Bestselling author of BREASTS AND EGGS, Mieko Kawakami invites readers back into her immediately recognizable fictional world with this new, extraordinary novel and demonstrates yet again why she is one of today's most uncategorizable, insightful, and talented novelists.
Fuyuko Irie is a freelance copy editor in her mid-thirties. Working and living alone in a city where it is not easy to form new relationships, When Fuyoku stops one day on a Tokyo street and notices her reflection in a storefront window, what she sees is a drab, awkward, and spiritless woman who has lacked the strength to change her life and decides to do something about it.
As the long-overdue change occurs, however, painful episodes from Fuyuko's past surface and her behaviors slip further and further beyond the pale.
“Kawakami's novel is uncompromisingly candid in its appraisal of the harm women inflict on one another, while never losing sight of the overarching structures that lead them to do so in the first place. Compact and supple, it's a strikingly intelligent feat.”—JO HAMYA, THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Marie
23.2.2024
A beautiful exploration of love, loneliness, and human connection. I loved to read about Fuyuko Irie; she is a complex and multifaceted character to follow. She is portrayed as a lonely and introverted woman, who struggles to connect with others on a deep and meaningful level. In the patriarchal culture of Japan, which often places strong emphasis on social norms and expectations, particularly for women. Women are expected to be passive, subservient, and obedient to men, which can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection. I find Fuyuko as a feminist character because she is rejecting these traditional gender roles and refusing to conform to societal expectations. She is not interested in marriage or motherhood, and instead pursues her own interests, such as painting and writing. But this makes her somewhat of an outcast in Japanese society, where conformity is highly valued. Fuyuko's feelings of loneliness and isolation is somehow a result of her rejection of traditional gender roles, as well as her difficult upbringing. Her parents were emotionally distant, and she never felt fully loved or understood by them. This has led to a sense of disconnection and a desire for deeper human connection, which she struggles to find. Her actions, such as her affair with a married man, can be seen as attempts to find intimacy and connection with another person, even if it is a temporary and ultimately unfulfilling solution. Fuyuko is complex and flawed, but her struggles and actions can be seen as a reflection of the patriarchal society in which she exists, and the difficulty that women often face in finding a sense of belonging and connection. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful story I have ever read from Japan. First, the book is beautiful in its lyrical prose and vivid descriptions of the natural world. The author really has a gift for evoking the emotional landscape of her characters, and the reader is drawn into the inner lives of the protagonist and the other characters in the book. However, the story is also undeniably sad. The characters are all struggling with deep emotional pain and loneliness, and their attempts to find love and connection are often thwarted by circumstance and their own personal flaws. The book is a poignant exploration of the human condition, and the difficulties that we all face in finding happiness and fulfillment in life. Furthermore, the book explores the experiences of women in a patriarchal society, which can be a difficult and often isolating experience. The characters in the book are all grappling with societal expectations and norms that can be oppressive and limiting, particularly for women. This adds an additional layer of sadness to the story, as we see the characters struggling to find their place in a society that often does not value or understand them.