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erboe501's review against another edition
3.0
The description of this collection--feminist Japanese folktale retellings by a writer who's translated Carmen Maria Machado and Karen Russell, and who's won the Shirley Jackson Award--had me super excited. I read a novel, Breasts and Eggs, from a female Japanese writer earlier this year, and it made me want to explore more Japanese fiction. This didn't live up to the hype, but I enjoyed this enough to watch out for future work from Matsuda.
It took me awhile to get into this collection. The conversational, sometimes clunky or informal, style of writing took getting used to. But once I realized how the stories were interconnected, I became more invested. I loved finding the connections across the stories and characters. It means you have to pay close attention!
A few standouts: a woman who finds power by not shaving or waxing her hair and letting it grow to epic lengths, a woman with raging jealousy addressed by ghosts telling her to keep up the emotional charge, and a tree who is uncomfortable with the objectification of two knobs on her trunk shaped like breasts as a pilgrimage site for women unable to breastfeed.
It took me awhile to get into this collection. The conversational, sometimes clunky or informal, style of writing took getting used to. But once I realized how the stories were interconnected, I became more invested. I loved finding the connections across the stories and characters. It means you have to pay close attention!
A few standouts: a woman who finds power by not shaving or waxing her hair and letting it grow to epic lengths, a woman with raging jealousy addressed by ghosts telling her to keep up the emotional charge, and a tree who is uncomfortable with the objectification of two knobs on her trunk shaped like breasts as a pilgrimage site for women unable to breastfeed.
giter161's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most marvelous short story collections I’ve ever read! Unlike most short story collections Matsuda’s characters show up in one another’s stories sometimes as the narrator themselves or as one line in a news bulletin. I went in to this book expecting creepy ghost stories and had neglected to remember Japanese ghosts are often playful, mischievous creatures. This is most certainly the latter but with a hysterical flair Matsuda not just reimagines the trope of the malevolent female ghost but turns it entirely on its head. Laugh out loud funny, thoughtful and wholly subversive of the characterization of women in most Japanese literature Aoko Matsuda is top of my list of authors to watch for their next book!
ifyouhappentoremember's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this was a clever interpretation of Japanese folklore, specifically of Kaidan (a Japanese ghost story). It reminded me of [b: Once and Forever|721863|Once and Forever|Kenji Miyazawa|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1177628395l/721863._SY75_.jpg|708102] by Kenji Miyazawa, although Once and Forever is more of original short stories inspired by Japanese folklore tropes whereas Where the Wild Ladies Are is more of a reimagining/different interpretation of Japanese folklore. I was familiar with most of the folklore referenced and I enjoyed how they intersected with modern Japanese life. I also really liked that all of the short stories were connected in some way. They all share a universe, the mundane and the strange living side by side, as it is in the folktales.
I am so curious how this collection would be interpreted by someone unfamiliar with the referenced folktale. I do not know how it would affect someone's enjoyment; it may be dependent upon how familiar a reader would be with folktales in general (some tropes just make an appearance in practically every culture). Personally, I think a reader unfamiliar with Kaidan would be missing a key component. The stories Matsuda draws from are very famous and have vastly influenced Japanese culture. To see these characters and stories in a new but familiar light is part of the enjoyment.
I am so curious how this collection would be interpreted by someone unfamiliar with the referenced folktale. I do not know how it would affect someone's enjoyment; it may be dependent upon how familiar a reader would be with folktales in general (some tropes just make an appearance in practically every culture). Personally, I think a reader unfamiliar with Kaidan would be missing a key component. The stories Matsuda draws from are very famous and have vastly influenced Japanese culture. To see these characters and stories in a new but familiar light is part of the enjoyment.
catlady_69's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
midnighttbr's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
auroraboringallofus's review against another edition
4.0
Joyful and unexpected! I found myself grinning my head off and I couldn't put my finger on why, exactly. It's self-assured and wise.
marrsia's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
rachel_smrt's review against another edition
4.0
Super fun! Contemporary stories full of ornery women and wacky ghosts that weave in Japanese folktales. Matsuda includes the folktales at the end so you can see what inspired each story. Funny and weird and worth a read.
belladonna230622's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a beautiful retelling of famous Japanese stories and plays, putting them in a modern light. It was also really cool to see all of the stories slowly link together.
I really enjoyed seeing all of the different characters and learning their personalities. It also introduced me to stories that I didn’t know before, so you don’t really need full knowledge of the stories before reading them.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Japan or folklore. It was such a fun read.
I really enjoyed seeing all of the different characters and learning their personalities. It also introduced me to stories that I didn’t know before, so you don’t really need full knowledge of the stories before reading them.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Japan or folklore. It was such a fun read.