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If You Follow Me
Hoping to outpace her grief in the wake of her father's suicide, Marina has come to the small, rural Japanese town of Shika to teach English for a year. But in Japan, as she soon discovers, you can never really throw away your past . . . or anything else, for that matter.
If You Follow Me is at once a fish-out-of-water tale, a dark comedy of manners, and a strange kind of love story. Alive with vibrant and unforgettable characters-from an ambitious town matchmaker to a high school student-cum-rap artist wannabe with an addiction to self-tanning lotion-it guides readers over cultural bridges even as it celebrates the awkward, unlikely triumph of the human spirit.
If You Follow Me is at once a fish-out-of-water tale, a dark comedy of manners, and a strange kind of love story. Alive with vibrant and unforgettable characters-from an ambitious town matchmaker to a high school student-cum-rap artist wannabe with an addiction to self-tanning lotion-it guides readers over cultural bridges even as it celebrates the awkward, unlikely triumph of the human spirit.
356 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2010
48 people are currently reading
1354 people want to read
About the author
Malena Watrous
3 books114 followersMalena Watrous is a writer and an instructor of creative writing. Her first novel, If You Follow Me, won the Michener-Copernicus Award and was a Lambda finalist. She co-authored a cookbook, My Mexico City Kitchen, with Gabriela Camara. She has taught workshops in both fiction and nonfiction at Barnard College and USF, and currently works as a Lead instructor for Stanford’s Continuing Studies Online writing program, where she co-founded and directs the Online Writing Certificate program in the novel.
She is the mother of one son, Max, as well as the caretaker of two furry muses: an overweight Siamese cat (Stormtrooper, or “Stormo”) and a Pit-huahua pandemic puppy named Lucy. When she’s not working on her novel, she’s a maker of things that can be finished (and often consumed) in a shorter span of time. She has dabbled in papermaking, pie baking, metalsmithing, and (most often) enjoys sewing the clothes that she wears (as well as shopping for the fabric, which is its own hobby).
She is the mother of one son, Max, as well as the caretaker of two furry muses: an overweight Siamese cat (Stormtrooper, or “Stormo”) and a Pit-huahua pandemic puppy named Lucy. When she’s not working on her novel, she’s a maker of things that can be finished (and often consumed) in a shorter span of time. She has dabbled in papermaking, pie baking, metalsmithing, and (most often) enjoys sewing the clothes that she wears (as well as shopping for the fabric, which is its own hobby).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
December 15, 2009
Would I have adored this book so much if I hadn't been an English teacher in Japan myself? I don't know. All I can say is that it hooked me from the first letter, in which Marina's supervisor chides her for not following _gomi_ (garbage) law. Suddenly I could remember myself trying to figure out if my garbage was -moeru- (burnable) or not, and where to put it, and all the million other ways a foreigner could make mistakes in Japan.
While this book is set in Japan, it's not just about Japan. Nor is it exactly about teaching recalcitrant students, coming to terms with being bi, or grieving after the death of a parent. It's about all of those things, and more. While the amusing and true-to-life experiences of a JET (foreign exchange teacher) were what sucked me in, the amusing and heartfelt look at the characters kept me going even when the story made me cry. Watrous makes no character a paragon, but shows us just enough about their flaws to make us pity them, and in most cases, like them. No one felt like a stereotype or cliche.
I usually don't like novels, especially ones that make me cry. So it was with great surprise that I found myself not wanting to put the book down, skipping things I needed to do just to read a few more chapters. I usually don't give a book this many stars, but I felt that any book that could overcome my depressing-novel prejudice and make me enjoy it this much must be doing something very, very right.
While this book is set in Japan, it's not just about Japan. Nor is it exactly about teaching recalcitrant students, coming to terms with being bi, or grieving after the death of a parent. It's about all of those things, and more. While the amusing and true-to-life experiences of a JET (foreign exchange teacher) were what sucked me in, the amusing and heartfelt look at the characters kept me going even when the story made me cry. Watrous makes no character a paragon, but shows us just enough about their flaws to make us pity them, and in most cases, like them. No one felt like a stereotype or cliche.
I usually don't like novels, especially ones that make me cry. So it was with great surprise that I found myself not wanting to put the book down, skipping things I needed to do just to read a few more chapters. I usually don't give a book this many stars, but I felt that any book that could overcome my depressing-novel prejudice and make me enjoy it this much must be doing something very, very right.
November 15, 2011
Oh man, I don't know. I wanted to like this story of a young woman coming to teaching English in Japan while struggling with her reactions to her father's suicide, and it's clear Watrous has lived in Japan and has a keen eye for the absurd or interesting detail (the plastic high school slippers, the sweltering teacher's rooms). But having lived here for more than a decade, I reacted to a lot of this book the way one might react to a horror movie in which the cute young teen suggests they all split up and check out different areas of the spooky house: WHAT ARE YOU DOING STOP THAT. The whole discussion of trash sorting, which the author treats as a cute peccadillo on her character's part, made me break out in a cold sweat: first she and her roommate throw spoiled meat into the plastic garbage. After being told that their neighbor had to pick all the rotting meat out by hand, her roommate throws used tampons into the plastic garbage. This isn't a charming free-spiritness, it's incredibly selfish (and gross!)
Despite her attention to detail, the protagonist is sometimes so lacking in cultural empathy that I couldn't possibly sympathize with her. It's not that I don't agree that female students in Japan could well learn that there's more to life than makeup and boyfriends, or that mothers need more support from their husbands, or that negotiating the maze of unspoken rules here is annoying. But there's a smugness to the book as the protagonist transforms the lives of the villagers with her quirky openness. Imagine a book where a Japanese student comes to live in "redneck America," and by the end of the book has taught the quaint but backwards folk the value of hard work, inspired a young tomboy to be more feminine so she can finally catch a man, and convinced the more disgustingly overweight townspeople to eat a healthy diet of rice and green tea. The scene where the heroine climbs up onto a sumo ring and does an impromptu faux-striptease made me actually gasp in horror: picture someone going to church and in the middle of Communion deciding it would be fun to jump up and do an impromptu performance of "I Like Big Butts And I Cannot Lie."
