Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Diary of a Void

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

22 reviews

azalya01's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

I thought this book was a very beautiful exploration of loneliness and discontent, and how human connection is a lot more precious than we may realize in our day-to-day lives. I found the slow and detailed narration of this story to be comforting and it endeared me quite a lot to the main character. I felt myself resonating with her feelings, and I appreciated the expression of her complex heartache framed in such relatable moments in time. I'm glad I read this book, and recommend it highly.

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cecinamo's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

Very interesting, but also confusing book, about a woman who fakes her pregnancy.

You never really find out why exactly she does it and at some point it seems like her brain has actually convinced her body that she is pregnant.

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preezilla's review

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funny lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.5

What an unhinged, slice of life novel? This was my first Japanese novel, and I really enjoyed it.

I was on the edge of my seat for the last chunk since the firsy ultrasound when the dr showed her her baby?! I also love that there’s no solid answer on whether she was pregnant or lying to the reader or in the journal 🤷🏽‍♂️

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claudiashelf's review

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reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

❝ 34 years on this earth but I couldn't remember anything about how I'd spent the first few days of any January. It was a blank. ❞

First and foremost, I enjoy the writing in this book. I liked how the author described the MC's life activities in great detail, which made me feel related, aha. The story in this book flowed so smoothly and was so simple to read. Secondly, the more I read and delve into this book, the more I realise the meaning behind its cover—boom, I love the book's hidden aspects.

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littlebrittofthis's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Diary Of A Void pulled me in with an interesting perspective on being a woman in Japanese society and it does not disappoint as we see how society still creates certain spaces for women. A slice of life book trapped in the slightly absurd. Emi Yagi creates a fascinating story of a woman who via faking a pregnancy gets out of doing the jobs in the office that have been handed to her, starting with the coffee cup cleaning in the meeting room. Interestingly these roles seem to be only given to women.

Like many contemporary books translated from Japanese, Emi Yagi’s Diary of a Void is also a quietly political novel. Diary of a Void addresses the systematic inequalities of Japan’s economy not just based on gender, but also on age, class, and race.

The characterization and thought process as the baby is ‘created’ is fascinating and intense, and incredibly well written as we see how the gaze shifts as she progresses through the pregnancy but also how she connects to people as she keeps up the lie. I expected so many things and they didn’t happen but I think that’s kinda why you stay gripped by this book until the very last page.

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desireewoodwhite's review

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adventurous informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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danierilily's review

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funny tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

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williamlawrence's review

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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pestowing's review

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

A very interesting exploration about how society expects domesticity of women—oftentimes including women themselves—as well as learning to find value in solitude.

I also took note of how Shibata starts to blur the lines of reality more after her talk with Higashinakino about infertility. I took that as her starting to grasp the gravity of her lie and wanting to believe it as not to disturb how she sees herself.

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