Scan barcode
A review by dtpsweeney
Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto
3.0
A very even, good collection of short stories. The stories here are quite varied in premise but united by a distinct style & tone: atmospheric, elegiac, listless, colorful but uncertain, ultimately unresolved. These are stories of an unthreatening but disconcerting sense of dislocation. In each, elements of daily life take on the character of the supernatural — part of Yoshimoto’s project seems to be drawing attention to the surreality that is produced by the isolation of modern work and and society. She is interested in themes of loneliness, trauma, dreams, weariness, exhaustion, ambivalence about the future.
This is the first collection I have read by Yoshimoto. It wasn’t a collection that amazed or enthralled me, but I enjoyed spending time with its atmospherics and themes. It was like reading the short story equivalent of the song “Asleep” by The Smiths. I plan to read more.
This is the first collection I have read by Yoshimoto. It wasn’t a collection that amazed or enthralled me, but I enjoyed spending time with its atmospherics and themes. It was like reading the short story equivalent of the song “Asleep” by The Smiths. I plan to read more.