All of which is basically to say: um, maybe I'm not the best target audience for an expat's amusing fish-out-of-water tale. I've made a lot of errors like the ones the heroine does (failing to catch important implications, breaking rules I didn't know existed, etc.) and believe me, it's not cute or funny. So perhaps I just envy her protagonist--after all, no one wants to read a book that goes "The main character made some really stupid mistakes and as a result she had only limited success and people treated her like she was very strange forever and ever."
Despite her attention to detail, the protagonist is sometimes so lacking in cultural empathy that I couldn't possibly sympathize with her. It's not that I don't agree that female students in Japan could well learn that there's more to life than makeup and boyfriends, or that mothers need more support from their husbands, or that negotiating the maze of unspoken rules here is annoying. But there's a smugness to the book as the protagonist transforms the lives of the villagers with her quirky openness. Imagine a book where a Japanese student comes to live in "redneck America," and by the end of the book has taught the quaint but backwards folk the value of hard work, inspired a young tomboy to be more feminine so she can finally catch a man, and convinced the more disgustingly overweight townspeople to eat a healthy diet of rice and green tea. The scene where the heroine climbs up onto a sumo ring and does an impromptu faux-striptease made me actually gasp in horror: picture someone going to church and in the middle of Communion deciding it would be fun to jump up and do an impromptu performance of "I Like Big Butts And I Cannot Lie."
All of which is basically to say: um, maybe I'm not the best target audience for an expat's amusing fish-out-of-water tale. I've made a lot of errors like the ones the heroine does (failing to catch important implications, breaking rules I didn't know existed, etc.) and believe me, it's not cute or funny. So perhaps I just envy her protagonist--after all, no one wants to read a book that goes "The main character made some really stupid mistakes and as a result she had only limited success and people treated her like she was very strange forever and ever."
April 27, 2010
ARC from publisher
Many thanks to Harper Perennial for allowing me the opportunity to review Malena Watrous's "If You Follow Me".
This was my first adult woman lit novel in a very long time. It's a genre I tend to overlook nowadays - though not because I dislike it.
When I first found myself craving novels again, back in my early twenties, "Chick Lit" was all I read. I tore the bookshelves at Border's apart, searching for the next Anna Maxted, Sophie Kinsella, and Helen Fielding. They were books with main characters I could relate to. But they were also all very similar. After awhile, the themes became predictable: Girl works crappy job, locked in crappy relationship. Girl quits job, dumps boyfriend, wonders if she did the right thing. Girl finds great job, better man, lives happily ever after. My reactions to those novels became predictable too: I can't wait to start this novel, oh no I can see where this is going, darn it why don't they ever create a strong female lead character, I gotta find something better to read, Thank god it's over.
I eventually started branching out and widening my literary scope. Instead of reading books about woman living similar, if not outrageous, lives, I needed more. I wanted something different. Visits to the book store found me, more often than not, clutching classics and old school sci-fi novels to my chest as I waited in line to pay. Almost refusing to acknowledge the "other" genre.
As I've gotten older, and wiser (perhaps), I have come to find great stories in just about every literary category there is. I know better than to shut out an entire group of novels just because of the label it is given. And Watrous's novel is the perfect example of that.
Struggling to come to grips with the recent suicide of her severely depressed father, Marina meets Carolyn at a group grief session, and they quickly fall in love. When she finds out that Carolyn plans to teach in Japan, Marina wastes no time in applying as well, eager to leave the life she is currently living, hoping this will help her move beyond her fathers death and closer to the woman she loves.
Upon their arrival, both girls find adapting to the Japanese rules and culture difficult. Marina's supervisor, Hiro (Miyoshi-sensei) writes her numerous letters informing her of the gomi (garbage) rules. Her neighbors watch her wearily, and report her every misstep, her girlfriend itches for a space of her own.
Tensions rise as the girls struggle with their students, and keeping their relationship a secret. Carolyn starts to count down the days left until she can return to the states, while Marina focuses on breaking down barriers and building relationships with the people around her.
"If You Follow Me" breaks the typical "Chick Lit" mold. It introduces you to Marina, a young american school teacher, who moves to Japan to teach high school students English. It's more than just a young woman's struggle with identity and love. It's about overcoming stereotypes, breaking boundaries, understanding and accepting different cultures, and transitioning from temporary to something more permanent.
A great read. A book that you can curl up with, but that will also challenge your mind.
Many thanks to Harper Perennial for allowing me the opportunity to review Malena Watrous's "If You Follow Me".
This was my first adult woman lit novel in a very long time. It's a genre I tend to overlook nowadays - though not because I dislike it.
When I first found myself craving novels again, back in my early twenties, "Chick Lit" was all I read. I tore the bookshelves at Border's apart, searching for the next Anna Maxted, Sophie Kinsella, and Helen Fielding. They were books with main characters I could relate to. But they were also all very similar. After awhile, the themes became predictable: Girl works crappy job, locked in crappy relationship. Girl quits job, dumps boyfriend, wonders if she did the right thing. Girl finds great job, better man, lives happily ever after. My reactions to those novels became predictable too: I can't wait to start this novel, oh no I can see where this is going, darn it why don't they ever create a strong female lead character, I gotta find something better to read, Thank god it's over.
I eventually started branching out and widening my literary scope. Instead of reading books about woman living similar, if not outrageous, lives, I needed more. I wanted something different. Visits to the book store found me, more often than not, clutching classics and old school sci-fi novels to my chest as I waited in line to pay. Almost refusing to acknowledge the "other" genre.
