Author: King Hurley

ISBN:  13: 987-0-9774188-5-5

It is not very often where we are fortunate to have the opportunity to read a North American author pen a fascinating novel set in the modern-day land of the rising sun. No doubt, this is no easy feat, particularly when the author endeavors to vividly capture the intricacies of the culture and traditions of the Japanese.

King Hurley’s second novel, Mondai Nai is very much up to the task, as we follow the adventures of an American exchange student, Kai Waters, who spends the last semester of his Master’s program at the Japan Institute of International Studies. The school is situated in a tiny town at the foot of Mount Fuji called Fujinomiya. It is here where Waters over a period of six months would be studying and exchanging ideas with a select mix of foreign students that would be thrown together with fifty Japanese businessmen.

For these Japanese businessmen, unlike the foreign students, failure was not an option. If they did not succeed in their studies it would mean disgrace in the eyes of their family, friends and their employees. We are reminded that foreign students may not consider failure to be the end of the world, however, the Japanese live their lives based on a code of honor, duty and obligation. Failure would be a disaster! 

Our narrative unfolds when Waters, who seems to have the amazing ability to get himself into all kinds of trouble, meets the beautiful Liliko on his flight to Tokyo. Liliko is a Harvard graduate and is returning to Japan to live with her parents. As the couple exchange tidbits of conversation, Waters mentions to Liliko that he has chosen to study in Japan as it as “all the makings of a cultural bonanza.” After being airborne and some further small talk between the couple, Liliko asks Waters if he ever heard of the “mile-high club?” It takes only a second for the meaning of the question to sink in and before you know it Waters and Liliko are enjoying a sexual encounter in the plane’s rest room!

Liliko agrees to show Waters around Tokyo where he will be staying a few days prior to his departure to Fujinomiya. However, Waters is unaware that Liliko is the daughter of Oyabun Yomagushi, a Japanese Mafioso (referred to as Yakuza in Japan), nor can he possibly imagine that his chance meeting with Liliko, as well as her father, will have profound implications on his life and his understanding of Japanese culture during his six month sojourn in Japan.

Mondai Nai is a heartfelt, entertaining and poignant tale that is beautifully shaped, combining excitement, tragedy, romance and even a little comedy that will appeal both to the heart and mind. Hurley’s keen writing skills and his comfort with his subject create a fascinating world populated with a variety of some interesting characters depicting a distinct culture. The dialogue is believable and the tale skillfully plotted. Kai Waters is a well-drawn character with a realistic voice which is also the voice of the novel.

And, if you are wondering what “Mondai Nai” means in English, it is translated as “no problem.” 

 The above review was contributed by:  NORM GOLDMAN:  Retired Title Attorney: Editor & Publisher of Bookpleasures. Here are  Norm Goldman's Reviews       

 To read Norm's Interview with King Hurley CLICK HERE