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corvuscorax's review against another edition
3.75
I loved the way female friendships were depicted in this, because each friendship was different. There were no cookie-cutter mimosa friendships, and even the ones that were closest to that were dissected in such a way as to raise interesting questions about what we really know about one another. There is a lot of death, both literal and metaphorical, and quite a few goodbyes that manage to pull at your heartstrings. The highlights for me in this book are the most bizarre scenes, like
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Rape
jonwood's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Cursing
Minor: Terminal illness and Cancer
bruhmantics's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Transphobia
ktrain3900's review
- 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
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.
Minor: Death, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Cancer
ahanky's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Pregnancy and Infertility
Moderate: Pedophilia, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape
katygoodhead's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Infertility and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Death
Minor: Vomit, Rape, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
caroisreading's review
- 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
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.
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
bricharis's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Rape and Pedophilia
Minor: Transphobia and Homophobia
lillypowell's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
Minor: Pedophilia
piierrote's review against another edition
3.0
definitely a book that would hit with certain people, but just didn’t hit in the way other Mieko Kawakami books hit for me.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Child abuse