As I've gotten older, and wiser (perhaps), I have come to find great stories in just about every literary category there is. I know better than to shut out an entire group of novels just because of the label it is given. And Watrous's novel is the perfect example of that.
Struggling to come to grips with the recent suicide of her severely depressed father, Marina meets Carolyn at a group grief session, and they quickly fall in love. When she finds out that Carolyn plans to teach in Japan, Marina wastes no time in applying as well, eager to leave the life she is currently living, hoping this will help her move beyond her fathers death and closer to the woman she loves.
Upon their arrival, both girls find adapting to the Japanese rules and culture difficult. Marina's supervisor, Hiro (Miyoshi-sensei) writes her numerous letters informing her of the gomi (garbage) rules. Her neighbors watch her wearily, and report her every misstep, her girlfriend itches for a space of her own.
Tensions rise as the girls struggle with their students, and keeping their relationship a secret. Carolyn starts to count down the days left until she can return to the states, while Marina focuses on breaking down barriers and building relationships with the people around her.
"If You Follow Me" breaks the typical "Chick Lit" mold. It introduces you to Marina, a young american school teacher, who moves to Japan to teach high school students English. It's more than just a young woman's struggle with identity and love. It's about overcoming stereotypes, breaking boundaries, understanding and accepting different cultures, and transitioning from temporary to something more permanent.
A great read. A book that you can curl up with, but that will also challenge your mind.
September 24, 2010
Officially, Marina goes to rural Japan to teach English for a year. Unofficially, she goes to rural Japan because she doesn’t really know what else to do with herself; she’s just finished college, her father has committed suicide, and when her new girlfriend, Carolyn, decides to go, Marina wants to go too. It’s an escape for her, an identity moratorium in a place where she hopes to leave the bad things behind and move on with her life.
Of course, with her limited Japanese, even basic conversation is difficult. Add culture shock to the mix, and miscommunications, misunderstandings, and mistakes become daily events. In this comedy of errors, even throwing out the garbage, gomi, is complicated, and failing to follow the rules brings constant interference from nosy neighbors and letters from Marina’s supervisor, Miyoshi. It might be okay for the textile mill to dump dye in the river, but putting burnable trash out on the wrong day is unacceptable.
Marina learns the rules by breaking them. And she breaks them a lot. From minor infractions like wearing her uniform slippers outdoors to more serious crimes like rear-ending a yam truck, there is always trouble.
While Malena Watrous is a talented writer who captures the experience of teaching English abroad well—with all the culture shock, awkward moments, frustrations, and small victories that go along with it—Marina’s story isn’t original. She spends the majority of the book as the ignorant foreigner who doesn’t know what to say or how to act. It’s a heavy-handed theme that becomes both repetitive and predictable. The symbolism of the Alice in Wonderland–themed nuclear power museum, for instance, isn’t exactly subtle. The loss and grief end up playing only a limited role in the story and get lost in the shuffle of Marina’s constant faux pas. And by the end, all the problems are suddenly and neatly wrapped up. There were good moments, but overall I wouldn't recommend it.
Of course, with her limited Japanese, even basic conversation is difficult. Add culture shock to the mix, and miscommunications, misunderstandings, and mistakes become daily events. In this comedy of errors, even throwing out the garbage, gomi, is complicated, and failing to follow the rules brings constant interference from nosy neighbors and letters from Marina’s supervisor, Miyoshi. It might be okay for the textile mill to dump dye in the river, but putting burnable trash out on the wrong day is unacceptable.
Marina learns the rules by breaking them. And she breaks them a lot. From minor infractions like wearing her uniform slippers outdoors to more serious crimes like rear-ending a yam truck, there is always trouble.
While Malena Watrous is a talented writer who captures the experience of teaching English abroad well—with all the culture shock, awkward moments, frustrations, and small victories that go along with it—Marina’s story isn’t original. She spends the majority of the book as the ignorant foreigner who doesn’t know what to say or how to act. It’s a heavy-handed theme that becomes both repetitive and predictable. The symbolism of the Alice in Wonderland–themed nuclear power museum, for instance, isn’t exactly subtle. The loss and grief end up playing only a limited role in the story and get lost in the shuffle of Marina’s constant faux pas. And by the end, all the problems are suddenly and neatly wrapped up. There were good moments, but overall I wouldn't recommend it.
May 24, 2010
ETA: Okay, nevermind about the never-to-finish categorization. I ended up reading the book in a day due to my work computer getting whacked with issues one after another. The writing is very good, and I was able to enjoy most of the book quite a bit once I started skipping over the lesbian/threesome/pot-smoking/depressed-daddy-flashbacks. I especially enjoyed reading the budding romance between the protagonist and her Japanese supervisor, Miyoshi. The romance was actually very similar to the one hinted at in the book "American Fuji" (the one I wish would have taken place).
In any case, Miyoshi is amusing and fascinatingly eloquent in all his Engrish glory. The quirkiness of Japan also blows through, perhaps as a direct result of its restrictive, conformist extremism...it makes me glad I never have to live there, but also glad that the author did so that I can read and laugh about it now.
In any case, Miyoshi is amusing and fascinatingly eloquent in all his Engrish glory. The quirkiness of Japan also blows through, perhaps as a direct result of its restrictive, conformist extremism...it makes me glad I never have to live there, but also glad that the author did so that I can read and laugh about it now.
March 29, 2010
I wish I could go back in time to a time before I read this book so I could read it for the first time again. That is how much I loved this book.
I loved everything about it. All the characters felt real to me, the writing was wonderful, the story was phenomenal. I loved the metaphor of garbage/baggage/letting go throughout the book, and especially how the author didn't bang the reader over the head with it.
I loved everything about it. All the characters felt real to me, the writing was wonderful, the story was phenomenal. I loved the metaphor of garbage/baggage/letting go throughout the book, and especially how the author didn't bang the reader over the head with it.
