Who would've thought making a dictionary could be so interesting?

A scene from the 2013 movie based on Shion Miura’s book, 'The Great Passage' (in Japanese, 'Fune Wo Amu') about a group of people brought together by the task of compiling a dictionary. Pictured is actor Ryûhei Matsuda as the young salesman Mitsuya Majime who is transferred to the dictionary department and ‘infected’ by his colleagues’ dedication in compiling a new dictionary. Photo: Movie still

UNLESS one is a lexicologist, novels based on the production of a dictionary does not sound very appealing. However, The Great Passage is a hidden gem of a tale that deserves to be read.

The novel opens with two simple and direct statements: “Kohei Akari had devoted his entire life – his entire working life – to dictionaries. Words fascinated him, always had.”