Who is Mr Satoshi?
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Who is Mr Satoshi? for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
`Funny and moving' --Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland
`Compelling, funny and beautifully written, this novel is one of those rare treats - a book you won't want to put down.' --Jennie Rooney
`There's an almost dream-like quality to the narrative ... An unusual, playful and clever book.' --Daily Mail
`An elegant and incisive examination of how history and our perceptions of the world are partial, filtered and continually revised.' --Observer
`A lyrical page-turner.' --Naomi Alderman
`Jonathan Lee paints an exhilarating portrait of modern day Tokyo in limpid, intelligent prose as we accompany his narrator along his wildly labyrinthine voyage through the city.' --Chloe Aridjis, author of Book of Clouds
`Confident, sharply-written, and refreshingly direct ... Tokyo is, of course, a descriptive writer's dream and Lee is not cowed by that culture's omnipresent and exhaustive literary heritage; he instead revels in his character's conflicts ... [The] dialogue is playful and well-observed ... More experienced authors might milk drug-addled protagonists for all they're worth; Lee's subtlety in this regard speaks volumes of the appeal, depth and maturity of his central character, as well as his writing.' --Independent
`Lee lays the groundwork for Foss's trip with care ... patiently weaving exposition into early events ... Lee has a pleasingly straightforward style ... spiced with metaphoric flourishes ... A promising first novel.' --Times Literary Supplement
`"Assured debut" is a tired old phrase, but it really does sum up this first novel...Satisfying, well-paced, just the right length for the story it's telling, WHO IS MR SATOSHI? is a literary novel that also happens to be a highly accessible one ... Lee skilfully and inexorably draws us into his story as the clues mount up to Mr Satoshi's identity ... Lee's prose manages to maintain ... a sparse elegance that does great service to the characters and setting and bodes well for his future.' --The Herald
`Tokyo is a city that is made for strange, other-wordly adventures. Its frantic speed, neon-soaked skyline and vast sprawl make it the perfect setting for a tale of suspense, mystery and self-discovery - and Jonathan Lee's debut novel revels in its extraordinary setting ... WHO IS MR SATOSHI? is a clever, gripping and unusual novel that provides a whole host of hugely enjoyable mysteries. It is also a sensitive portrayal of a man brought back from the brink of breakdown. Reminiscent of some of Haruki Murakami's best work, this is a debut to treasure.' --Book Trust
`Funny, insightful and beautiful' --Telegraph
`A quietly masterful first novel that maps the emotional trajectories of loss, despair, love and redemption.' --Independent
`Compelling, funny and beautifully written, this novel is one of those rare treats - a book you won't want to put down.' --Jennie Rooney
`There's an almost dream-like quality to the narrative ... An unusual, playful and clever book.' --Daily Mail
`An elegant and incisive examination of how history and our perceptions of the world are partial, filtered and continually revised.' --Observer
`A lyrical page-turner.' --Naomi Alderman
`Jonathan Lee paints an exhilarating portrait of modern day Tokyo in limpid, intelligent prose as we accompany his narrator along his wildly labyrinthine voyage through the city.' --Chloe Aridjis, author of Book of Clouds
`Confident, sharply-written, and refreshingly direct ... Tokyo is, of course, a descriptive writer's dream and Lee is not cowed by that culture's omnipresent and exhaustive literary heritage; he instead revels in his character's conflicts ... [The] dialogue is playful and well-observed ... More experienced authors might milk drug-addled protagonists for all they're worth; Lee's subtlety in this regard speaks volumes of the appeal, depth and maturity of his central character, as well as his writing.' --Independent
`Lee lays the groundwork for Foss's trip with care ... patiently weaving exposition into early events ... Lee has a pleasingly straightforward style ... spiced with metaphoric flourishes ... A promising first novel.' --Times Literary Supplement
`"Assured debut" is a tired old phrase, but it really does sum up this first novel...Satisfying, well-paced, just the right length for the story it's telling, WHO IS MR SATOSHI? is a literary novel that also happens to be a highly accessible one ... Lee skilfully and inexorably draws us into his story as the clues mount up to Mr Satoshi's identity ... Lee's prose manages to maintain ... a sparse elegance that does great service to the characters and setting and bodes well for his future.' --The Herald
`Tokyo is a city that is made for strange, other-wordly adventures. Its frantic speed, neon-soaked skyline and vast sprawl make it the perfect setting for a tale of suspense, mystery and self-discovery - and Jonathan Lee's debut novel revels in its extraordinary setting ... WHO IS MR SATOSHI? is a clever, gripping and unusual novel that provides a whole host of hugely enjoyable mysteries. It is also a sensitive portrayal of a man brought back from the brink of breakdown. Reminiscent of some of Haruki Murakami's best work, this is a debut to treasure.' --Book Trust
`Funny, insightful and beautiful' --Telegraph
`A quietly masterful first novel that maps the emotional trajectories of loss, despair, love and redemption.' --Independent
Book Description
Inventive and mysterious, WHO IS MR SATOSHI? introduces a major new talent to contemporary fiction.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Rob Fossick is a damaged and grieving widower who has become incapable of engaging with the outside world. When his mother dies and leaves a parcel to be delivered to a mysterious Mr Satoshi in Japan, his world is turned upside down.
