A review by katie_greenwinginmymouth
Gifted by Suzumi Suzuki

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

4.5

Short, enigmatic books like this really work for me - this was a one-sitting read that had very short story vibes, particularly in the beautiful ending which is so open to interpretation. The focus on mundane actions tells us so much about the narrator’s mental state without ever stating explicitly her feelings, so demotivated and detached that she would rather fall asleep on a pile of laundry than get up and move to her bed.

I loved the pace of the story, slowly revealing details about her strained relationship with her mother, and the reasons behind her leaving home at a young age to work in the entertainment district as a sex worker. The narrative pivots around two key factors which are impacting deeply on her - her mother’s terminal illness and the recent death by suicide of a friend, particularly (although she never unpacks this explicitly) possible feelings of guilt for not having done more to protect her.

The one thing that seems to ground the narrator is the rhythmic sound of the door to her apartment corridor creaking then the click of the key turning the lock to her door - this signifies safety to her, but only if the space between the two sounds is exactly right. This routine is described numerous times in the short novel, different factors impacting on the particular way the rhythm plays out such as carrying heavy bags or walking in high heels. The ending words of the book, taken from one of her mother’s poems discovered after her death, beautifully echo the doorway/threshold imagery and leave us wondering about the connections between mother and daughter.