Rating: 
Summary: A Surprisingly Good Book
Review:
I like it when a book surprises me. I like it better when a book turns out to be surprisingly good. Audrey Hepburn's Neck certainly accomplishes both.
Toshi is the main character who grows up in rural Japan then moves to Tokyo where he dates American women and thus learns about the big city and about American women - particularly the cultural differences between Japanese and Americans. At first, author Alan Brown illustrates this in an elegant, entertaining and almost whimsical manner. But what starts as something seemingly superficial turns much deeper as Toshi discovers much more about himself and what it means to be truly Japanese.
Audrey Hepburn's Neck is a quick, enjoyable read that will "surprise" you with its powerful and intelligent theme.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing, funny, quirky, totally modern!
Review: This is a very nice, different novel that is difficult to put down and in its course illustrates some of modern Japan. There are two parallel stories going on, all centered around a young man finding his place in society. One of the stories shows the manner in which young Japanese, reared still in a very traditional manner, adjust and adapt their lives to a Global modernity, and particularly an American-influenced world. The other story shows how despite the long shadow of WWII the Japanese are slowly coping and dealing with their past, their losses, and their own prejudices. So our hero stands in fact at a turning point. He and his generation by extension are the link between these two worlds.
The world of Toshi, our hero, an exceedingly creative guy, is the source for much amazement to the Western reader, from the loneliness of the mega city, to the megaphone messages in the subway. Pets and coffee houses are also the source for much wonder.
The book deals overtly and covertly on prejudices. Prejudices the Japanese have about Americans and those that Americans have about the Japanese. Prejudices against homosexuals, against Koreans. But all of it is done deftly, with amazing humor.
Alan Brown's observations on how others can perceive Americans, in Japan or out are very keen, funny and true. But he is a master in finding quirky juxtapositions, and more than that in making all his characters three-dimensional and believable.
This is certainly a novel worth reading. If you have a weekend coming up and would like something offbeat, occasionally hilarious, and fascinating to read, give this one a try, you will not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Western Conceptions and Coming to Age
Review: Alan Brown's story is a comical yet emotional tale of a Japanese man obsessed with American women, after viewing his first Audrey Hepburn film at the age of nine. Jane, a flamboyant American English teacher, seduces Toshi, a twenty-three- year-old manga cartoonist living in Tokyo. As Toshi tries to carve a life for himself, he discovers the complexities associated with sexuality and American women, especially Jane. Throughout the book, Brown beautifully captures how atypical and baffling the Western style can be to someone from outside the culture. Not only does Toshi struggle in his relations with American women throughout the novel, but also with a troubled childhood and a family secret that is slowly exposed to the reader. Brown's witty lines and dry humor make the book entertaining while still supplying an accurate depiction of many national characteristics through the character's actions.
Rating:
Summary: Poetic Prose and Subtle Humor
Review: Alan Brown's story of an Asian man obsessed with Audrey Hepburn is an engaging tale of a young man, named Toshi, trying to carve a life for himself in Tokyo. Toshi comes from a small village, and a broken home.The novel alternates between the story of Toshi's present (replete with a psychotic American girlfriend) and his past. The latter is the most interesting part of the book. Brown creates a mystery of Toshi's past, piecing together a history of a childhood clouded by the silence of parents holding back a significant secret. As Toshi flounders to "find himself" as an adult, he realizes how little he knew about his parents as individuals. In a moving climax, oshi finds out the truth about his mother's aloofness, his parent's separation, and his own heritage. Bloom's writing style is lovely -- at times exquisitely poetic. For example, this passage describing a scene from Toshi's childhood, before his mother left him and his father. Toshi and his mother are out for an evening walk, and pause to watch evening descend upon the sea: "They both waited, listened to the shuffling behind them, the sounds of the forest accommodating the night. The sky grew black. Suddenly, far out at sea, there was a burst of bright orange light. The light bloomed silently, dancing wildly in the darkness." Bloom displays a great talent for subtle humor in this novel, as well. I highly recommend this book as an entertaining look at the obsessions that often control and destroy us, and, trite as it may be, how love helps to heal old wounds.
