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A review by pran
Set My Heart on Fire by Izumi Suzuki
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book got me thinking about Suzuki‘s ‘discovery’ by the ‘Western literary establishment’. About how she was seemingly plucked from obscurity as a deceased Japanese female sci-fi writer and now labelled as a “counter-cultural icon” and “ahead of her time”. How part of the intrigue surrounding her is because of the inherent mystery that is her life. we don’t know much about her because she wasn’t particularly famous at the time of her writing and she died by suicide. It appears that she was chosen at this moment when both Japanese literary fiction/magical realism and speculative fiction More broadly are having a moment, to be published in the English language and that is ultimately how I discovered her. It makes me feel strange that these parts of her life- her suicide and lifestyle while she was still alive- are such integral parts of the marketing around her books and the reasons why people are so interested in her.
I thought the ideas in writing in terminal Boredom were unique and great to read, but it doesn’t feel to me like the quality of her writing is what’s being sold to me.
I would describe this book as auto fiction. It is episodic and gives the reader a glimpse into one part of Suzuki‘s life mainly as a groupie.
I liked it because it didn’t feel like she was trying particularly hard, but it still managed to evoke a feeling of that place and time. I didn’t find it boring at all despite the fact that some of the encounters she discussed didn’t seem to go anywhere. But that was part of the appeal. The book was published posthumously even in Japanese and it is not a work of sci-fi. I’m not sure how we would know if Suzuki would ever have wanted this to be published but it certainly gives a very intimate look into her life during her 20s.
I thought the ideas in writing in terminal Boredom were unique and great to read, but it doesn’t feel to me like the quality of her writing is what’s being sold to me.
I would describe this book as auto fiction. It is episodic and gives the reader a glimpse into one part of Suzuki‘s life mainly as a groupie.
I liked it because it didn’t feel like she was trying particularly hard, but it still managed to evoke a feeling of that place and time. I didn’t find it boring at all despite the fact that some of the encounters she discussed didn’t seem to go anywhere. But that was part of the appeal. The book was published posthumously even in Japanese and it is not a work of sci-fi. I’m not sure how we would know if Suzuki would ever have wanted this to be published but it certainly gives a very intimate look into her life during her 20s.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse