"Camellia Stationery Shop" Strolling through Kamakura, the ghostwriter's daily life in four seasons

Author: Ogawa Ito Translator: Wang Yunjie Publisher: Enshen

This novel takes us from the first-person perspective to Kamakura, Japan, and immerses us in the profession of " ghostwriter ".

Bobo (Hatoko Amamiya), the owner of " Camellia Stationery Shop ", has been regarded as the successor of the ghostwriter by her grandmother (previous generation) since she was a child. She has been trained intensively and rigorously. Although she has beautiful handwriting, she has been suppressed in her heart for many years. Her resistance also broke out when she grew up, and she fled abroad... Eventually she returned to Kamakura and inherited the store after her grandmother passed away.

The story intersperses between the protagonist's " case commissions, memories of past events, and daily life. " The four seasons of summer, autumn, winter, and spring overlap, which seems to be the turning point of the character's state of mind.

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Many interesting and touching cases.

Whenever a case comes to his door, Bobo will first spend a cup of tea (I really want to drink Jingban tea) to patiently listen to the client's mood and difficulties behind it, without rushing to write. Because no matter how good the handwriting is, if the intention cannot be conveyed to the other party, it will lose its meaning. This is a profession that requires empathy and empathy ; then, we can adapt to the situation, from the choice of paper and pen, the shade of ink, The writing method, folding method, packaging, stamps... are all very particular.

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The other narrative line is the memory of grandma, like grinding ink, from shallow to deep.

When I first recalled my mother-in-law's guidance , for example, in response to the question "Wouldn't it be more sincere to write by yourself?", she used a "cake shop" as a metaphor: Even if you can't bring your own pastries (write them yourself), as long as you carefully select them in the store, Also full of sincerity.

Of course, there is no problem for people who can express their feelings smoothly, but ghostwriters ghostwrite for people who cannot do this. Because sometimes, this can better convey your inner thoughts to the other person.

It’s no wonder that there is a scene where Bobo is furious at a guest because he didn’t come to the door because he was in trouble, just because he wanted to be lazy. Invisibly, the craftsman spirit that carries out this industry is to convey people's mood, rather than to wipe their butts .

Later, more emotions infiltrated, and I was full of regrets and regrets for not being able to see my mother-in-law for the last time to resolve the knots in their hearts. By coincidence, I accidentally discovered the secret hidden by my grandmother, which may be an opportunity to unravel the entanglements in my heart. ?

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Finally, the years are quiet and the daily life changes with the seasons.

Interact with neighbors and visit major attractions in Kamakura City. The book mentions many "palaces, temples" and other places of interest, and the detailed description of authentic culture is very fascinating, especially during the pandemic.

It wasn't until I was almost finished that I discovered that there was a hand-drawn Kamakura guide map in the book. Those signs all left traces of where Bobo had stopped, making it easier for readers (you and me) to get involved and imagine.

🌱 Reflections on special writing are being serialized👉 01 ｜ 02 ｜ 03 ｜ 04 ｜ 05 ｜

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