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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
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
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Dragon Palace by Hiromi Kawakami ( translated by Ted Goossen) is a fascinating collection of short stories that revolve around themes of transformation, human behavior and emotion and surrealism.
In the first story Hokusai (3/5), we follow a strange encounter between a depressed young man and a person who claims to have once been an octopus. In Dragon Palace (4/5), a young woman is visited by her great-grandmother, who was once a god who used a creative method of manipulating her followers. Foxβs Den(3/5) follows the relationship between a fifty-three-year-old caregiver and her elderly patient. In Mole (5/5), we meet an anthropomorphized who holds an office job in the human world and shelters unhappy and lonely human beings in his home in an underground hole. We follow a married young woman, unhappy with her life and interactions with her boyfriend, neighbors and the deity that inhabits her kitchen in The Kitchen God (4/5). The Roar (3/5)chronicles a young boyβs life as he grows u in the boy grows up in the successive care of his older sisters, each of whom is very different. We meet a woman who is in a relationship with her four-hundred-year-old ancestor in Shimazaki (3.5/5). A woman who was once asea horse recalls her life on land, her yearning for the ocean and her thoughts about her husbands and children, one of whom is like her in Sea Horse (5/5).
With simple language and striking imagery and symbolism, the author takes us on an enthralling journey with unique characters and their interesting (to put it mildly!) backstories. The stories are inspired by folklore and myth and heavily rely upon metaphors and magical realism to present the human condition and the similarities and differences in human and animal instincts. Though I canβt say that I enjoyed all the stories in equal measure, overall, Hiromi Kawakami does not disappoint!
Many thanks to Stone Bridge Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this collection of stories. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This is the second time I have tried Hiromi Kawakami and her brand of weirdness just doesn't fit me.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was definitely a WILD ride. From breastfeeding gods to miniature humans living in mole holes, this is a collection that can bewilder others more than not; but its one of the books that felt to me, after looking through the surface of the story, the insights and what Kawakami intended to write with each story was just sad.
Edited on 19th September 2023
Picking up Dragon Palace was.... something else entirely. It left me gobsmacked, shell-shocked and some stories even made me disassociate with myself for a bit. Its a collection of short stories that is written in Kawakami's usual style that made something that was totally out of this world felt normal. Its an exploration of folklores, mythologies - with the central with aging and what it is to be human.
Edited on 19th September 2023
Picking up Dragon Palace was.... something else entirely. It left me gobsmacked, shell-shocked and some stories even made me disassociate with myself for a bit. Its a collection of short stories that is written in Kawakami's usual style that made something that was totally out of this world felt normal. Its an exploration of folklores, mythologies - with the central with aging and what it is to be human.
"Unable to live, unable to die, they're just there, eating away at their surroundings. Eating away at themselves. That is who they are.
This collection of 8 short stories might not appeal to everyone, but for me, I felt that, each story has its own deeper meaning in ways that might not sit right by us. Kawakami takes elements from Shinto and Buddhism in these stories and intertwines them with folklores in the Japanese culture that makes everything that is bizarre a symbol of what the story actually holds. Yes, there are stories of Kitchen Gods, and mole people, and seahorse turned human; and even with the outlandish tales that Kawakami wrote, the central theme of aging, questions of patriarchy, sex and mostly of being human that makes the essence of each story more alive than some.
These are some of my thoughts for each individual stories :-
Story 1: Hokusai
Personal Ratings : 4π
"Being' human is painful. I wish I could go back to bein' an octopus. But I can't. When water is spilled, it's gone - you can't put it back in the pot."
A man who claimed to be an octopus and based on the philosophies from the infamous painting of Hokusai. The story is both witty and absurd, and the gallivanting ways of the old man was definitely amusing, but I also liked how its a story of resilience. The nature of humans is that we tend to give up easily when things go hard, and the adaptability of the octopus is somewhat as a reminder that abling to adapt will lead you to live a somewhat normal life.
Story 2: Dragon Palace
Personal Ratings : 4.25π
"I lived knowing nothing and died knowing nothing."
This story had gotten me saying WTF in so many languages, but I think, I just felt sad overall. Its heavily inspired by the folklore and how the consequences from cults had led to an innocent woman being held as a hostage, a sex slave and then somewhat becoming the goddess as her own. Definitely not for everyone but I was left mortified but also a bit sad overall.
Story 3: Fox's Den
Personal Ratings : 3.75π
The more I read the stories; laced with the weirdness and quirkiness, is the backstories of the Gods and folklore. This one was witty.
Story 4: Kitchen's God
Personal Ratings : 4.75π
One of my favs from this collection. It reminded me a lot of Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata and the stories of a person who is somewhat stuck in the past and of memories that are uncertain.
