good book

one of the better books i've encountered so far from Japanese writers, a complex story about culture, personal desire, priorities and interpersonal relationships, quite heartbreaking. my second favourite book from this author.
written as a parallel between a mother desperately wanting breast implants, partially ignoring her "outcast" daughter, and a woman who does not wish to have intercourse but is looking to have a child, this book comes in force to be very critical of a lot of superficiality present in female culture, all over the world, but focusing a lot on Japanese culture. on its way, it touches on other issues like misogyny, the healthcare system and access to fertility treatments, codependency, broken relationships, female friendships, apathy, challenges of being a writer, independence and standing up against the norm, and a lot of other things, more or less easy to miss, some of them being potentially a bit too well hidden. as a negative, i thought the pace was slightly sluggish, but the content manages to pull it up significantly.
a cryptic book, with a bit of a sluggish pace, and a lot of things in it, but one relevant for the western world, not just Japanese society.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

An Incredible Read

I love how this book takes you on a journey to view life through the perspective of women of different age groups. It’s about a growing girl, her aunt, her mother, her mother’s mother, the choice whether or not to birth a child, and so much more. Now at the end, I realise how in understanding these characters, this book ultimately helps you understand yourself better. I’d rate it higher if I could.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

really enjoyed

took me a while to get into this but really enjoyed how it covered topics of fertility, physical appearance and growing up. I found the narrator easy to listen to

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Utterly Beautiful book

Every word is crafted and draws you in. Perfect narration.
I was compelled to write a review this book, to express to others how moving it is. Very feminine, feminist, modern and educated but not at the expense of the traditional. The characters are well rounded and real. The narrators expertly bring them to life so you believe their struggles and fears.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Loved the prose, but...

Natsu was a puzzle at the start and remained so at the end! I couldn't find a reason why she was as she was or stayed so. The relationship with Aizawa was "resolved" in massive leap before the rushed ending, which came as a surprise given the minute detail with which the two books of the novel had been described. Why had we been put through all of that, then? What relevance was book one to book two beyond being two periods in this very odd (actually, just clinically depressed) woman's life?
This book was a real head-scratcher for me. I like Emily Woo Zeller's voice, but why was every sentence spoken like a dramatic statement with almost no performance? It was a little odd.
Still, I didn't NOT enjoy it though, and it made a nice change for me to read literature set in modern working class.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Unlike Anything Else

CN. Child Abuse

I feel like broken record atm, but I've genuinely never read anything like it and I loved it. I feel like it has changed or unlocked something in me as a reader, especially one with ADHD, to appreciate a different kind of novel. Really hard to put my finger on it, but there was just something magical about how everything and nothing it all was.

I am going to need some time to digest and process this, but I absolutely adored it.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fascinating read

This is a fascinating read. It explores the role of women in Japanese society and bodily autonomy, and has some really thought provoking (or disturbing, depending on your anxiety levels) reflections on life and death and the ethics of having children. The writing is excellent and really brings the characters to life. Some of it is (in the second part of especially) is darkly funny, excruciatingly so at points. I found it a little over long and slow paced but I think that's because I listened to the audiobook, I think it may be better to read in print.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

Excellent Narration!!

I think this audiobook’s narration is what really worked - I was completely engaged by the main reader, and having multiple narrators made the dialogue really enjoyable.

It’s interesting hearing Japanese phrasing and speech style translated into English, I think it might come across as meandering, dramatic or overly self-deprecating sometimes to a western reader, but I believe this is more of a cultural difference and I really enjoyed how it was translated.

It was a great backdrop, and for people who’ve spent time in Osaka (Minato ward/港区 for example) or Tokyo (around Sangenjaya/三軒茶屋) it’s interesting to hear about local sights and history.

I think this book provided a great look into Japanese society when it comes to family, women and children, and an insight into social issues in Japan such as women’s rights and the falling birth rate.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Life

It was a gripping story! Beautifully narrated! Loved all topics used! Loved the accent of the narrator and her pronunciation of the Japanese words!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Well read

I chose this novel because of the reader and I wasn’t disappointed. However, I found the story a bit irregular: very well written, very thought provoking issues but the ending didn’t convince. I was hoping for something more unexpected to happen at the end.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!