Watersong by Clarissa Goenawan is a compelling novel about lost love, trauma and the universal need for human connection.
Set in Japan during the mid-1990s to 2000, the novel follows a young man called Shouji Arai who is haunted by a prediction he was given as a child – to beware of three women with water in their names. Over the course of the novel we learn that he is also burdened by a troubled past and recurring dreams of drowning.
The novel begins with Shouji moving from Tokyo to Akakawa to be with his girlfriend Youko. In Akakawa Shouji struggles to find work, so Youko finds him work at her company – a mysterious enterprise that involves simply listening to clients and requires absolute discretion from its employees.
Shouji breaks the company policy when he attempts to help a client in trouble, which results in a threatening phone call and an ominous fire. Scared for his safety, he quickly leaves Akakawa and seeks refuge in Tokyo where he attempts, but fails, to reconnect with Youko.
Goenawan skilfully captures Shouji’s inability to move on from Youko and authentically captures his distress as years pass. In Tokyo we see him emotionally adrift; failing to make meaningful connections and find purpose.
When a young woman called Liyun befriends him, he begins to dig deeper into his past and attempts to make sense of the prediction and its significance.
Watersong is a captivating and nuanced exploration of love. I found the writing reminiscent of Haruki Murakami (author of Norwegian Wood and Kafka on the Shore). There’s an abundance of enigmatic characters and the prose is thoughtful and reflective.
Reviewed by Akina Hansen
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