Brrm Brrm

by Clive James

Book Overview

Suzuki's reserved, driven, Japanese existence is turned completely upside down when he moves to London and starts sleeping with a glamorous yuppie stockbroker, in a farcical romp that lampoons both... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0330325485
• ISBN13: 9780330325486
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Picador
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.4" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

A Book of Delights

Those who have enjoyed Clive James' television specials, his essays, his criticism and travel pieces will find further delights in this wonderful novel. Brrm Brrm is a lovely balance of style and substance that rewards frequent re-reading. Not surprisingly, it is entirely consistent with the rest of James' work: entertaining and erudite, popular but intelligent. It deals with one of Clive James' favourite themes - the adventures of a stranger in a strange land - and he keeps us laughing and commiserating with the misadventures of a young Japanese man - Akira Suzuki - in contemporary London. Akira is fully stretched keeping his orderly existence and his aesthetic sense intact as he becomes embroiled with the self-destructive "blonde nutter" Jane Austen, deals with the insensitivities of his friend Lionel, parries the lunges of his gay English teacher Rochester-san, does what his rich mistress Lillian tells him to, keeps his lecherous landlady at bay and seeks to keep on the right side of the powerful tycoon "Grecian Ern" Papadikis. All of these people are profoundly selfish yet each adds something significant to Akira's self-knowledge and to the trajectory of his life. James clearly loves Japanese culture and Akira allows him to contrast the decorum and delicacy of the Japanese with the vulgarity and bellicosity of the English. However, James is unfailingly generous even with those whose behaviour is dreadful so the writing is droll but never destructive. This generosity adds much to the book's charm. I particularly enjoyed the vacuousness of the gossip columnist Val Butcher and the amusing but appallingly racist insults the English hurl at the innocent Akira. But Akira is an intelligent and capable man and when he returns to the Land of the Rising Yen he does not do so in retreat from the English but richer because of his experience of the English. Akira is well on the way towards becoming James' ideal man: a cosmopolitan who recognises and appreciates the strictures of his own culture but who is prepared to transcend them to embrace the wider world. The enjoyment to be found in this novel makes me wonder why Clive doesn't write more fiction. Of course, I also want him to write more essays, make more television programs, publish more journalism and concoct more travelogues. Is that asking too much?

"A Native Born Japanese Man Fares Poorly In America"(Updated:Reviewer abj)

5/26/03 I found Clive James's book profound/profane in so many parts that in summing up his book ,it is one you will read with concern throughout...:"a Possible leader in Japan" should he do well in academics in the Western World..falls prey to sympathy after befriending a young woman whom he initially is 'mift at' for returning over and over again to the "bookstore" where he is clerk to read ongoing chapters from a book vs buying it..;making poor choices in his permitting "exploitation of himself to an eccentric hermit" for a few "better course meals" whenever the idea of "living within his means bothers him";...allowing himself to "get out of control"in defending this young woman at a party" and thus opened himself to"media coverage" which inevitably gets back to Japan's attention;...finding himself unable to get rid of a "gangsters' "moll" and most sadly having been paged back to Japan,due to the "Appalling Pubicity of the "Party Fight//Congrontation.. being given money by the Mobster via his "Moll" to purchase a piece of property in Japan as a Japanese citizen(it was according to Clive James 'illegal/unlawful' for any foreigners to own property in Japan) and given additional orders to "be the proxy owner" as well as "the real house boy" in having the property in repair (including necessities of staples for whenever "the mobster and his moll" visited Japan..It is no wonder that Clive James concludes the book on what type emotions are running the thoughts of "The Man From Japan" as his plane takes him home.

Also called "Brmmm... Brmmm..."

Great book that combines James' humour and empathy. I read it, however, under the title "Brmmm... Brmmm..."

Best and funniest book I've ever read.

The book puts you in a frame of mind that is so hillarious that you can't put it down and do not want it to end. Unfortunately it ends too quickly because it is short book. Clive James is always funny, but I believe this is his best. Happy reading