"Was I happy? I had never given that question a thought."
Story 5: Mole People
Personal Ratings : 4.5π
Also one of my favs. Its bleak and a social commentary of how humans and people are so accustomed to being one thing in their lives that made them miserable overall. The story of aging, growing and how at the end they became only puppets of capitalism. Its a tale of folklore derived from Mujina and this story had showed it in a form that is almost simplistic.
Story 6: Mole People
Personal Ratings : 4.5π
Also one of my favs. Its bleak and a social commentary of how humans and people are so accustomed to being one thing in their lives that made them miserable overall. The story of aging, growing and how at the end they became only puppets of capitalism. Its a tale of folklore derived from Mujina and this story had showed it in a form that is almost simplistic.
Story 7: Sea Horse
Personal Ratings : 4.75π
of motherhood, womenhood and something more that exceeds than a normal person's expectations. I loved it and was lowkey sad for the story.
Overall, the short stories in here are wilder than most, and it is definitely not for everyone, but I for one enjoyed this one a lot. It centres around old age and how humans are at the end just very vulnerable beings but also strong and resilient in their own ways. Recommended for those who needed something different in your TBR. Its definitely a memorable one.
Biggest thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
i've read hiromi kawakami's work before, four of her books to be exact, and i really love her work so i was excited for this. and she delivered, despite the fact that i like this less than her other work ^^ it's a collection of eight stories with the common themes of magic and transformation. my favourite stories are definitely the kitchen god, sea horse, and mole.
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
If you're in a slump, this is the book for you. As usual, Kawakami's writing is compulsively readable and delightfully strange. Each story explores humanity, masterfully oscillating between the mundanity of life and a creative blend of traditional and fantastical elements that lead you through the entire spectrum of emotion.
My favorites were The Kitchen God, Mole, and Hokusai.
My favorites were The Kitchen God, Mole, and Hokusai.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Dragon Palace is a collection of eight weird tales that will leave you pleasantly baffled or uncomfortable. I was not a fan of all the stories, which is typical for any short story collection. My favorite story is The Kitchen God, and my least favorite is, unfortunately, the one carrying the name of the collection - Dragon Palace. I will write short synopses for all eight stories and give individual ratings.
Hokusai
A depressed man meets an alleged octopus turned human, and they go bar hopping. The story is named after a Japanese ukiyo-e artist from the turn of the 19th century (Edo period), Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai's two iconic prints inspired this story: The Great Wave off Kanagawa and The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife. I liked the imagery in the story and the theme of metamorphosis. 4 stars
Dragon Palace
This story is about a conversation between a woman and her great-great-grandmother Ito. When she was young, Ito had a prophetic dream that transformed her into a sex-obsessed goddess whose words enchant people. This story made me uncomfortable, and I failed to grasp the point of it. Kawakami utilizes repetition of a specific phrase (could be anaphora) to bring attention to the main character's inner struggle. Is Ito simply telling her life's story, or is she attempting something else? Dragon Palace has vivid imagery, and it would work well as a manga. Junji Ito would do a splendid job of adapting this story. Sadly, 2 stars.
Foxs Den
Caregiver falls in love with the fox-faced man she takes care of. Once again, the central theme is humans transforming into animals. This story comments on how many people have something animal-like about them, whether in their appearance or behavior. 3 stars
The Kitchen God
A woman discovers a three-faced kitchen God living in her kitchen. He scuttles around her apartment, and she feeds him. Whenever she needs to ignore her troubling thoughts, she prays to him. This story was cute and wholesome but also bizarre. I cannot explain why it appealed to me as much as it did. 5 stars
Mole
A couple of moles, husband and wife, live in an underground hole and collect humans in one of the rooms. Husband mole has an office job, and humans report to him about potential broken humans he can pick up and carry home. This story struck me as a metaphor for depression. There is nothing sinister going on. The moles observe the sleepy humans and occasionally talk to them. I adored this story and its cyclical structure. You follow a day and a night in a mole's life like a mole vlog. Maybe I have a soft spot for anthropomorphized animals. 5 stars
The Roar
A nameless boy lives with each of his strange and strikingly different seven older sisters. I do not have a comment for this story. It went over my head like a comet. Perhaps there is an underlying religious theme, but I am not sure. 2.5 stars
Shimazaki
A 100-year-old woman falls in love with her 400-year-old ancestor. This story felt like an incestuous prototype for Kawakami's novel Strange Weather in Tokyo. Two older protagonists develop a complex relationship. They become close as they spend a lot of time together, but there is an insurmountable emotional gap between them. She wishes he was more affectionate, and he claims she does not love him the way he loves her. It is a slow slice-of-life story. 3 stars
Sea Horse
A woman who used to be a sea horse describes how she left the ocean, her life on land, and her mistreatment by her many husbands. She has four children with her current husband. The fourth child is a girl, different from her brothers because she is similar to her mother. The daughter has an intense desire to spend the rest of her life in the ocean. This was a sad story. The woman's life made me sad, and I sincerely hoped she would get a happy ending. 5 stars
Sea Horse perfectly rounds off the collection thematically. Once again, the central theme is transformation and its consequences. When comparing the first story about an octopus-man and the last story about the sea horse-woman, I notice the striking, but not surprising, difference between the characters. Octopus man has agency. He actively pursues his goal and accomplishes his missions. On the other hand, after she arrived on land, the sea horse woman ended up chained and passed from husband to husband. She had no freedom, no autonomy. Dragon Palace was an odd collection of fantastical stories about themes with deeply human roots. I hoped I would enjoy it more, but some stories were not my brand of weird. Ted Goossen did a marvelous job translating these meaningful but strange tales.
