It’s been a week since I finished reading about Buck Cooper’s
escapades in Japan as a sumo wrestler. I miss Buck.
Buck Cooper is from Texas. His father is an inventor of pharmaceuticals,
and the whole family ends up in Japan while he tries to promote the product
that they’ve mortgaged their home and the family’s 600-acre ranch for.
Buck is a big guy in height and width, but suffers from the
invisibility factor. It’s something that I think endears him to the reader, and
makes him likeable.
In Japan, Buck is accidentally thrust into the limelight as
the comic relief during a sumo match. He isn’t awful at it, and the crowd
adores him. It’s a new experience for Buck—having people accept him—and having people accept him because he’s big. And so,
against his parents’ wishes, and when the opportunity arises, Buck accepts an
offer by one of the sumo wrestling stables with big plans of living the
celebrity life.
His parents are already on the plane to Texas when Buck
discovers the true life of an amateur sumo wrestler. He gets worked to a
frazzle, beaten, spit on, and lives the life of a veritable slave. In spite of
all his trials, Buck is determined not to quit, and has high hopes that a certain
beautiful Japanese girl will fall in love with him and consent to be his bride.
Then Buck gets beaten behind an alleyway. And, after an
important win, someone attempts to poison him. He’s attacked by the Japanese
mafia, and Buck’s best friend lands in the hospital with a slashed throat. But
it’s the threats against his parents that threaten to crumble his resolve and
his integrity.
Big in Japan is written in such a way that the reader is also
able to experience Japan—from their streets, to the beautiful gardens, to their
funny food-vending machines where a hungry tourist can get almost everything
except a soda and a bag of chips. One of my favorite scenes was Buck’s first
experience with the public bath.
This is 2012’s feel-good novel of the year. I give Big in
Japan 5-stars.
5 comments:
Tina! Thanks so much for this awesome review! I am so glad you liked Buck as much as I did. :)
I completely agree! A fabulous book!
I haven't read it yet, but I intend to. I have heard so many amazing things about Big In Japan!!!!
Love the review. I've seen the trailer before, and it makes me smile.
Awesome trailer! And what an interesting setting. Japan! Great review.
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