Big in Japan: Accidental Sumo

Do you ever have the desire to read something different, something outside the normal genres you read? I think this book was that way for me. It reads almost like non-fiction, which I actually like but haven't read much of in the past few years. Plus, I have been on an inexplicable jag of picking mediocre books. I was glad to finally read a five-star worthy book.This story as great! I always need at least a little bit of euphoria to give five stars for a book. This book is defintely a solid five. The author writes so well (use of the English language) and her story is very engaging.As one reviewer said, "I was startled by the plot." So was I..well...startled by the whole idea...the whole setting. Also, although this is called a romance, it seems to be less about romance and more about doing one's best against great odds. Yes, there was romance but this book is so much more than that. What caused me to read this at all was one reviewer who said, "His integrity and determination made my heart melt and cheer for him through the horrible hazing, impossible odds, and injustice that happens all around him and even to him." Buck is a great character.Is sumo really like this? I don't know, but it is certainly believable, and Griffith does a great job of capturing the culture, both of sumo and of Japan. I like time travel books because it takes someone from modern times and has him or her experience that historical setting through eyes I can relate to and learn from and this book was like that except in a cultural sense rather than a time travel/historical sense. I have spent time as a foreigner in an homogeneous society or one who insists on seeing itself that way. I have spent time as a foreigner learning a language but feeling, as Griffith calls it, functionally illiterate. I have been subject there to blantant discrimination. I could certainly relate to those kinds of issues in this book.I can wholeheartedly recommend this book.

What first caught my attention on this book was the theme, an American winning the sumo championship. It reminded me of when I was living in Japan in the '70s and Jesse James Kuhaulua from Hawaii was competing at the highest levels of sumo.Now, on to the story: It starts with a very large Texan, Buck Cooper, whose life is not going well. He takes a trip to Japan with his parents and by sheer chance becomes involved in sumo. Buck is as kind and considerate as he is large. He endures the brutal training of a novice sumo, but quickly raises up the ranks. The author does a great job of portraying the sumo matches and making them exciting even if you know nothing of the sport, though you will after reading the story. She also does a great job of showing how enthusiastic the Japanese are about sumo and how they worship the star athletes. Buck's size no longer matters and it is a life-changing event for him. But all does not go well.Buck makes friends with a few wrestlers at his entry level but is treated harshly by those of higher rank. The author does a superb job of conveying his struggles and quickly has you rooting for Buck. The second half of the story is about a love interest he develops with the daughter of a top official. Americans may have a hard time believing a young, beautiful girl would find a sumo wrestler attractive, but from my experience that frequently happens in Japan. The story is driven by Buck's desire to succeed and by his love interest, which does not go smoothly.The story has plenty of action and moves at a good pace, with twists and turns that keep you wondering what will happen next or which decision Buck will make.

I purchased "Big in Japan" nearly a year ago based on a friend's recommendation and a temporary drop in price - a deal too good to pass up. It languished on my Kindle for 11 months, but I dove in about a week ago and thoroughly enjoyed the story. It is a major deviation from my typical fare - I'm not even sure what genre label would apply to this book. Buck Cooper is a gentle giant from Texas. He's a math whiz and a social misfit. Devoted to his parents, he agrees to go to Japan with them, in spite of a pending promotion at work. What follows is a series of highly improbable events that culminates in his joining the ranks of the rookie sumo wrestlers in a prestigious "stable". His initiation period would have sent most packing for the comforts of home, but he perseveres, making both friends and enemies in high places along the way, and winning the hearts of the sumo crowds cheering him on. In all cases, his own moral compass is a guiding light that shows him the path to honor in a land where honor is everything, but corruption seems to follow him relentlessly. The book was fascinating from a cultural perspective and satisfying in the end as the path to glory took an unexpected turn that balanced the scales. I would have given five stars if there hadn't been numerous passages that were difficult to follow/envision the action.