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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Found the first half to be incredibly engaging and somewhat relatable regarding being a woman. The second half a little less, but it's because the MC and I are in very different phases of our lives. Still a very nice book
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I wish we didn’t have to suffer. Any of us. Why can’t it all just go away?
Raw, vulnerable, and echoing—a feminist masterpiece.
Mieko Kawakami had done so much by doing a lot in this novel, and in the end, still managed to produce something that is just at the right amount.
Breasts and Eggs is divided into two parts: the first one unveils the story of Makiko, revealing her desire for a boob job; the second one presents the life of Natsuko, digging and searching for her reason of wanting a child of her own—on her own, through a sperm donor. For a while, Midoriko’s journal expressing her apprehensions and curiosities on growing up as a woman was also flashed. I, however, refuse to limit the description of the novel or the definition of the title by these two parts; the book deals with other social, moral, and economic issues surrounding and involving women.
Poverty, welfare, labor and workplace, education, marriage, bodily autonomy and beauty standards—Kawakami, with her passionate, honest, and direct writing had convincingly presented all these issues. Balancing opposing views but still being able to light the spot where one should stand, Kawakami had not only brought awareness but also values to her readers about the subjects that she tackled in her novel.
good book with some poignant moments but i wasn’t super emotionally invested, still enjoyable read
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I resonated more with book 1 over book 2, maybe because the way book 1 was written just felt different to me. finding out why midoriko stopped talking to her mother and then reading the climax of the book just felt very raw to me.
Book 2 was still nice - i liked seeing the different sides of being a mother. it's okay to not want kids. it's okay to have them but end up not being close with them. it's okay to have them and feel like theyre your world. it's different for everyone. though I still have conflicting thoughts about having kids, i was able to resonate with all of them.
I do believe it's something I'll have to re-read after a long while - I want to read it having gone through life more, if that makes sense.
(im giving 4 stars only bc sometimes I read and suddenly im lost bc apparently she's dreaming and I'd have to read over and over again to find out where it even started 😭 maybe it's a me problem or a skill issue HEPWDHLWDBSLDJEODJD)
Book 2 was still nice - i liked seeing the different sides of being a mother. it's okay to not want kids. it's okay to have them but end up not being close with them. it's okay to have them and feel like theyre your world. it's different for everyone. though I still have conflicting thoughts about having kids, i was able to resonate with all of them.
I do believe it's something I'll have to re-read after a long while - I want to read it having gone through life more, if that makes sense.
(im giving 4 stars only bc sometimes I read and suddenly im lost bc apparently she's dreaming and I'd have to read over and over again to find out where it even started 😭 maybe it's a me problem or a skill issue HEPWDHLWDBSLDJEODJD)
my favourite book of all time. i can’t quite summarise my thoughts into a well articulated review, but i know that throughout reading this i felt the pressures and struggles of every woman in this story, no matter how minor the character. a raw portrayal of modern japan and the women navigating it. special mention to the focus Kawakami puts on female conversations and dialogue. a respectful homage to the way women express their stories.
i wish i could read it for the first time all over again.
some reviews of this are actually shocking. if you think the second part of the book is just about “getting pregnant without having sex” you should maybe listen to a woman speaking or just maybe breathe the same air as one and you will understand how silly that comment is.
i wish i could read it for the first time all over again.
some reviews of this are actually shocking. if you think the second part of the book is just about “getting pregnant without having sex” you should maybe listen to a woman speaking or just maybe breathe the same air as one and you will understand how silly that comment is.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes