the ramen king and i: from noodling to… book reviews?
Well this was unexpected. I recently received a review copy of Andy Raskin's The Ramen King and I: How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life
. The author is apparently a reader of this site, so I'm pretty sure he'll come across my "review" of his book before long. Apologies in advance Andy, I'm no Michiko Kakutani. That said, you've got little to fear.The Ramen King and I is a fine, engaging read, a highly personal memoir about love, sex, and one man's relationship to... Momofuku Ando?The main character (although the book is non-fiction, I'm going to refer to Raskin as such simply because I feel weird talking about someone I've actually received email from) is something of a self-described ne'er do well, a freelance journalist unable to maintain healthy long-term relationships with the women in his life. And there are many of them; the dude is something of a player, juggling girlfriends on multiple continents and falling in and out of love in the time it takes to boil water for a serving of Nissin Chikin ramen.
Yet despite his conquests, "And," as his father calls him, is single, pushing forty, and profoundly unhappy with his life. In a series of events so random they could only have been real, he turns to the creator of instant noodles for spiritual guidance. It's an oddball conceit, but it works; the narrator treks to Osaka to visit the Instant Ramen Museum and hopefully meet his hero/quasi-god. Part travelogue, (part mystery as he begins to uncover the secrets of Ando's life), part Japanese food porn and — whether intentional or not — part self-help, The Ramen King and I is complex in flavor and scope, kind of like a bowl of... well, take a guess.
Raskin's writing goes down easy, although there is a nagging, self-deprecatory tone to the protagonist's voice (literally, the voice in his head) that I'd say is indicative of a type-A personality with an outsized ego. But that's very much the point. One is reminded of the Will Freeman character in Nick Hornby's About A Boy, the perpetual bachelor at the center of his own universe for whom life is a series of flings devoid of meaning. Unlike Will, however, "And" genuinely and sincerely wants to atone for his compulsive philandering, and it is through the famed Nissin chairman's Zen-like meditations on topics such as "the Fundamental Misunderstanding of Humankind" that he begins his journey towards more selfless dealings with women and ultimately finding happiness in his life.
Despite the mise-en-scène, Raskin never devolves into the sort of pandering exotica that plagues most English-language books involving Japanese culture. Had he done so The Ramen King and I would already be propping up my table leg instead of lying within reach of my bed. "I was proud that I didn't know anything about karate or tea ceremony or flower arranging. I was not that kind of gaijin." the author writes. Raskin is sophisticated enough to maintain a post-Orientalist world view and I can definitely appreciate that, although let's face it, huge swaths of the book are devoted to manga and Japanese game shows and he's still a white dude set loose in Tokyo hitting on all the Asian chicks.
I can't call him out on it though, as I'm more or less complicit (well, except I don't read manga and I ain't white). On a personal level, I can relate, to a degree. This book actually had the rather unintended effect of depressing the hell out of me, as my own narrative trajectory appears to be diametrically opposed to that of the protagonist. Frankly, I've always been too
The soup is always hotter on the other side I suppose. If I were to re-enact my own The Ramen King And I, if I were to journey all the way to Osaka to ask the ghost of Momofuku Ando a few searing questions, they would likely center around tips on picking up gyaru along the Doutombori river. Props to Raskin, but I should probably aside enlightenment and inner peace until I get it all out of my system. Like instant gratification in a styrofoam cup, one needs a few meals to regret before attempting to overcome "the Fundamental Misunderstanding of Humankind."
The Ramen King And I: How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life
published by Gotham Books
available May 7, 2009
Just by that title and cover alone, I must read this book!
By your review, it seems like a pretty good read too. Thanks for bringing it to our attention!