May 27, 2022
This month, I read three books written by Americans teaching English in Japan. "If You Follow Me" was the only novel; while the other two are nonfiction: Polly Barton's Fifty Sounds (an award-winning language memoir) and Tim Anderson's Gaijin Diaries. Like Barton's book, "If You Follow Me" is about a woman being stationed in a remote and rural part of Japan to teach as part of the government JET program. In this case on the remote Noto Peninsula. Despite having lived in Japan 25 years, not only did I never see this part of Japan but never even considered seeing it. Like in every part of the world, there is a big divide between the big city and the countryside and this really informs both books.
Anderson, in contrast, is in Tokyo. Like Anderson's book, Watrous is hilarious.
All three books take on this really playful and quirky aspect of Japanese culture and people.
Before I moved to Japan, I always pictured Japanese people how I pictured German people, serious and always on time. Rule-bound. But what I found in Japanese was a people who love to play and tell jokes and engage in all kinds of "out there" behavior (from my American point of view, of course). Watrous' book is great the way she totally illuminates this aspect of Japan. Now, relocated back in California, this is something I miss about my life and friends in Japan so it was a pleasure to read about all the antics!!
The novel is in close first-person POV and I kept having to remind myself that it was not a memoir. I loved how she presented the people she meets in Japan as fully-dimensional characters. The novel was character-driven and wonderfully done. I loved the humor and the antics. I loved how each chapter had a key Japanese term--some of which don't easily map onto English terms.
I loved how the young narrator was so open to the world, despite having undergone a tragedy just prior to the spontaneous move to Japan. So much of her book rang true to my own experiences, coming to Japan, also on the heels of my father's death, and finding community those first few years. I loved the Miyoshi character and wish Waltrous would write another book from his POV.
She is a wonderful writer and I wish I could study with her!
Anderson, in contrast, is in Tokyo. Like Anderson's book, Watrous is hilarious.
All three books take on this really playful and quirky aspect of Japanese culture and people.
Before I moved to Japan, I always pictured Japanese people how I pictured German people, serious and always on time. Rule-bound. But what I found in Japanese was a people who love to play and tell jokes and engage in all kinds of "out there" behavior (from my American point of view, of course). Watrous' book is great the way she totally illuminates this aspect of Japan. Now, relocated back in California, this is something I miss about my life and friends in Japan so it was a pleasure to read about all the antics!!
The novel is in close first-person POV and I kept having to remind myself that it was not a memoir. I loved how she presented the people she meets in Japan as fully-dimensional characters. The novel was character-driven and wonderfully done. I loved the humor and the antics. I loved how each chapter had a key Japanese term--some of which don't easily map onto English terms.
I loved how the young narrator was so open to the world, despite having undergone a tragedy just prior to the spontaneous move to Japan. So much of her book rang true to my own experiences, coming to Japan, also on the heels of my father's death, and finding community those first few years. I loved the Miyoshi character and wish Waltrous would write another book from his POV.
She is a wonderful writer and I wish I could study with her!
March 9, 2010
Attempting to flee her grief after her father’s suicide, 22-year-old Marina leaves bustling New York for the small, quirky town of Shika, Japan. Despite submerging herself in a new culture, a burgeoning career as an English language teacher, and within various complicated relationships both personally and professionally, Marina finds she can’t avoid her past — no matter how ridiculous the present may get.
The more Marina attempts to fit into her new community with Carolyn, the girlfriend she met in a college bereavement group and followed to Japan, the more she seems to stick out. The main culprit for this is Marina’s inability to understand Japanese gomi, or garbage, law that is practically akin to obsessive compulsive behavior. We’re not just talking about separating out recyclables — everyday of the month is reserved for a particular type of waste. As embarrassingly advised to Marina in a letter, “Before you throw a bottle, please clean (very clean!) and remove paper from outside. You should save this paper for Tuesday’s burnable collection, to put in bin by Mister Donuts. I think you eat a donuts every day. Maybe you know Mister Donuts location well.”
As her neighbors obsess over her gomi foibles, Marina tries everything to reach her students, whose attention is monopolized by Hello Kitty and sumo wrestling (she eventually succeeds somewhat by using sex-ed aids). As seasons pass for Marina abroad and her relationship with Carolyn deteriorates, she slowly discovers that she can’t be afraid to strike out on her own — even if that means facing the reality of her father’s death.
Loosely based on Watrous’ own life, If You Follow Me humorously depicts an awkward outsider’s experience. From the difficult-to-break language barrier to wrongly-taken social cues, Watrous’ rich characters make you feel like it could be you mixing up the plastics and paper outside of Mister Donuts. Though at times her prose lags, Watrous’ debut effort succeeds with a sharp eye capable of picking apart relationships and intensely voicing that strange space that lies between life and death. If You Follow Me will make you believe that nothing can truly disappear.
The more Marina attempts to fit into her new community with Carolyn, the girlfriend she met in a college bereavement group and followed to Japan, the more she seems to stick out. The main culprit for this is Marina’s inability to understand Japanese gomi, or garbage, law that is practically akin to obsessive compulsive behavior. We’re not just talking about separating out recyclables — everyday of the month is reserved for a particular type of waste. As embarrassingly advised to Marina in a letter, “Before you throw a bottle, please clean (very clean!) and remove paper from outside. You should save this paper for Tuesday’s burnable collection, to put in bin by Mister Donuts. I think you eat a donuts every day. Maybe you know Mister Donuts location well.”
As her neighbors obsess over her gomi foibles, Marina tries everything to reach her students, whose attention is monopolized by Hello Kitty and sumo wrestling (she eventually succeeds somewhat by using sex-ed aids). As seasons pass for Marina abroad and her relationship with Carolyn deteriorates, she slowly discovers that she can’t be afraid to strike out on her own — even if that means facing the reality of her father’s death.