This is a haunting book packed with vivid images, ( appropriately Rob Fossick is a photographer) - who can forget the car which is the colour of a well-sucked sherbert lemon or the man with a Stanley knife stare? It is full of fabulous characters and pulls the reader into another world so we feel we are travelling on a train through the snow-covered landscape of Japan or hunting a friend in a fish-market, gaping-mouthed tuna fish acting as sign-posts in our search.
This book is not merely atmospheric - one cares what happens to the unusual and sympathetic characters and sighs with regret when the final page is reached.
Another book soon, please, Jonathon Lee.
This is a haunting book packed with vivid images, ( appropriately Rob Fossick is a photographer) - who can forget the car which is the colour of a well-sucked sherbert lemon or the man with a Stanley knife stare? It is full of fabulous characters and pulls the reader into another world so we feel we are travelling on a train through the snow-covered landscape of Japan or hunting a friend in a fish-market, gaping-mouthed tuna fish acting as sign-posts in our search.
This book is not merely atmospheric - one cares what happens to the unusual and sympathetic characters and sighs with regret when the final page is reached.
Another book soon, please, Jonathon Lee.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Warm and attractive, super-readable debut novel by Jonathan Lee (JL) about top photographer Rob Fossick (RF), whose life came to a standstill after the accidental death of his wife Chloe and their unborn child. Four years later, surviving on mind-soothing pills and royalties, RF sees his demented mother literally drop dead in front of him during a visit. Another mental blow.
Sorting out her belongings, RF finds intriguing letters, then remembers her talking about a Mr. Satoshi or Reggie, who should receive a certain parcel, which RF also finds.
Readers will enjoy this book full of paralyzing sorrow and RF's efforts to deliver the parcel to "Reggie" or Mr. Satoshi, who might be still alive (at 80) and still be living in Japan. Also, RF's photo agent wants him to return to his old form and sends him a ticket to Tokyo with an open return. What happens in Japan is a tale for readers to enjoy.
This is a search book. Its plot is smart, the novel rich in symbolism and metaphor, beautifully written with good dialogue. JL shifts gears every now and then, a rare pleasure. But it is the characters who really stand out: panic-prone RF, his mother in her young and final years, her long-time lady friend Freddie. The Japanese cast is well portrayed, esp. Chiyoko, the pink haired literature student/receptionist of a love hotel and its owner, a gay ex-sumo wrestler who idolizes Dolly Parton. In this novel even minor characters come alive.
Jonathan Lee's final gift is not telling all, leaving readers to ponder all possible outcomes. Eminently re-readable and discussable novel for book clubs. Hope Jonathan Lee will make writing his trade.
Sorting out her belongings, RF finds intriguing letters, then remembers her talking about a Mr. Satoshi or Reggie, who should receive a certain parcel, which RF also finds.
Readers will enjoy this book full of paralyzing sorrow and RF's efforts to deliver the parcel to "Reggie" or Mr. Satoshi, who might be still alive (at 80) and still be living in Japan. Also, RF's photo agent wants him to return to his old form and sends him a ticket to Tokyo with an open return. What happens in Japan is a tale for readers to enjoy.
This is a search book. Its plot is smart, the novel rich in symbolism and metaphor, beautifully written with good dialogue. JL shifts gears every now and then, a rare pleasure. But it is the characters who really stand out: panic-prone RF, his mother in her young and final years, her long-time lady friend Freddie. The Japanese cast is well portrayed, esp. Chiyoko, the pink haired literature student/receptionist of a love hotel and its owner, a gay ex-sumo wrestler who idolizes Dolly Parton. In this novel even minor characters come alive.
Jonathan Lee's final gift is not telling all, leaving readers to ponder all possible outcomes. Eminently re-readable and discussable novel for book clubs. Hope Jonathan Lee will make writing his trade.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Who is Mr Satoshi? I'm not sure I ever really cared, but for all the mystery that this novel would like to have, it seems to have been given away very early on.
Jonathan Lee tells a story of Foss, a photographer recovering from personal tragedy, dealing with his mother's dying wish that he deliver some enveloped to a former sweetheart who went by the name of Satoshi and who might live in Japan. Thus, Foss gathers all his courage together and heads out to Japan - shame it took 90 pages for him to do it.
