You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
There are 8 short stories in this magical collection. Each of them has its own atmosphere and unique characters. Each story has something to offer to the reader if the reader is willing to listen.
These short stories are packed with mythical fantastical elements and animal-human creatures which kept the interest through the whole time. On the other hand, these stories also offer a generous amount of food for the philosophical mind as well let it be the women’s place in this world or more importantly: where women put themselves in the world of a man. Self-exploration: Does the individual know the individual at all? What does that even mean?
“ hanging out with someone who claimed to have been an octopus helped provide a distance between myself and the realm of human reason. "
Maybe the best way to stay sane is to lose it all. All the reasoning and logic and the calculative way of life just keep you trapped in your head by constantly pushing you to think. Maybe sometimes losing the marbles and rolling with them is the only positive thing you can do in this life. Maybe sometimes it is necessary.
These short stories were more than just fun imagined worlds of mystery and mythology. They push the reader to broaden their horizon to think deeper or completely differently from their usual pattern. It awes and dawns. It makes the reader think about themselves, about humans and their fragility/ego. I just loved everything about it.
My only warning would be that if you are a reader feeling uneasy to read about sex or to read about people talking about it then you might need to approach these stories with a tidy bit of caution. In my case, I think it fitted perfectly well with the magical mythological elements as they usually intertwined with creation.
Dragon Palace made me fall in love with Hiromi Kawakami’s world and work. I hope she will bring us many more in the future.
These short stories are packed with mythical fantastical elements and animal-human creatures which kept the interest through the whole time. On the other hand, these stories also offer a generous amount of food for the philosophical mind as well let it be the women’s place in this world or more importantly: where women put themselves in the world of a man. Self-exploration: Does the individual know the individual at all? What does that even mean?
“ hanging out with someone who claimed to have been an octopus helped provide a distance between myself and the realm of human reason. "
Maybe the best way to stay sane is to lose it all. All the reasoning and logic and the calculative way of life just keep you trapped in your head by constantly pushing you to think. Maybe sometimes losing the marbles and rolling with them is the only positive thing you can do in this life. Maybe sometimes it is necessary.
These short stories were more than just fun imagined worlds of mystery and mythology. They push the reader to broaden their horizon to think deeper or completely differently from their usual pattern. It awes and dawns. It makes the reader think about themselves, about humans and their fragility/ego. I just loved everything about it.
My only warning would be that if you are a reader feeling uneasy to read about sex or to read about people talking about it then you might need to approach these stories with a tidy bit of caution. In my case, I think it fitted perfectly well with the magical mythological elements as they usually intertwined with creation.
Dragon Palace made me fall in love with Hiromi Kawakami’s world and work. I hope she will bring us many more in the future.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Hiromi Kawakami never fails to surprise and delight me. Dragon Palace is a collection of short stories around the theme of transformation. The transformations range from moles becoming part of the human world and assisting humans when they become melancholy or, as in Sea Horse, a creature who is captured by a human man and forced to live as his wife before he passes her to another husband and so on until the call of the ocean becomes too much for the sea horse.
I think my favourite story (probably because it was the strangest) was Kitchen God which is about an entity who lives in a woman's home because her attitude is good (not every home can boast a kitchen god). The god is worshipped and bestows it's benevolence on the woman. Strange.
I've been a fan of Japanese literary fiction for a while and there are some names that have me pressing the request button before I know what I'm letting myself in for. Kawakami doesn't stray as far into the visceral as Murata but her use of language and imagination are every bit as diverse.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance review copy.
I think my favourite story (probably because it was the strangest) was Kitchen God which is about an entity who lives in a woman's home because her attitude is good (not every home can boast a kitchen god). The god is worshipped and bestows it's benevolence on the woman. Strange.
I've been a fan of Japanese literary fiction for a while and there are some names that have me pressing the request button before I know what I'm letting myself in for. Kawakami doesn't stray as far into the visceral as Murata but her use of language and imagination are every bit as diverse.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance review copy.
Never has a book of short stories included so many weird little guys! With this latest collection of whimsical, strange, often amusing tales, Kawakami uses animal metaphors to explore the deepest reaches of the human experience. Octopus man? Sure! Mole folks? Absolutely. Weasel infestation? Why not?
The stories here, often feeling like twisted folklore, usually contain a sparkling pearl of an idea, a brilliant, odd little concept. In a few stories, the idea takes shape and carries the whole narrative, and the reader, merrily along. In others however, whimsy overtakes purpose somewhat. As with most short story collections, "Dragon Palace" is occasionally hit-or-miss. Fans of Kawakami (frankly either Hiromi or Meiko) will find a lot to love here, even if new readers are sometimes left a bit baffled.
The stories here, often feeling like twisted folklore, usually contain a sparkling pearl of an idea, a brilliant, odd little concept. In a few stories, the idea takes shape and carries the whole narrative, and the reader, merrily along. In others however, whimsy overtakes purpose somewhat. As with most short story collections, "Dragon Palace" is occasionally hit-or-miss. Fans of Kawakami (frankly either Hiromi or Meiko) will find a lot to love here, even if new readers are sometimes left a bit baffled.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Thank You, Netgalley and Stone Bridge Press for the e-Galley.
Japanese short stories and novellas are one of my favourite type of books, they are always interesting, well written and slightly off centre which i enjoy immensely. And Hiromi Kawakami wrote some of the first japanese translations I read.
However, I struggled a little with The Dragon Palace...I am not sure if it was the way it was written, or translated, or if I just wasn't in the right head space for it but I had a hard time figuring out what was going on in some stories. The story I liked best was Hokusai, it was funny and a little ridiculous which made it absolutely brilliant.
Hokusai was 5 stars out of 5
The whole book 3.5 stars out of 5
Japanese short stories and novellas are one of my favourite type of books, they are always interesting, well written and slightly off centre which i enjoy immensely. And Hiromi Kawakami wrote some of the first japanese translations I read.
However, I struggled a little with The Dragon Palace...I am not sure if it was the way it was written, or translated, or if I just wasn't in the right head space for it but I had a hard time figuring out what was going on in some stories. The story I liked best was Hokusai, it was funny and a little ridiculous which made it absolutely brilliant.
Hokusai was 5 stars out of 5
The whole book 3.5 stars out of 5
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Okay so I don’t have too much to say on this collection. This is my first read from Hiromi and I was kinda disappointed. The writing was great, it wasn’t that at all. I actually think the writing is the reason I was able to finish this collection. But the contents of the stories lost me. I didn’t understand any of them, which I attribute more to a cultural issue where some aspects did not translate well into another cultural perception and some stories just being super bizarre to the point that I didn’t understand what it was about. Maybe if you’ve read other books by this author the content might be more digestible but I think I’d recommend trying out one of her other books first if not.
I definitely want to try one of her other books just because I did really enjoy the writing.
I definitely want to try one of her other books just because I did really enjoy the writing.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A wonderful assortment of strange, funny, and deeply introspective and revealing stories from Kawakami