Thank you Netgalley for the review copy!
Hokusai
A depressed man meets an alleged octopus turned human, and they go bar hopping. The story is named after a Japanese ukiyo-e artist from the turn of the 19th century (Edo period), Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai's two iconic prints inspired this story: The Great Wave off Kanagawa and The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife. I liked the imagery in the story and the theme of metamorphosis. 4 stars
Dragon Palace
This story is about a conversation between a woman and her great-great-grandmother Ito. When she was young, Ito had a prophetic dream that transformed her into a sex-obsessed goddess whose words enchant people. This story made me uncomfortable, and I failed to grasp the point of it. Kawakami utilizes repetition of a specific phrase (could be anaphora) to bring attention to the main character's inner struggle. Is Ito simply telling her life's story, or is she attempting something else? Dragon Palace has vivid imagery, and it would work well as a manga. Junji Ito would do a splendid job of adapting this story. Sadly, 2 stars.
Foxs Den
Caregiver falls in love with the fox-faced man she takes care of. Once again, the central theme is humans transforming into animals. This story comments on how many people have something animal-like about them, whether in their appearance or behavior. 3 stars
The Kitchen God
A woman discovers a three-faced kitchen God living in her kitchen. He scuttles around her apartment, and she feeds him. Whenever she needs to ignore her troubling thoughts, she prays to him. This story was cute and wholesome but also bizarre. I cannot explain why it appealed to me as much as it did. 5 stars
Mole
A couple of moles, husband and wife, live in an underground hole and collect humans in one of the rooms. Husband mole has an office job, and humans report to him about potential broken humans he can pick up and carry home. This story struck me as a metaphor for depression. There is nothing sinister going on. The moles observe the sleepy humans and occasionally talk to them. I adored this story and its cyclical structure. You follow a day and a night in a mole's life like a mole vlog. Maybe I have a soft spot for anthropomorphized animals. 5 stars
The Roar
A nameless boy lives with each of his strange and strikingly different seven older sisters. I do not have a comment for this story. It went over my head like a comet. Perhaps there is an underlying religious theme, but I am not sure. 2.5 stars
Shimazaki
A 100-year-old woman falls in love with her 400-year-old ancestor. This story felt like an incestuous prototype for Kawakami's novel Strange Weather in Tokyo. Two older protagonists develop a complex relationship. They become close as they spend a lot of time together, but there is an insurmountable emotional gap between them. She wishes he was more affectionate, and he claims she does not love him the way he loves her. It is a slow slice-of-life story. 3 stars
Sea Horse
A woman who used to be a sea horse describes how she left the ocean, her life on land, and her mistreatment by her many husbands. She has four children with her current husband. The fourth child is a girl, different from her brothers because she is similar to her mother. The daughter has an intense desire to spend the rest of her life in the ocean. This was a sad story. The woman's life made me sad, and I sincerely hoped she would get a happy ending. 5 stars
Sea Horse perfectly rounds off the collection thematically. Once again, the central theme is transformation and its consequences. When comparing the first story about an octopus-man and the last story about the sea horse-woman, I notice the striking, but not surprising, difference between the characters. Octopus man has agency. He actively pursues his goal and accomplishes his missions. On the other hand, after she arrived on land, the sea horse woman ended up chained and passed from husband to husband. She had no freedom, no autonomy. Dragon Palace was an odd collection of fantastical stories about themes with deeply human roots. I hoped I would enjoy it more, but some stories were not my brand of weird. Ted Goossen did a marvelous job translating these meaningful but strange tales.
Thank you Netgalley for the review copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes