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carlithian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Infertility
etherealsuju's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
books_and_fairy_lights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Honestly I don't know.
I enjoyed reading it. Three small snippets of a man's life. Episodes of the everyday that are both mundane and extraordinary. In that regard it was very much typical of Japanese literature and I liked that aspect. That being said, I also felt like they were a little too normal or a little too "extravagant" or just slightly off one way or another - and that had the effect that this book didn't impact me as much as similar ones have. It likely was the author's intention to give that "off" feeling, building in quite a few elements off surrealism, but it didn't really do it for me this time. I enjoyed reading it but always felt like I was missing something, like I wasn't understanding (or feeling) everything I was supposed to. Maybe that's the case and half the book went over my head, or maybe it just was a silly little book with not a ton hidden meaning/feeling. A mostly enjoyable read in any case.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Infertility
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Animal death, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty
chaotic_wholesome's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
abi_laura's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
madelonpaige's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Infertility and Animal cruelty
apurvanagpal's review against another edition
3.0
Weasels In The Attic by Hiroko Oyamada (tr. from the Japanese by David Boyd) is slim novella comprising of three interconnected stories and it did just that!
Two friends meet across three dinners. Every conversation takes an unexpected route.
In the back room of an exotic pet shop, they snack on dried shrimp and talk about fish-breeding.
In a remote new home in the mountains, they end up discussing about weasel infestation and how to get rid of it.
And finally, our narrator and his wife travel in the midst of a snowstorm back to their friend’s house to meet their newborn child and confined in a room overnight, is haunted by a dreadful dream.
Exploring the themes of marriage, parenthood and fertility, Oyamada creates an unsettling atmosphere right from the beginning and you get a premonitory eerie feeling about something you can’t quite place your finger on.
In less than 80 pages, I thought Oyamada strikes the right balance and restraint to let their uneasiness seep through and unfold with what’s left unsaid between them.
Laced with a slight touch of magical realism, there’s a mesmeric quality and wry humour to the stories that doesn’t lead you to something, rather ends with the same ambiguity that run through these encounters.
And through them, it’s a side eyed commentary on women’s position in the society, men feeling boastful about younger wives and bossing them around, gender roles and how women feel incomplete without embracing motherhood while their partners couldn’t care less about their roles.
Did I love it? Not really. But do I still think about how unusually surreal it felt? Absolutely yes!
Weasels In The Attic is a bite sized wonder that leaves a big impact and conveys much more between the lines! My only qualm, I just wish it were longer or packed a little more ‘wow’ 🙊
TW for animal cruelty.
Graphic: Animal cruelty
saltycoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pregnancy, and Infertility
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Medical content and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility
While not adult/minor, there is a relationship with a predatory age gap.