The North Light is a probing look at a man's life, and what he considers to be his achievements and his failures. For example, what is considered the pinnacle of a person's professional life - by himself or by others - may in fact be a far from accurate assessment. And what lies beneath the successes and disappointments in an individual's career is at least as telling as what we see on the surface.

Minoru Aose is an architect who received considerable acclaim for designing the private residence known as the Yoshino House. Indeed, to his considerable pride, his achievement made it on to one of those "200 best" lists.

The assignment came to Aose at an opportune time since he was not doing well after he lost his job due to the economic downturn. The breakdown of his family life also meant that he has had to schedule dates on which to see his daughter. Hence, the building stood for a lot more than a work opportunity in his life. Even more so when he was essentially told to build the house he would want to have.

So, when Aose finds out that the family who commissioned the design is not even living in the house - that, in fact, there is nothing but a chair occupying his cherished building - he is shocked and decides that he must find out what has happened here. But that is easier said than done, because Aose cannot immediately locate the family.

The journey in search of answers takes Aose to some unexpected places - not only does it require him travelling to different parts of Japan, but it also even draws him into the story of a German architect who lived in Japan during the 1930s.

In this carefully layered story, the author shows how what started off as a simple (if agonising) quest to find some people leads to Aose interrogating different parts of his life, including his marriage and his childhood, to discover how he has ended up where he is today. An interesting and subtle read that gets 3.5 stars.

Another wonderful novel from another Japanese writer new to me.

Aose is an architect, divorced from his wife and trying to keep a connection with his daughter, Hidako. At one meeting Hidako asks about his greatest triumph to date - The Y Residence, which was reckoned to be amongst the 200 greatest Japanese homes.

His interest reawakened Aose tries to get in touch with the clients he designed the Y Residence for but is totally unable to contact them. On visiting the house he finds it deserted and the only thing left is a chair.

The story follows Aose's journey as he tries to discover why the family who asked him to design a "house he'd design for himself" have disappeared without a trace. It leads him all over Japan, introduces him to the work of Taut (a German architect who took refuge in Japan in the 1930s) and leads him to rethink his childhood, marriage and career.

This book really fascinated me. I'm a sucker for books about architecture and the added aspect of the mystery of what happened to the missing family, it grew on me more and more as the novel went on.

There is a lot of information about Taut and various beautiful Japanese residences but it also touches on the relationships we have with our families, our homes and our surroundings. The prose is beautiful and makes for a very readable novel. Aose's character is passionate and driven whilst also being vulnerable. It's a clever book with very human emotions.

I'd highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys Japanese literary fiction with a twist. I'll certainly he on the lookout for more by Hideo Yokoyama.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the advance review copy.

To be published 12 October 2023. This arc sold me on the idea that this was a mystery novel about a family that has gone missing. But it is rather more than a mystery - there are no action scenes, there is no high drama but what you do have is a novel with so many layers that build to - for me - a satisfying ending. Out main character, Aose, is an architect, he is divorced and he sees his daughter on regular 'dates'. He was a victim of the bursting of the economic bubble when he lost his job. What saved him was a request from a family to build them a house. The house he designed was featured in a top 200 list and sounds amazing, using the north light. However, he finds out that the family never moved into the house. When he went to visit it he found it empty except for a chair placed before the huge window. He makes it his mission to try to find this family. As I said earlier, there are layers within this, it is not just about Aose's search for the family. We meet his 'boss' and discover their relationship. We meet his ex-wife, his daughter, his co-workers and all about the pressure to win a competition to design a memorial for a late female artist whose story also plays a small part as well as a connection with architect Bruno Taut who spent two years in Japan prior to WWII. There is a mystery, but this ia a story of the human dramas that are in the lives of all of these characters. As for the ending, I found it satisfying - how everything was explained even down to the reason why Aose was asked to build the house. Not a cosy crime read, but this is a peaceful read that takes you into the lives of Aose and his family and friends.

The 'Time left in book' feature on Kindle is a great way to clarify your thinking. Does your heart sing or slump when you realise you have five hours still to go? In this case, it was the latter.

The North Light has a great premise and at first I was enjoying the insights into architecture and the anxieties of a professional in Japan during an economic slowdown. But after a while the story felt swamped by the quotidian detail. The story of his obsession with the owners of his critically acclaimed design didn't feel convincing - it would need to be either more disturbing or more absurd.

I wanted to know how the story ended, but not enough to give up those five hours. (I have since read a hidden spoiler review on Goodreads and feel my decision has been vindicated.) DNF

Brilliant. It feels at times a little like a Murakami book in its depth and the way certain themes or motifs flow through the book. The writing is highly evocative and the translation excellent. 'The North Light' beautifully draws the reader deeper and deeper into an ethereal, almost surreal web containing a cast of complex interconnected characters. The only reason it does not get a full five stars is that the middle felt a little ponderous to me. In the last third however, Yokoyama's prose confidently propels readers towards the intriguing denouement. Special thank you to Quercus Books & NetGalley for a no obligation advance review copy.

Having enjoyed Yokoyama’s Six Four, I was delighted to read this next novel in English.

Aose is a architect who had it good during the Bubble Years but struggled since, including the loss of his job, the breakdown of his marriage and a descent into alcoholism. Then he gets the chance to design his dream house and manages to shake himself from his lethargy. Except, as the story starts, no-one’s living in this house, the owner has vanished and all that’s there is a chair. And thus start the multiple storylines:
- The German-Jewish designer/architect fleeing the Nazis who may or may not have designed the chair
- The circumstances of Aose’s father’s death
- Aose’s relationship with his daughter and his ex wife
- The whereabouts of the owner of Aose’s dream house
- Aose’s office’s politics about entering a memorial museum design competition for a Japanese painter who lived most of her life in Paris in obscurity
- The politics within the architecture community following the Bubble Years as to who’s employed, who’s not and who’s still friends

With so many plot lines and subplots, Yokoyama does a good job of holding things together, faltering only occasionally (hence 4 not 5 stars) but a great read and one I’ll be recommending. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hideo Yokoyama, a Japanese novelist, is widely recognized for his expertise in crafting captivating mystery novels, earning him the esteemed title of "Japan's Master of Mystery."
The gradual unfolding of the narrative in The North light, coupled with the thought-provoking clues and unexpected twists, showcases Hideo Yokoyama's distinct storytelling style.