A review by flying_monkey
Record of a Night Too Brief by Hiromi Kawakami, Lucy North

challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Another in a great series of Japanese novellas. If you've read any of Kawakami's more celebrated work, you are in for a shock, for these three stories are nothing like them at all, and much more related to the 'grotesque' tradition of Japanese writing, with a nod to yokai monster and ghost stories. The title story is a surreal picaresque across a shifting and bizarre nighttime landscape. where nothing is what you expect. Missing features a family, some of whose members may or may not be invisible. Finally, A Snake Stepped On is about a snake which can become human and get along quite nicely with people if you treat it right. They all have their strengths and it really depends on how much of a foundation in realism you like which one you will like best. The only disappointing thing with all of them is that none really end satisfyingly. A bit like this review.