Rating:
Summary: Fun book
Review: Audrey Hepburn's Neck is the only book I have actually thrown in the garbage after reading it. The characters in the book are so one-dimensional that there is nothing they say or do that is the least bit interesting. The thread-bare plot reminds me of something I would read in a junior high creative writing class. Brown's use of metaphor and simile were so trite that instead of painting a picture of Japan in my mind, it painted nothing more than a stereotyped portrait of a country that is much richer than can be seen in this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Surprisingly Good Book
Review: I like it when a book surprises me. I like it better when a book turns out to be surprisingly good. Audrey Hepburn's Neck certainly accomplishes both. Toshi is the main character who grows up in rural Japan then moves to Tokyo where he dates American women and thus learns about the big city and about American women - particularly the cultural differences between Japanese and Americans. At first, author Alan Brown illustrates this in an elegant, entertaining and almost whimsical manner. But what starts as something seemingly superficial turns much deeper as Toshi discovers much more about himself and what it means to be truly Japanese. Audrey Hepburn's Neck is a quick, enjoyable read that will "surprise" you with its powerful and intelligent theme.
Rating: 
Summary: Audrey Hepburn's Neck by Alan Brown-excellent,,fascinating
Review: I took a gamble when this intriguing title caught my eye since I had not read any review or heard any recommendations from friends. I found myself drawn into this book, captivated by its magic which compelled me to finish it in a 24 hour period.This American author looks at the westernization of Japanese culture and shows us American characters from a Japanese viewpoint. His writing style provides a witty perspective, imbued with subtle and ironic humor. The nuances of human emotional interactions and interrelationships are not lost, even with characters so far fetched they border on the absurd. They are astonishing and unusual,a strange and motley mix. They transport the reader to fascinating and unexpected places and times. The plot intertwines past and present.The intriguing title is appropriate,linking geographically separate settings and times with a unifying theme , the Japanese fascination with the West.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun and Light Read
Review: If you want a fun and quick read, then give this one a try.
Rating:
Summary: Humorous,poignant, and original
Review: It all started when Toshi's mother took him to see "Roman Holiday," starring Audrey Hepburn and commented "Oh her neck...isn't it lovely?" From that point on, Toshi was forever hooked on western girls and culture, sometimes much to his disappointment and bewilderment. Toshi is a young Japanese man with a fixation on the West and like many of his young, Japanese contemporaries he struggles to find his identity while sometimes completely baffling his parents. After reaching adulthood, he leaves the fishing village he was raised in and moves to Tokyo where he is sometimes overwhelmed by the city and is constantly exposed to the influences of American culture. Brown draws us into Toshi's world as Toshi deals not only with his adjustment to life on his own but also to the separation of his parents, a separation which eventually leads Toshi to a family secret that had never even been hinted about to him. This is a highly unique look into the life of a young man struggling with his culture and the influences of other cultures. And it is highly recommended. Brown does an incredible job of bringing all the characters in this novel to life. If you are looking for something different and even a little quirky to read, pick up a copy of "Audrey Hepburn's Neck," you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Humorous,poignant, and original
Review: It all started when Toshi's mother took him to see "Roman Holiday," starring Audrey Hepburn and commented "Oh her neck...isn't it lovely?" From that point on, Toshi was forever hooked on western girls and culture, sometimes much to his disappointment and bewilderment. Toshi is a young Japanese man with a fixation on the West and like many of his young, Japanese contemporaries he struggles to find his identity while sometimes completely baffling his parents. After reaching adulthood, he leaves the fishing village he was raised in and moves to Tokyo where he is sometimes overwhelmed by the city and is constantly exposed to the influences of American culture. Brown draws us into Toshi's world as Toshi deals not only with his adjustment to life on his own but also to the separation of his parents, a separation which eventually leads Toshi to a family secret that had never even been hinted about to him. This is a highly unique look into the life of a young man struggling with his culture and the influences of other cultures. And it is highly recommended. Brown does an incredible job of bringing all the characters in this novel to life. If you are looking for something different and even a little quirky to read, pick up a copy of "Audrey Hepburn's Neck," you won't be disappointed.
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