Loosely based on Watrous’ own life, If You Follow Me humorously depicts an awkward outsider’s experience. From the difficult-to-break language barrier to wrongly-taken social cues, Watrous’ rich characters make you feel like it could be you mixing up the plastics and paper outside of Mister Donuts. Though at times her prose lags, Watrous’ debut effort succeeds with a sharp eye capable of picking apart relationships and intensely voicing that strange space that lies between life and death. If You Follow Me will make you believe that nothing can truly disappear.
July 22, 2021
I’ve finished this book a month ago. I like Gomi law but it’s hard to practice! It’s good to learn about gomi law especially burnable trash. The story is OK but it’s moved quite slow for me. หนังสือบอกเล่าการใช้ชีวิตของครูต่างชาติในเมืองเล็ก ๆ (Shika) การเรียนรู้วิถีชีวิตของคนญี่ปุ่นและกฏเกณฑ์ที่ต้องทำตาม การคัดแยกขยะ กำหนดวันทิ้งขยะแต่ละประเภท (Gomi law) ทำให้เราทึ่งในความละเอียดอ่อนการคัดแยกและวิธีการของคนญี่ปุ่น การเดินเรื่องค่อนข้างช้าไม่ค่อยตื่นเต้นสำหรับเรา
November 18, 2017
I thought this book would be great, because of the original plot, but it was boring.
Maybe, this book it's not for me.
Maybe, this book it's not for me.
June 11, 2011
"I am kind of so sorry."
"You have committed a rude."
The use of the above accented English is just one way in which Malena Watrous, debut author of If You Follow Me, transports her readers to Japan where 22-year-old Marina has moved with her girlfriend, Carolyn, to teach for a year. Carolyn and Marina meet each other at a grief support group after Marina's father committs suicide. They are disappointed to find they have been assigned to schools in the Japanese countryside rather than in the city of Tokyo where they requested. Nevertheless, they immerse themselves in the Japanese culture -- though some of the immersion is involuntary. In the beginning of the novel they constantly find themselves in trouble with an unexpected cultural norm -- for not separating their garbage correctly and putting the different types of garbage out on the correct days.
As they learn to deal with the garbage issue (gomi) and other cultural roadblocks they come across, they also grow individually. (Although I will say at one point I thought "enough with the gomi!" LOL). But the amount of time spent on the gomi issue only enhanced the understanding of the cultural attitudes to which Marina had to learn to adjust. Meanwhile, Marina hoped her relationship with Carolyn would grow stronger by moving to Japan together. This is despite having to keep their relationship a secret, due to the more stringent attitudes of the Japanese culture. But somewhere along the line their relationship starts to fall victim to the same pitfalls of so many relationships.
I really saw this book as hardly about Carolyn at all. It was more about Marina and her own growth as a person and learning who she is. She spends the entire novel learning how to deal with the unexpected death of her father. Her time spent assimilating to the Japanese cultural is almost therapeutic in that it helps her reflect on her life as a whole and what her father's death means in it all.
The book is broken up into 4 parts. Each part represents a season of the year she is there, and, in a way, it represents another level of growth Marina has made. Ms. Watrous expertly writes about many of the nuances of the Japanese culture but does so by inserting these mannerisms into the characters. The writing was beautiful and in no way reflective of a new author. But then Ms. Watrous isn't new to writing. She has an extensive history of writing stories, essays, and book reviews. (Check out her website for details). Her characters, specifically Marina, were very real and genuine. I never felt that anything was contrived, and Marina's growth as a person throughout the novel seemed authentic. Comedic moments combined with somber reflections throughout and created an honest portrayal of humanity and of people trying to understand each other's differences.
And you can't ignore the beautiful cover!! I also want to quote an author who provided her thoughts on the book because I don't quite feel that my more amateur writing ability adequately sums up the essence of this book.
Curtis Sittenfield, author of Prep and American Wife says "It's fearlessly honest, occasionally heartbreaking, and extremely funny..."
The synopsis on the back of the book also calls If You Follow Me "a dark comedy of manners." I thought both of these quotes described this book perfectly.
So, in summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was very well done. Marlena Watrous has proven to be an excellent author in writing, storytelling, and character depictions, and I can't wait to read more by her.
"You have committed a rude."
The use of the above accented English is just one way in which Malena Watrous, debut author of If You Follow Me, transports her readers to Japan where 22-year-old Marina has moved with her girlfriend, Carolyn, to teach for a year. Carolyn and Marina meet each other at a grief support group after Marina's father committs suicide. They are disappointed to find they have been assigned to schools in the Japanese countryside rather than in the city of Tokyo where they requested. Nevertheless, they immerse themselves in the Japanese culture -- though some of the immersion is involuntary. In the beginning of the novel they constantly find themselves in trouble with an unexpected cultural norm -- for not separating their garbage correctly and putting the different types of garbage out on the correct days.
As they learn to deal with the garbage issue (gomi) and other cultural roadblocks they come across, they also grow individually. (Although I will say at one point I thought "enough with the gomi!" LOL). But the amount of time spent on the gomi issue only enhanced the understanding of the cultural attitudes to which Marina had to learn to adjust. Meanwhile, Marina hoped her relationship with Carolyn would grow stronger by moving to Japan together. This is despite having to keep their relationship a secret, due to the more stringent attitudes of the Japanese culture. But somewhere along the line their relationship starts to fall victim to the same pitfalls of so many relationships.
I really saw this book as hardly about Carolyn at all. It was more about Marina and her own growth as a person and learning who she is. She spends the entire novel learning how to deal with the unexpected death of her father. Her time spent assimilating to the Japanese cultural is almost therapeutic in that it helps her reflect on her life as a whole and what her father's death means in it all.
