title: The Ten Loves of Mr Nishino by: Kawakami, Hiromi published: 2019-06-06 read: 2024-05 preview

Mr. Nishino never marries, never reproduces. For that, perhaps, he cannot really love. But he has ample loves who have sex with him, even though, in most or all cases, the women don’t love him, perhaps don’t even like him.

But he is different He shares his feelings with each one of them, and is normally two-timing. A fact which most women are aware of, and many do not mind too much.

Kikumi peered at Nishino’s face with her intense gaze. Nishino returned her look with steady eyes. I sat idly beside them. Quite suddenly, I was struck by a recollection of the angle of Nishino’s erection.

He does not behave like other men, instead is open and outright. A setup which is immensely attractive to the women in this book.

‘It’s really nice in here, isn’t it?’ Nishino said, from right beside me. The sun had almost completely set. My eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness and I could clearly make out Nishino’s silhouette, but for him, having just crawled inside, it must have been practically pitch dark. As he groped his way along, Nishino came to lean up against the curve. ‘I like clay sewer pipes too. I often spend my Sundays going around looking for them,’ Nishino said. ‘You mean you’ve liked clay sewer pipes for a long time?’ I asked with surprise. ‘You’re an oddball.’

And at the same time, that behaviour leads to non-lasting relationships. In some cases even, where they have sex only once.

‘Quick, let’s make our getaway,’ Nishino said, a string of saliva trailing from the corner of his mouth. It was silky and transparent. ‘No way,’ I replied. ‘Well then, be my girlfriend instead.’ ‘You say “instead”, but isn’t running away together and being your girlfriend exactly the same thing?’ ‘I guess you’re right,’ Nishino said, opening his eyes wide. He thought about it for another moment.

And so he comes, and he goes.

Nishino came into the apartment with a nonchalant manner. If there are a thousand different variations on the way a guy might enter a girl’s apartment, there are far more deviations when the guy has already had sex with the girl.

His last words are on the phone, calling his 19-year old girlfriend, and he tells her he has been in an accident and will die soon. She being ill with high fever takes the message and goes back to bed, only to realise later he was telling the truth.

And so, at the funeral, his loves part with him. As told by that one girlfriend, the one who considered staying longer.

The book is divided into ten chapters, each related by one of Nishino’s loves. The chapters are utterly distinct, with no apparent order in them. Indeed, the tale of Nishino’s death is told in chapter 9 of 10. While the story of his sister’s death, a long time earlier, is again told in chapter 10. But that only makes sense, the way each chapter consists of memories of one lover about her time with Nishino.

Ample melancholy in this book. A highly recommended read.