Book Review: I Called Him Necktie

A couple months ago, I was running errands on the Upper West Side. It was a lovely afternoon made even more so after stumbling upon a street book sale at 74th and Broadway.

It’s not unusual to find people selling books on the street. It’s normally like a garage sale, so imagine bins and bins of used books. But this pop-up was a little different, featuring new books from a local indie publisher called New Vessel Press. After chatting with the attendant, I learned that they specialize in novels by international authors, many that aren’t well known. Also, I could buy 1 copy for $10, or 3 copies for $20. Clearly I could not pass on such a sweet deal, and I selected 3 different books.

The first book in my trio, I Called Him Necktie by Milena Michiko Flasar, tells the story of a young man named Taguchi Hiro. Hiro has spent the last two years living as a hikikomori—a person who never leaves their room and literally has no human interaction. Then one day, he decides to step out. He ends up at a local park, sitting day after day on a very particular bench, and begins to slowly rejoin society with the help of Ohara Tetsu, a middle-aged man who is also seeking refuge in the park. The two become friends, challenging one another to let go of the past, and move forward with their lives.

Michiko has a poignant and more poetic style. The work wasn’t about the story for me, but the emotional journey Michiko’s writing took me on. This was the high point of the novel, being able to feel something versus being wrapped up in the storyline. I wasn’t captivated by the narrative, but instead, began thinking and questioning my life more than I do normally when reading: what do I really want? I feel like that now, so what can I do to change?

I’d recommend I Called Him Necktie to someone less interested in a compelling story, but enjoys a book’s creative language—the real gem of this novel.

 

 

 

 

 

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