattle, Washington. His best friend was Keiko Okabe at the same age, but she was ethnically Japanese, also a reason to become "Americanized " . Henry's father has an ingrained hatred of the Japanese, with the background in the long-time conflict between China - Japan - conflicts transferred to the "new" country as well.
But despite of the " sins of the fathers " an incredibly fine friendship grows between Henry and Keiko , this relationship is beautifully portrayed by the writer. Also the strong relationship and lifelong friendship between those two and the coloured musician Sheldon makes an impact in this novel.
When Keiko was detained with all the other Japanese " treacherous " people, Henry and she is separated from each other for forty years ... their only hope was that the war should come to an end and that conciliatory winds should start blowing across the United States and around the world. Henry had no choice, he thought, than to take leave of Keiko when his nationalist father was so unforgiving when it came to dealing with the Japanese . It was only at his father's deathbed that Henry realized that his father had "fixed" his life by preventing letter contact with Keiko ... the "right " Chinese girl he had married was probably a good wife and good mother to Marty and Henry became to love his wife Ethel ... but he had never forgotten Keiko .
When Ethel is dead, and when the Panama Hotel was open for exploration, Henry goes to the sad meeting with the past, in the dusty basement of the hotel.
His son Marty and his girlfriend Samantha go with him to the Panama Hotel in search of the past.
The memorable gramophone record is also found, broken in two pieces…but the song lingers on. (Music is to become important in Jamie Ford's next novel also)
This is a beautiful story about friendship, love, and loyalty ... and , not least, forgiveness and love instead of hate. Nice depicted is also the father - son relationships in two generations .... here is the new hope and new times with Marty, Henry's son.
World history, family history and secrets from the past make this an engaging story -language flows easily, love and romance is part of this story, but there is no sign of falling into the "cliché trap" ... the characters were not too many, they were easily kept track of, and swapping back and forth between 1942 and 1986 worked perfectly .
This story about Japanese immigrants to the United States and how they were treated during and after the war I knew nothing about - interesting historical information and a sad story - and it's sad to think about such things still happen in several places in the world today... we should learn from history, but humanity continues to act irrationally making the same wrong-doings again and again…..
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Jeg har akkurat lest ut boka. Den er så nydelig. Både bitter og søt. Jeg visste heller ikke så mye om denne delen av amerikansk historie. Vi skal diskutere boka i leseringen om et par uker. Skal bli spennende, men jeg tror neppe det var noen som ikke likte denne.
ReplyDeleteDet høres fint ut ja....Jeg synes den var mer velkomponert og bedre språklig enn f.eks Saras nøkkel som også er om traumatiske krigs-hendelser.
ReplyDelete