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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
ough wow. wow. this is a good one
"free labor with a pussy, just like my mother"
"free labor with a pussy, just like my mother"
Rarely do I pick up a book in translation and regret it (aside from Murakami—I still have the ick from that unfortunate endeavor). Fortunately, "Breasts and Eggs" is no exception. I was a little nervous at first, considering how Murakami hails Mieko Kawakami as "Japan's most important contemporary novelist," but this novel is really nothing at all like what I've read from him—it's funny, honest, and completely women-centric. The cast of female characters are all interesting and bring unique perspectives to the narrative. I actually decided to buy this book after reading just the first page, as the writing just kind of sucked me in from the start. The plot doesn't exactly take you where you expect it to go (there's definitely a stark shift in the narrative from the first half to the second half, which is a little jarring), but I enjoyed just going along for the ride. I do wish we got more story from Makiko and Midoriko in the second half though, as the story felt a little incomplete without them.
Overall though, a fun slice of feminist Japan. Worth a read!
Overall though, a fun slice of feminist Japan. Worth a read!
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've read this author' s work 'All The Lovers In The Night' and I really enjoyed it, so I thought it would be good to read anothet and this one caught my eye, but unfortunate l didn't really enjoy this book. Perhaps because there wasn't a lot I could relate to compared to the other one, so it might be suited better to someone who is going through a similar situation. I felt like it dragged on a bit too much when talking about Natsuko's research on having a child solo, 50 pages could've easily been taken off just from that. I wish there was a bit more focus on Makiko and Midoriko, as their dynamic really intrigued me during the first half of the book. And I would've loved to see how it changes as Midoriko grows up, it would hace been very relatable to see how a mother-daughter relationship can have peaks and troughs as the child goes to adolescence and then adulthood. Even so, I really enjoyed the overall concept, Kawakami's writing still continues to be one of my favourites, and I love how she makes everything feel very raw and real, like we're not reading a fictional story at all
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I kind of was put off this book by reviews a little but I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. I really like the slow exploration of the themes. The slow story progression allows for a lot of reflection on the opinions of all the characters. I think I enjoyed the second book more than the first.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Several hundred pages of completely obsessive diatribes about tits and periods is just not a journey I'm willing to suffer through when 50 pages was already unbearable.
Mieko Kawakami has strong insights about breasts and about eggs, that's for sure. A contemporary story that is so uniquely woman. The womanhood in this book is absolutely up there. I actually almost DNF'd it because of how dragging it felt at times (partly because I had previously read two of her shorter books), and the flow of the story felt a bit uneven. But there's a beauty in this book that I appreciate. It captures every struggle and experience and what it feels like to have a woman's body. It talks about their needs, desires, little dreams, disappointments from men, pain, and a lot more pain. It's relatable. It's wild, and it acknowledges its flaws, but it's real. The talk was real. I love how Kawakami allows me to see all aspects of the main character's life with great love. A good read for me.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No