“The Forest of Wool and Steel”: An Atmospheric Read On Finding Your Path
I absolutely love Japanese contemporary literature
If you’re looking for a short read to enjoy on a cold winter Sunday, look no further than “The Forest of Wool and Steel” by Natsu Miyashita:
This relatively short book tells the story of Tomura, a young man who grew up in a remote mountain area of Hokkaido.
He describes himself as a completely average person, with no strong preferences or beliefs.
While still at school, Tomura observes a piano tuner working on the school piano. Realizing that the world of piano tuning is the only thing that truly mesmerizes him, he decides to pursue it as his craft.
The book explores Tomura’s life as an apprentice in a piano tuning studio, where he learns from skilled tuners and visits private homes to tune their pianos. “The Forest of Wool and Steel” has some beautiful comparisons of piano sounds to mountain forests, and features fascinating details about the tuning process, which is portrayed as an art in itself.
One of the main themes of the book — which, in my experience, is present in a lot of the Japanese contemporary literature — is the concept of hard work.
It is about striving to become a highly skilled expert in a very specific field (in this case, piano tuning). The book also explores the feeling of fitting (or not) into one’s chosen profession and society at large. Tomura, who views himself as neither the brightest nor the most talented, constantly questions if he’s good enough.
A beautiful and thought-provoking read that I highly recommend 🤍
I never post book reviews without a beer recommendation. Books and beers — that’s what I do.
Today’s beer is Doppelbock Celebrator by Ayinger brewery which we enjoyed in Salzburg many (🥲) years ago.
This beer was ranked among the best in the world by the Chicago Tasting Institute (can I work at a tasting institute?..).
It’s a very rich, dark beer — definitely one of the most unique I’ve ever had. While I’m not the biggest fan of doppelbocks, I enjoy exploring different beer styles, including those I wouldn’t normally go for.
