Reviews

Butter by Asako Yuzuki

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inesmts's review against another edition

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tense slow-paced

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

4.0

remusritch's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

4.5

Brilliant book, well deserving of the hype it’s been getting recently, but I can see why it wouldn’t necessarily be for everyone. I had a great time, though, it was a great take on feminism and misogyny in Japan (though admittedly I don’t know much about this subject)

foxo_cube's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

I feel as though this book is marketed as more of a thriller/mystery than is accurate, which is a shame. The elements of death in this book are almost cautionary, rather than scary or exciting.

<i>Butter</i> is about learning how to be alive, and I think it does very well at telling that narrative.

giugiufio's review

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lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

3.5

beccaje's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was extremely interesting, especially as someone who lives in the UK reading about Rika's experience of the expectations put on women in Japan. I do think that it is likely that some of the messages within this book were lost in the translation to English, but I felt it was well written for a translated book.

The discussions about being responsible for men, and who was to blame for these men's deaths was also very interesting. I don't think this book discussed anything ground-breaking, but I definitely appreciated the perspective and discussion on how middle-aged men are not expected to care for themselves in Japan, and how this responsibility is pushed onto women. The way this was tackled really gave insight to the complexity of this point of view, and Rika's own complex relationship with the idea.

ALSO THE WAY THIS WAS WRITTEN MADE ME THINK, THESE WOMEN ARE GAY AND THEN NOTHING CAME OF THAT WHICH WAS QUITE A DISAPPOINTMENT.

I definitely would recommend this book, though the start was a little slow, I ate up the second half!