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A review by shrimpburrito
Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto
5.0
This is the first book I've read by Banana Yoshimoto and I absolutely fell in love!
I often read collections of short stories when I'm in a reading stump (which is almost always). I enjoy reading about snippets of people's lives- no beginning, middle or end. The characters in her story yearn to put an end to existential pain, lost their direction in life and learn secrets of their past. Society can be unforgiving and Yoshimoto's characters have to deal with finding their place in such a society. The characters are easy to like and quite relatable. All stories were centered around the dynamics of relationships and had a touch of magical realism.
Yoshimoto's writing style is very warm and inviting. I read the entire book while listening to Haruka Nakamura and that really set the tone. Women writing women really makes a difference and despite the simplicity of her language, her sentences unfold subtle and graceful visuals.
Yoshimoto's writing may not resonate with everybody, but it sparked my enthusiasm for reading, and I was glued to her book.
I often read collections of short stories when I'm in a reading stump (which is almost always). I enjoy reading about snippets of people's lives- no beginning, middle or end. The characters in her story yearn to put an end to existential pain, lost their direction in life and learn secrets of their past. Society can be unforgiving and Yoshimoto's characters have to deal with finding their place in such a society. The characters are easy to like and quite relatable. All stories were centered around the dynamics of relationships and had a touch of magical realism.
Yoshimoto's writing style is very warm and inviting. I read the entire book while listening to Haruka Nakamura and that really set the tone. Women writing women really makes a difference and despite the simplicity of her language, her sentences unfold subtle and graceful visuals.
"I liked just watching Lizard - the way she threw her coat over her shoulders, the way she bowed her head when she crouched down to tie her shoes, the way her eyes glittered in the mirror when she took a peek at herself. I loved watching Lizard in her different poses. The cells of her body dying and coming into being, the curve of her cheeks, the white half-moons on her fingernails. I felt her brimming with the fluid of life, flowing with the universe. Her every gesture, every move, brought life to me, a man who had been dormant for so long."
Yoshimoto's writing may not resonate with everybody, but it sparked my enthusiasm for reading, and I was glued to her book.