The Forest of Wool and Steel
Ratings2
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings2
Average rating3.5
OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD ''A mesmerising reading experience for all of us seeking a meaningful life' JAPAN TIMES What he experienced that day wasn’t life-changing . . . It was life-making. Tomura is startled by the hypnotic sound of a piano being tuned in his school. It seeps into his soul and transports him to the forests, dark and gleaming, that surround his beloved mountain village. From that moment, he is determined to discover more. Under the tutelage of three master piano-tuners – one humble, one jovial, one ill-tempered – Tomura embarks on his training, never straying too far from a single, unfathomable question: do I have what it takes? Set in small-town Japan, this warm and mystical story is for the lucky few who have found their calling – and for the rest of us who are still searching. It shows that the road to finding one’s purpose is a winding path, often filled with treacherous doubts and, for those who persevere, astonishing moments of revelation. Mega-bestselling winner of the Japan Booksellers Award, selected by bookshop staff as the book they most wanted to hand-sell: A tender and uplifting novel for fans of A WHOLE LIFE by Robert Seethaler. [Contains 5 exquisite hand-drawn illustrations]
Reviews with the most likes.
Learning, experimentation, pursuit of beauty, pursuit of meaning, battling against the illusion of perfection. The right book at the right time? Something meditative, focused on the senses.
What's impressive is though I spent a couple dutiful, indifferent years playing the flute in school, I never had this much passion for an instrument, I know nothing about pianos, and yet this still captivated me.
Part of my appreciation might be a nostalgic connection, I know what it is to grow up in a rural area, have nature surrounding you in your youth, then look for it's echoes in a more urban setting as you pursue education and a career.
There's a strong chance that any book using forests and trees as the prevalent metaphor will be one I enjoy, but even with that bias, I think the writing here was extraordinary (credit to the translator also for conveying such).
Not certain this is a feeling that can be recaptured, but if anyone has any comps...I will also live in hope the author produces another work that is translated into English.
