Oh, Tama! from Mieko Kanai is about someone’s identity. The trouble that one pregnant woman and a pregnant cat can cause…
Location: set in the Mejiro neighborhood in Tokyo, Japan
Oh, Tama! synopsis
Oh, Tama! takes the reader deep into the haphazard lives of Natsuyuki, the protagonist, and his loosely connected circle of dysfunctional acquaintances and family. Trying to keep some semblance of order and decency in his life, working as an occasional freelance photographer, Natsuyuki is visited by his delinquent friend Alexandre, who unexpectedly entrusts him with his sister’s pregnant cat, Tama. Despite his initial protests, Natsuyuki accepts his new responsibility and cares compassionately for Tama and her kittens.
Half-sister Tsuneko, meanwhile, is herself pregnant by one of several lovers, all patrons of the bar she runs. She contacts three of them, claiming each to be the father, and demands money. One of these is Fuyuhiko, the older half-brother of Natsuyuki, although he is not aware of this fact. When Fuyuhiko comes to Tokyo in search of Tsuneko, he gravitates to Natsuyuki’s apartment, where he and Alexandre move in with the weak-willed Natsuyuki.
Book review
“As for the theme of the novel, briefly put, it would seem meaningless to search for the identity of the father of a child who has come into this world, whether in the case of cats or of humans. It is the same with the question of one’s own real identity as well.”
I like the theme that Mieko Kanai describes in her afterword (as quoted above). The men that are dealing with the possibility of being a father to an unborn child are fitting vessels for an exploration into the question of one’s identity. They’re all lonely men that were raised in broken homes and irregular families. Their lives seem frivolous and empty. Oh, Tama! is a good reflection of this aspect of society.
Rather than being a story, Oh, Tama! resembles a series of encounters. We follow Natsuyuki’s dysfunctional life and his conversations with other people that know Alexandre’s pregnant sister Tsuneko. The daily conversations mostly revolve around the pregnancies of Tsuneko and the cat Tama. The father is unknown in both cases. Tama’s role in the story is rather superficial, other than being at the center of many references. Unfortunately, none of the characters – including the cat – are really interesting. This must have been on purpose.
Oh, Tama! is a parody that makes heavy use of intertextuality. The title is inspired by Oh, Nora!, a book by Uchida Hyakken. Throughout the book, you can find references to other cat novels in the chapter titles and the names of the other cats mentioned in the book. Even the name ‘Tama’ is taken from the Japanese titles of the books Mieko Kanai references in her novel. If I hadn’t read the intro, I wouldn’t have known about all the sophisticated references that are woven into the story. But even though I am aware of the fact that it is happening, the meaning is lost in translation (due to my lack of knowledge about the other books).
From a literary viewpoint, I should probably appreciate this book for its intertextuality and for being the parody that it is. I am aware that it holds more meaning to a Japanese audience.
From a personal viewpoint: I didn’t find this book an enjoyable read. It feels like a collection of stories turned into chapters; a collection that lacks an immersive story. This is not why I read books. On a side note: I appreciated the intro and two afterwords way too much in comparison.
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Book details
Title: Oh, Tama!
Author: Mieko Kanai
Translators: Tomoko Aoyama and Paul McCarthy
Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
Pages: 190
ISBN13: 9784902075670
Publication date: 16 March 2014
