Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

53 reviews

ireadingbooks's review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Domestic abuse

Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia

ktrain3900's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a slice of life novel, and a social commentary novel, and a feminist novel, meandering largely through hot, sticky summers in Tokyo and Osaka, while also meandering through the lives of a number of interesting and unspecial (in the best way) mostly female characters.

In the journal entries, long conversations, and hallucinatory dreams of the Part 1 (essentially the Breasts section) we meet Natsuko, her sister, and her niece, as the latter two visit Natsuko in Tokyo for sister Makiko's breast enlargement consultation, where Natsuko is ultimately a foil in the drama between Makiko and Makiko's tween daughter Midoriko, all while exploring aspects of her own childhood.

Part 2 (essentially the Eggs section) is more stream of conscientiousness, with the dreamy quality now more like a ghost haunting old neighborhoods, almost through time, the long conversations now with colleagues and friends, as Natsuko now contemplates having a child as a single mother by choice. She continues to explore her own past and life, as she emerges from a fog to forge a future she wants.

While I found the book a little hard to engage with when I first started, to the point I started reading other books for a break, I was able to breach the tidebreak and get into the ocean of the book and it's well thought out and considered debates between the mainly female characters. The ending did feel a little bit contrived, or at least convenient, but ultimately this is a novel that deserves a place along with classics like The Golden Notebook and The Women's Room addressing women's issues and creativity from a more contemporary lense. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Cancer

ahanky's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Infertility

Moderate: Pedophilia, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape

caroisreading's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Mieko Kawakami is becoming one of my favorite, most relatable authors. I read "All The Lovers In The Night" before this, and fell in love with her storytelling and main character. "Breast and Eggs" follows a similar formula of a lost and lonely woman, trying to find meaning. 

This is divided in two parts. Book One was my favorite by far, and as a standalone work, pretty much perfect, a 5.0. I cried at the beauty of her descriptions of the older sister's simple and sweet devotion to her little sister, as well as the strained relationship with her teen daughter. 

Book Two is primarily focused on the younger sister, and I had trouble getting through its density -- beautiful writing, though overwhelmingly verbose. The prose doesn't have the back and forth dynamic that Book One does, switching from the teen's journal entries to the narrator's POV. Maybe that switch made Book Two feel more plain. Still very meaningful.

As a whole, this book delivers on what it means to be a woman in this world, the pressures and injustices, sexuality, the obsession with fertility, youth and appearances. The female characters sort through these themes in a heartbreaking, yet brave and honest way. I loved them, related wholeheartedly with them, and rooted for them.

You'll like this if you're interested in female perspectives, solitary main characters, thoughtful and intelligent writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Cancer, Pedophilia, Rape, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Infertility, Death, Death of parent, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Suicide, Incest, and Misogyny

kurumipanda's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Infertility, and Cancer

Minor: Sexual content, Child abuse, Murder, Acephobia/Arophobia, Suicide, Rape, Pedophilia, Medical content, Body horror, and Body shaming

alexandrabelze's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

this was definitely a unique read. the novel is split into two parts, and i wasn’t hooked until the second part. it was not at all what i expected, but i wouldn’t say that i was disappointed. i liked this one better than heaven! my favorite characters were natsuko and rika; once rika was introduced i began to enjoy the novel more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Grief, Sexual content, and Death

Moderate: Infertility, Medical content, Physical abuse, Rape, Cancer, Terminal illness, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Bullying

mauatuafr's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Suicide, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Classism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Rape

cow_png's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

holy fuckinf shit i love this book. i honestly think everyone should read this book, this is incredible. i have nothing bad to say, this was an amazing experience and i am like in shock with how much i am in love with this book. i had no clue what i was getting into with this book and my god, it has exceeded every exception .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Infertility

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Sexism

Minor: Car accident

cecilialau_'s review against another edition

4.5

Really enjoyed the time I got to spent with Natsuko. The different relationships she has with the ppl in her life and how she navigates it all. I’m glad I took my time reading this rather than rushing through. Although, it all depends on your circumstance of course.
Just saying that I liked that I ended up savouring it bc I really became invested in her life, and it was just absolutely worth the read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Misogyny

hue's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Mieko Kawakami has such a unique way of writing. Her style and story telling grip tight on my heart strings, not letting go before the story has told its tale. I'm flabbergasted how she's woven this narrative around our main character Natsuko, and her many turmoils through most of her life. Through the side characters telling of their lives, and Natsuko reflecting upon their words, I kept having the realisation that every living being has such a vividly complicated life, no matter how pristine or untouched they seem to the outside eye. It should be obvious without it being shoved right into my face, but I guess it's different when you encounter someone through the eye's of another person, fictional or not. Kawakami makes me think Natsuko isn't as fictional as I first thought. To me her struggles seem very real.

I'm no longer surprised Breasts and Eggs became such  an international hit. I enjoyed it immensely, the ups and downs of Natsuko's life and all that wove into it. I'll be thinking about this one for ages upon ages, that I'm sure of.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Cancer, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Sexual content