The book is broken up into 4 parts. Each part represents a season of the year she is there, and, in a way, it represents another level of growth Marina has made. Ms. Watrous expertly writes about many of the nuances of the Japanese culture but does so by inserting these mannerisms into the characters. The writing was beautiful and in no way reflective of a new author. But then Ms. Watrous isn't new to writing. She has an extensive history of writing stories, essays, and book reviews. (Check out her website for details). Her characters, specifically Marina, were very real and genuine. I never felt that anything was contrived, and Marina's growth as a person throughout the novel seemed authentic. Comedic moments combined with somber reflections throughout and created an honest portrayal of humanity and of people trying to understand each other's differences.
And you can't ignore the beautiful cover!! I also want to quote an author who provided her thoughts on the book because I don't quite feel that my more amateur writing ability adequately sums up the essence of this book.
Curtis Sittenfield, author of Prep and American Wife says "It's fearlessly honest, occasionally heartbreaking, and extremely funny..."
The synopsis on the back of the book also calls If You Follow Me "a dark comedy of manners." I thought both of these quotes described this book perfectly.
So, in summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was very well done. Marlena Watrous has proven to be an excellent author in writing, storytelling, and character depictions, and I can't wait to read more by her.
May 2, 2019
One of my favorites. Love learning about what it's like to live abroad.
March 24, 2010
The Short of It:
Reading If You Follow Me, is like taking a cool sip of water on a hot summer’s day. It’s refreshing and bold and filled with vivid, colorful characters.
The Rest of It:
I was rather surprised by this one. I expected it to be a “fish out of water” story, and to a degree, it is but there’s much more to it than you would expect. It’s light and airy in one sense, but it deals with some heavier themes and Watrous manages to take all of these elements and roll them into a nice little package.
Marina is an American who is hired to teach English in the small, Japanese town of Shika. She, along with her girlfriend, Carolyn, inhabit a tiny apartment and run into all sorts of colorful neighbors. Neighbors that constantly sift through her trash and complain to her supervisor, Hiro, also known as Miyoshi-sensei, about her constant rudeness.
Through letters, Hiro teaches Marina about the finer points of living in a small, Japanese town. These letters are peppered throughout the novel and are quite funny.
Here’s an example:
"Now I prepare this sheet so you can learn target Japanese words and gomi law in one simple occasion. I hope it’s so convenient for you. It’s kind of so rude if you “can’t remember” about gomi law. Your neighbors feel some stress about you, and they must be so busy. They can’t talk to you every time you make a gomi mistake. I think they want to know you so much. First learn gomi law, second Japanese language, and third you can enjoy international friendship. This is like holding hands across the sea!"
There are many humorous moments within this novel which sort of lighten it up a bit, but at the core, Marina is struggling to deal with her father’s suicide and the feeling that perhaps she could have prevented it. The guilt that she has over the incident is a constant presence throughout the novel. It sits quietly in the background as she tries to sort through the life that she has chosen for herself.
Her interactions with others are almost in slow motion. She sort of drifts through her days going from classroom to classroom and is often in denial when it comes to the current state of things. Marina is a strong woman though, and when she feels the need to act, she does and you end up in her corner, cheering her on.
I can’t say enough about the characters. They’re all quirky and different and although some of them are only referred to in a line or two, you still get a feeling for who they are. Watrous has a knack for carving out the essence of a character without weighing them down with a lot of background info.
There’s so much here to like. If you enjoy quirky, fun novels that have a bit of substance to them, you will enjoy If You Follow Me
Reading If You Follow Me, is like taking a cool sip of water on a hot summer’s day. It’s refreshing and bold and filled with vivid, colorful characters.
The Rest of It:
I was rather surprised by this one. I expected it to be a “fish out of water” story, and to a degree, it is but there’s much more to it than you would expect. It’s light and airy in one sense, but it deals with some heavier themes and Watrous manages to take all of these elements and roll them into a nice little package.
Marina is an American who is hired to teach English in the small, Japanese town of Shika. She, along with her girlfriend, Carolyn, inhabit a tiny apartment and run into all sorts of colorful neighbors. Neighbors that constantly sift through her trash and complain to her supervisor, Hiro, also known as Miyoshi-sensei, about her constant rudeness.
Through letters, Hiro teaches Marina about the finer points of living in a small, Japanese town. These letters are peppered throughout the novel and are quite funny.
Here’s an example:
"Now I prepare this sheet so you can learn target Japanese words and gomi law in one simple occasion. I hope it’s so convenient for you. It’s kind of so rude if you “can’t remember” about gomi law. Your neighbors feel some stress about you, and they must be so busy. They can’t talk to you every time you make a gomi mistake. I think they want to know you so much. First learn gomi law, second Japanese language, and third you can enjoy international friendship. This is like holding hands across the sea!"
There are many humorous moments within this novel which sort of lighten it up a bit, but at the core, Marina is struggling to deal with her father’s suicide and the feeling that perhaps she could have prevented it. The guilt that she has over the incident is a constant presence throughout the novel. It sits quietly in the background as she tries to sort through the life that she has chosen for herself.
Her interactions with others are almost in slow motion. She sort of drifts through her days going from classroom to classroom and is often in denial when it comes to the current state of things. Marina is a strong woman though, and when she feels the need to act, she does and you end up in her corner, cheering her on.
I can’t say enough about the characters. They’re all quirky and different and although some of them are only referred to in a line or two, you still get a feeling for who they are. Watrous has a knack for carving out the essence of a character without weighing them down with a lot of background info.
There’s so much here to like. If you enjoy quirky, fun novels that have a bit of substance to them, you will enjoy If You Follow Me
January 13, 2016
When a friend told me about this book it seemed eerie; what’re the odds someone would write a book about a girl whose father commits suicide her senior year of college and she joins the JET program to teach in Japan to avoid having to face impending future decisions? Hell, the main character even got placed in a rural town not too far from me. So yeah, I was pretty intrigued by the book that may or may not be my own biography… Ok, I’ll try not to get too carried away. There were plenty of differences like the fact that Marina came with her partner which adds another level of tension to her transition. Being out in Japan is not a particularly easy thing to do, especially out in the inaka.
I wasn’t all that surprised to find out the story is based on the author’s own experience living in Japan and teaching English. The details she captures about the job and life are too precise to have come second hand. The strange version of English you come to speak (and hear) when living in Japan peppered with phrases in Japanese too convenient to translate is an all too common symptom of life here. While I personally haven’t encountered the gomi police I’ve heard the horror stories from others. For anyone considering the JET program, living abroad, or who is already teaching here I’d have to suggest the book.
Beyond that, I like the way the author deals with grief. Even though Marina doesn’t outwardly show it it’s still a regular part of her daily schedule; this too is relatable to me. You go about your day until a small thing sneaks up and knocks you over. I thought the author did a really good job tying the grief story in with the Japan story especially given Japan’s history with suicide.
I know some other expats in their reviews have stated that her constant disregard for Japanese rules and life bothered them but it really didn’t for me. I saw Marina much more sympathetically as someone desperately trying to stay afloat rather than someone knowingly and ignorantly trying to gaijin smash their way through life. I do wish Marina’s bisexuality had been handled a little better, specifically in the conversation with her mother when she says it might be a choice. Marina fell in love with a man and later fell in love with a woman. It wasn’t like she said “today I want to try being straight/gay” it just happened. Maybe that was meant to be a character quirk of not wanting to label herself but it still bothered me. All around though, a solid story.
I wasn’t all that surprised to find out the story is based on the author’s own experience living in Japan and teaching English. The details she captures about the job and life are too precise to have come second hand. The strange version of English you come to speak (and hear) when living in Japan peppered with phrases in Japanese too convenient to translate is an all too common symptom of life here. While I personally haven’t encountered the gomi police I’ve heard the horror stories from others. For anyone considering the JET program, living abroad, or who is already teaching here I’d have to suggest the book.
Beyond that, I like the way the author deals with grief. Even though Marina doesn’t outwardly show it it’s still a regular part of her daily schedule; this too is relatable to me. You go about your day until a small thing sneaks up and knocks you over. I thought the author did a really good job tying the grief story in with the Japan story especially given Japan’s history with suicide.
I know some other expats in their reviews have stated that her constant disregard for Japanese rules and life bothered them but it really didn’t for me. I saw Marina much more sympathetically as someone desperately trying to stay afloat rather than someone knowingly and ignorantly trying to gaijin smash their way through life. I do wish Marina’s bisexuality had been handled a little better, specifically in the conversation with her mother when she says it might be a choice. Marina fell in love with a man and later fell in love with a woman. It wasn’t like she said “today I want to try being straight/gay” it just happened. Maybe that was meant to be a character quirk of not wanting to label herself but it still bothered me. All around though, a solid story.
March 27, 2010
The first thing I noticed about this book was how beautiful it was. But it is a truly gorgeous book -- matte spring green cover, a women in mosiacs, and it smelled exactly like a treasured, well-made & well-loved book does. The matte cover is a pleasure to hold and touch.
Yes, it's amazingly petty, but the multisensory experience was apropos for a book that is so immersive. Watrous' detailed characters, evocative prose & well-researched setting left the mark of a truly good book -- when my reading was interrupted, I would look up stunned to find myself not in Japan. Characters are certainly a highlight of the book -- memorable, but not caricatures.
Watrous denies that it is a memoir, but it clearly draws from autobiographical influences, from the physical description of Marina to her name (Marina v. Malena) and the location & occupation in Japan. In the P.S. interviews included in this copy, Watrous states that this If You Follow Me is not the story of her life, because lives do not have plots. Honestly, that's not much of an argument; If You Follow Me has little in the way of traditional plot, although it does have narrative arcs. Instead, the novel is comprised predominately of linked incidents. This adds to the charm & uniqueness of the novel. The lack of cookie cutter rising action, climax, falling action, or even central plot is what helps If You Follow Me be so atmospheric. Marina's embarrassment is palpable because the reader knows what it's like to be so acutely embarrassed and unable to get over it, despite knowing that it will pass. The narrative arcs keep it from feeling like just a "day in the life," and add a sense of completion at the end of the novel. The combination of the two techniques is a terrific blend.
Language is clearly another strength of Watrous -- the English, both broken and fluent, is clever. Watrous uses her characters who do not speak English fluently as an excuse to invite phrases and use words in novel ways. She uses Japanese to express constructs not possible in English.
Yes, it's amazingly petty, but the multisensory experience was apropos for a book that is so immersive. Watrous' detailed characters, evocative prose & well-researched setting left the mark of a truly good book -- when my reading was interrupted, I would look up stunned to find myself not in Japan. Characters are certainly a highlight of the book -- memorable, but not caricatures.
Watrous denies that it is a memoir, but it clearly draws from autobiographical influences, from the physical description of Marina to her name (Marina v. Malena) and the location & occupation in Japan. In the P.S. interviews included in this copy, Watrous states that this If You Follow Me is not the story of her life, because lives do not have plots. Honestly, that's not much of an argument; If You Follow Me has little in the way of traditional plot, although it does have narrative arcs. Instead, the novel is comprised predominately of linked incidents. This adds to the charm & uniqueness of the novel. The lack of cookie cutter rising action, climax, falling action, or even central plot is what helps If You Follow Me be so atmospheric. Marina's embarrassment is palpable because the reader knows what it's like to be so acutely embarrassed and unable to get over it, despite knowing that it will pass. The narrative arcs keep it from feeling like just a "day in the life," and add a sense of completion at the end of the novel. The combination of the two techniques is a terrific blend.
Language is clearly another strength of Watrous -- the English, both broken and fluent, is clever. Watrous uses her characters who do not speak English fluently as an excuse to invite phrases and use words in novel ways. She uses Japanese to express constructs not possible in English.