In Japan, Foss meets a pink haired student called Chiyoko. Lee reminds us often that Chiyoko has pink hair which is a good thing because the reader would otherwise forget - the detail is so very forgettable. Chiyoko drops her life to accompany Foss on this quest although there's no obvious reason for her to do this.
There is a clear effort to mirror some of the surreality of successful Japanese (or Japan-set) novels. Hence, we can see nods to Ryu Murakami (e.g. Coin Locker Babies), Natsuo Kirino's Real World, and Davis Mitchell's number9dream. Unfortunately, the surreality is not developed enough to overcome an otherwise implausible plot and a distinct lack of suspense.
There are no twists, no bombshells. Even as each discovery is made on the path to Satoshi, it merely confirms what the reader had already assumed. And the actual effort to find Satoshi is also not extensive - it seems to consist of looking things up in a library and then chatting to a chance stranger who conveniently knows the answer. No characterisation either. Nor any great insight into Japan - just a string of clichés: sushi, love hotels, neon advertising, sumo wrestling, high prices, automatic taxi doors, ... It's as though the story is there to fill the pages, and the pages are there to fill time.
There's nothing actually wrong with Who Is Mr Satoshi, just that there's nothing terribly right about it either. It is a classic work of neutral. It's vanilla ice cream.
Jonathan Lee tells a story of Foss, a photographer recovering from personal tragedy, dealing with his mother's dying wish that he deliver some enveloped to a former sweetheart who went by the name of Satoshi and who might live in Japan. Thus, Foss gathers all his courage together and heads out to Japan - shame it took 90 pages for him to do it.
In Japan, Foss meets a pink haired student called Chiyoko. Lee reminds us often that Chiyoko has pink hair which is a good thing because the reader would otherwise forget - the detail is so very forgettable. Chiyoko drops her life to accompany Foss on this quest although there's no obvious reason for her to do this.
There is a clear effort to mirror some of the surreality of successful Japanese (or Japan-set) novels. Hence, we can see nods to Ryu Murakami (e.g. Coin Locker Babies), Natsuo Kirino's Real World, and Davis Mitchell's number9dream. Unfortunately, the surreality is not developed enough to overcome an otherwise implausible plot and a distinct lack of suspense.
There are no twists, no bombshells. Even as each discovery is made on the path to Satoshi, it merely confirms what the reader had already assumed. And the actual effort to find Satoshi is also not extensive - it seems to consist of looking things up in a library and then chatting to a chance stranger who conveniently knows the answer. No characterisation either. Nor any great insight into Japan - just a string of clichés: sushi, love hotels, neon advertising, sumo wrestling, high prices, automatic taxi doors, ... It's as though the story is there to fill the pages, and the pages are there to fill time.
There's nothing actually wrong with Who Is Mr Satoshi, just that there's nothing terribly right about it either. It is a classic work of neutral. It's vanilla ice cream.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A puzzle well worth solving.
This book is a very nicely written puzzle that touches on a number of issues, foremost amongst them how little we really know about our parents. Read more
Published 17 days ago by David Pearce
Intriguing in parts
A British photographer, fighting a troubled past, finds himself drawn to Japan through a request left by his dead Mother. "Who is Mr Satoshi? Read more
Published 3 months ago by Loved-IT
A very good read
I was surprised to find that this is the first novel from Jonathan Lee as it reads so well, and I could easily have believed the author to be more accomplished. Read more
Published 6 months ago by cbrynr
Unexpectedly brilliant
I ordered this book as it is partly set in Japan, a country that holds great fascination for me. I didn't really know much else about the book, so I was very surprised to find such... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Laura Smith
Found in translation..
I took a chance on this book based purely on the title and description - it seemed like an interesting subject and raised it above a lot of the stock detective/serial... Read more
Published 8 months ago by D. Gilman
Quirky and charming in places, yet doesn't quite work
I started off really quite liking this book - it was quirky and charming, and the characters were quite comedic. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Princess Mononoke
Outstanding
Let's get the one problem I had with it over first. Our chap, Foss, appears visiting his 80 year old mother. So I put him around 50. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mrs. R.
Slow, but worth pursuing
'Who is Mr Satoshi' is one of those books that left me pondering on whether I actually enjoyed the reading experience or not. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Rosslock
Lightweight
An easy read, this book is something to race through when you don't want to be taxed. The style makes it effortless to zoom through the pages, which is fortunate as that means it... Read more
Published 8 months ago by R. Lawson
Worth persevering with; good writing and central character
I have to confess that I didn't enjoy this at first. After a few chapters, I actually gave up and read a nice easy autobiography instead. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Russell Smith
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
