Spark
Naoki Matayoshi
Call no.: MAT (Available on eReads and Overdrive)
All rights reserved. London: Pushkin Press, 2019
Spark is a story about Japanese stand-up comedy and the lives of the people who create it. Written by Naoki Matayoshi, a successful comedian in his own right, the novel is hilarious, strange, and moving in equal measure.
Tokunaga, a young struggling comedian, meets the enigmatic Kamiya and becomes his apprentice. What follows is the blossoming friendship between two opposites: insecure Tokunaga and outspoken Kamiya. Through countless bizarre drunken conversations about creativity, originality, and ambition, it becomes apparent that the two are also very different right down to their core. Ultimately, no one can advise another on how to live their best life—whether it is success though compromise or following a true calling to the utmost, even if it gets you nowhere.
At fewer than 200 pages, Spark is a quick but emotional read, filled with ups and downs, love and respect. It is no wonder that the novel has already been a sensation in Japan – having sold more than three million copies – and adapted into a Netflix series (Hibana: Spark).
Text by Tan Yiing Yee
You can check the availability of this book title at various libraries via NLB’s online catalogue here.
You can borrow the eBook version via Overdrive or Libby.
Source: National Library Board. Reproduced with permission.
