Matayoshi Naoki
Pushkin Press
27 February 2025 (2015)
160
eBook - PDF
Contemporary Fiction
ARC via Edelweiss
Tokunaga is a young comedian struggling to make a name for himself when he is taken under the wing of Kamiya, who is either a crazy genius or perhaps just crazy. Kamiya’s indestructible confidence inspires Tokunaga, but it also makes him doubt the limits of his own talent, and dedication to Manzai comedy.
Spark is a story about art and friendship, about countless bizarre drunken conversations and how far it’s acceptable to go for a laugh. A novel about comedy that’s as moving and thoughtful as it is funny, it’s already been a sensation in Japan.
I requested this book from Edelweiss not recognising that I had read it before five years ago. I recalled reading something on manzai but didn't twig it was the same work due to the vastly different cover style and sales approach. It was only when I added the book on Goodreads that I discovered it was the same one. Since so long had passed, though, I decided to give it a reread to see if my feelings had changed. In the end, I felt pretty much the same as I did on the first read, so my original review below still expresses my thoughts and feelings well and my rating remains the same.
Spark was a mixed-bag read for me. I found some of the scenarios funny, and it offered an interesting discussion on the nature of comedy, alongside intriguing character portrayals of Tokunaga and Kamiya. However, in reading this book with zero knowledge of manzai, I probably missed a lot of cultural references and undertones, as the story failed to fully grip me. It might be interesting to check out the Netflix series if I get time, as seeing the comedic styling in action would probably help, to get a sense of how it comes across. I'm glad I gave this book a try, as it was something different and new, but it's not one I would race to reread. For me, it's a 3.5-star read, as it had some good moments and would probably mean more to readers who are familiar with manzai.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via both NetGalley and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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