Butter
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Butter
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Narrated by:
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Hanako Footman
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By:
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Asako Yuzuki
About this listen
WINNER OF WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024
THE NUMBER 2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK
‘A full-fat, Michelin-starred treat’ THE SUNDAY TIMES
'Unputdownable, breathtakingly original' ERIN KELLY
'I have been glued to Asako Yuzuki's new novel Butter’ NIGEL SLATER
'Compelling, delightfully weird' PANDORA SYKES
The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story, and translated by Polly Barton.
There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.
Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.
Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?
Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.
'Luscious … I devoured this' IMOGEN CRIMP
'A salty morsel with one hell of a bite’ ALICE SLATER
‘Nothing short of ingenious’ INEWS
‘Ambitious and unsettling’ GUARDIAN
'It isn’t entirely clear whether to read the novel or devour it’ OBSERVER
©2017 Asako Yuzuki (P)2024 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Butter
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ZCC
- 02-11-24
Simply delicious!
This book had me captivated from the start, with many layers. Thought provoking, a window into Japanese culture and the expectations placed on women. It wasn't what I thought it would be, from the description, it turned out to be so much more.
I am also now a big fan of butter rice. Try it with roasted tenderstem broccoli too, it's the ultimate comfort food!
Butter is now firmly on my 'Listen Again' list.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Hannah Campbell-Cox
- 24-09-24
Boring, was a shame
I wanted this to be good, but I lost all interest and it felt like it's didn't go anywhere. The concept had so much promise
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 21-04-24
10/10 Book! Perfect in every way!
I think it would take a lot to top this book. Totally captivating. The descriptions of the dishes were mouthwatering (had to go make the butter rice straight away) and the mystery of Kajii was intriguing. I want to listen to it again and again. Hanako Footman is the perfect narrator - brilliant as always.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 15-09-24
excellent
amazing book, a must read. something different. look forward to your next book. thank you
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- B Pathmapit
- 04-09-24
Thought provoking
Interesting perspective on current pressures on women with regard to physical expectations and defining femininity today. There was exploration of the competitiveness women feel towards one another based on the above expectations and whether these expectations are defined by men/society or women themselves.
It uses the premise of a murder trial where two women who, on the surface are polar opposites, explore and interpret human desire, food, the place of food and self, identity, friendship, human interaction and love.
In the end, these two women realise their similarities, but display their respctive resilience in very different ways .
It is a slow burn read with lots of red herrings which make the reader formulate their own ever changing answer of “ did she do it?”
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Veronica
- 13-03-24
Is a story that takes you from the start
Works through the standards women are measured by and how it shapes their lives. But also how working through them and deciding what would be yours can help shape them
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emily Gottfried
- 28-10-24
Brilliant story- motivated me to cook more
Great story. I loved the setting, The Mix of crime and food and Japanese culture was really enjoyable. I love cooking but it still gave me a renewed motivation in the kitchen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- K. Llewellyn
- 14-03-24
An absolute favourite
What a beautiful, complex, compelling and wide-reaching story that touches on so much of the lived experience. Not only beautifully written, but beautifully translated and performed as well. A testament to all involved and one I will come back to again, and again, and perhaps again
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Andrew Hill
- 18-09-24
Luscious food descriptions, but a dry plot
Butter is a social commentary on the role of women in Japanese culture disguised as a crime novel. While the criticisms it raises are valid and worth discussing, the crime story framing these points ultimately is never resolved in a satisfying manner. Those enticed by the intrigue of Manako Kaiji's case will be left disappointed as the plot soon shifts to focus more on the protagonist's relationships. This isn't a bad thing, however as Kaiji takes up so much of the book's synopsis, this can certainly feel like a letdown to readers such as myself.
The performance is solid, though I would recommend speeding it up slightly.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Gayle
- 30-09-24
Somehow kept reading
Not sure I really liked it but no strong dislike either. Good to have on in the background
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