A review by uuuultraviolennnnt
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

My expectations for Banana Yoshimoto were space-high because of the person who recommended her— I knew Kitchen would be a favourite, I was only waiting to learn all the reasons why. 

I found all my reasons through how  admirable and upsetting each short story was. The aura this book has is a ‘true blue’. some favourite quotes:

“He was terribly, terribly sad.
[…]
Yuichi’s girlfriend didn’t understand the slightest thing about him, and it made her angry”

“Dream kitchens.
I will have countless ones, in my heart or in reality. Or in my travels. Alone, with a crowd of people, with one other person— in all the many places I will live. I know that there will be so many more.”

“Parting and death are both terribly painful. But to keep nursing the memory of a love so great you can’t believe you’ll ever love again is a useless drain on a woman’s energies”
Expand filter menu Content Warnings