January 12, 2022
Outside, by Sean McCammon
I’ve learned to be wary of stories about white guys finding themselves in Japan, particularly as someone who has lived in Japan myself, because I’ve met those guys (yikes!), but Sean McCammon’s debut novel Outside was a smart and soulful take on those tropes.
The novel weaves two narratives: the story of David’s first year teaching elementary school, and his urge to take his class outside and into wild spaces, which eventually leads to a devastating tragedy; and the story of David’s escape to Kyoto in the aftermath, where he’s strung out on pharmaceuticals, suffering from PTSD, broken and lost, and finds refuge in the company of a group of other travellers and Japanese people who eventually become his friends.
It’s a quiet narrative, but the reader is compelled through the story by the ominousness of what David is running from and the desire to discover what happened.
Outside is a story about teaching, learning, responsibility, grief, connection and human goodness. I especially like how McCammon gets at the peculiarities of gaijin culture without resorting to tired cliches—a tricky balance.
I really liked this book.