January 20, 2013
I thought that this is a great book to read if you are thinking of going to Japan and especially if you are thinking about living there. It is about two women who go to Japan to teach English to Japanese students. Mariana is going to escape the pain and grief of her father's death and Carolynis going because it was her idea in the first place. Mariana does not speak or read Japanese, so it is a real culture shock when she and Carolyn are placed in rural Japan in small town. Mariana is placed in a high school and Carolyn in an elementary school. They rent a large house together try to get along with everyone. They have real problems with all the rules and Mariana's supervisor Hiroshi Miyoshi keeps trying to explain the rules to her in notes that he writes. She does her best, but the rules are confusing and she makes lots of mistakes. Mostly the rules she breaks are to do with recycling and garbage. This book takes place over the year she teaches and shows how she makes friends, makes mistakes, learns about the Japanese culture and about herself. Nothing is ever how it seems from the outside.
March 19, 2010
I really wanted to like this because it was written by a friend of a friend of mine. But I didn't connect with the protagonist (aka the author), who taught English at the local vocational school in a remote Japanese town right out of college. There's lots of drama (how can there not be when you're in your early 20s!), misunderstandings (Japanese/American culture clash) and introspection (letting go of a tragedy). The theme of each chapter is a Japanese vocubulary lesson -- slightly clever, but doesn't do the trick to hook you into what should be the complex world of Japanese culture, but rather ends up being a first person narrative about an American woman struggling to come to terms with her own issues.
April 5, 2010
Thank you goodreads First Reads! This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Marina, an American in Japan teaching English in the most unusual ways, is sort of a fish out of water as she tries to assimilate to all the rules and social mores of the Japanese. At times very sad and other times it made me laugh out loud.
October 29, 2010
This was a very funny and at times a very sad book about a young American girl teaching English in rural Japan. It is also a strange love story that I really did not pick up on until half way through the book! I especially liked the letters that Marina receives from her supervisor, Miyoshi, telling her of her American mistakes. I enjoyed this novel from the very beginning to the very end!
Read
February 22, 2010If You Follow Me
By Malena Watrous
Harper Perennial
This tragicomic debut novel follows a spunky, feminist and perpetually wrongfooted college grad as she spends four
seasons in rural Japan escaping the memory of her father’s suicide.
By Malena Watrous
Harper Perennial
This tragicomic debut novel follows a spunky, feminist and perpetually wrongfooted college grad as she spends four
seasons in rural Japan escaping the memory of her father’s suicide.
March 27, 2010
all 350 pages of this didn't take me a full workday.
for me, two stars on this type of book is completely forgettable, just readable enough; one star would be eat,pray,love and that sort of oprahesque drivel. this was just barely better.
for me, two stars on this type of book is completely forgettable, just readable enough; one star would be eat,pray,love and that sort of oprahesque drivel. this was just barely better.
April 4, 2010
This is a fun, quirky fish out a water story. Reading about different Japanese customs and how Marina coped with them was very entertaining.
September 8, 2012
Excellent!
June 20, 2015
There was something so quietly moving about this book. I quite enjoyed it.
August 13, 2023
2.5 stars
If You Follow Me is certainly a literary novel, but as far as being character driven, Marina does not seem to go very far.
I do think the author has an excellent eye for writing in details that humanize characters and color the world she writes with realism. However, Marina really frustrated me in that she was constantly making the same mistakes over and over again, anguishing over them, but not seeming to care about making the mistake again. I did enjoy her relationship with Caro, it was realistic and a little heartbreaking; you could see how needy and selfish Marina was and how much she wanted to be cared and loved.
It seems like the book focuses on Marina changing the views of the people around her rather than being changed by them. She essentially flatlines emotionally throughout the book, and her grief over her father is told instead of shown. It's difficult to see the ways his death bleeds into her life. I do like the fact that the novel was set in a rural city instead of Tokyo.
The ending was not very satisfying as Marina, again, seems the same from the beginning to the end.
If You Follow Me is certainly a literary novel, but as far as being character driven, Marina does not seem to go very far.
I do think the author has an excellent eye for writing in details that humanize characters and color the world she writes with realism. However, Marina really frustrated me in that she was constantly making the same mistakes over and over again, anguishing over them, but not seeming to care about making the mistake again. I did enjoy her relationship with Caro, it was realistic and a little heartbreaking; you could see how needy and selfish Marina was and how much she wanted to be cared and loved.
It seems like the book focuses on Marina changing the views of the people around her rather than being changed by them. She essentially flatlines emotionally throughout the book, and her grief over her father is told instead of shown. It's difficult to see the ways his death bleeds into her life. I do like the fact that the novel was set in a rural city instead of Tokyo.
The ending was not very satisfying as Marina, again, seems the same from the beginning to the end.
April 20, 2025
A novel of the curious experiences of a 22 year old American woman, Marina, moving to near-rural Japan to teach English at a provincial high school. There are the confusing, awkward, and sometimes hilarious miscommunications, as she tries to make friends and connections. The novel also has themes of dealing with the death of a parent by suicide, being an outsider even in your own culture, and lesbian/bisexual relationships.
July 25, 2017
Not something I would have picked up, but having taken online courses from the author induced me to read it. This is a story of a young woman who experiences frustration, confusion, mixed emotions, friendship, and finally love in a foreign culture. This is done with humor and beautiful subtilty throughout. Great art.
May 8, 2017
So.. This was readable but I'll only read it this one time. It was that interesting. Just remind me to never live in Japan. Most of it was interesting, parts of it I couldn't wait to get through from boredom. I slogged through it and came out on the other side.
March 14, 2022
Told with raw glimpses of young adulthood, grief and loss, love and heartbreak...all while setting off for a new life in a foreign country on the other side of the world. Relatable characters you will adore and simultaneously sometimes be embarrassed for.
August 17, 2023
It’s easy to read and really cool to learn more about Japanese history and culture. There are so many specific rules and expectations within Japanese culture and this book was entertaining and informative. I kept waiting for things to get spicy and it stayed pretty PG-13.
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