The Accidental Office Lady
Author: Laura J. Kriska
List Price: $10.95
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ISBN: 0804821054
Publisher: Charles E Tuttle Co (July, 1998)
Sales Rank: 86,992
Average Customer Rating: 4.12 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
easy to read, for the Japanese also
(I am a colledge student in Japan. I happened to find this a book online.)Her efforts to struggle to accept and change wrong phases of Japanese custom for herself made me inspired, though I would prefer to comment on what she recounted. Her yarn may be a little bit dated; Japen's society has changed since then: times are bad; most people don't indulge in luxary; increasing young men are breaking with tradition. It is TRUE, however, that Japan is a sexist society. You will find how much discrimination the auther encountered. As a female, I feel offensive against old, ridiculous Japanese notions of women which defines that they are so weak that they must depend on men. Most women in this book seem not to be aware of sexism in the society, but I hope you to know today's many Japanese women are claiming their rights. As she uses a word 'embarrassed' many times, I found Japanese people are too shy at trivial situations(maybe I am, too!). She made me grasp my country objectively and differencies between Japanese and American culture. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially Japanese people. The 'gohatto' she made in this book may be useful for those who ventured into the westrn society.
Finally, she has made a mistake of a sumo wresler's name; his name is Chiyonofuji, correctly.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Wonderfully Entertaining, Heartwarming and Genuine!
"The Accidental Office Lady" is a wonderful treat for all readers! I enjoyed the book immensely and have recommended it to all my friends. Kriska's account of her years in Japan are insightful and genuine, and you'll hear yourself laugh out loud as she describes her experiences. She is honest with her readers as she describes everything she encountered in Japan as an American employee of Honda and is willing to share all her ups and downs. The characters come alive as Kriska deftly describes her day-to-day life in Japan, and you find yourself cheering her on as she eagerly approaches new challenges. I gained new insights into the psyche of the Japanese and realize how different and terrific it can be. I can't wait for Kriska's next novel, but for now I will have to be content to re-read "The Accidental Office Lady."
Rating: 2 out of 5
naive to the max
Maybe because I live in Japan, this does nothing for me. Heard it all before and heard it told better. Reminds me too much of the bright-eyed bushy-tailed who come over expecting it to be geishas and cherry blossoms and find it's pink salons and garbage strewn on beaches. They only missed the Edo period by 500 or so years just like this book missed the mark on really telling a less whiny tale of woe. Have to agree with reviewer who wanted to strangle her becuase she reminded him(?) of so many non-Japanese here who just won't shut up.
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