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A review by tianabanana
Toddler Hunting and Other Stories by Taeko Kōno
3.0
as a scholar of japanese fiction (as per my degree), i have read my fair share of works that were difficult to get through, whether it be due to the "disturbing" nature of the book or just simply because it was boring. this collection of stories has a few shining moments ("snow" in particular) that bring me back to the days of studying early modern japanese literature. there is a particular quality to japanese literature that, once you get used to it, it is not troublesome. characters seem flat and detached (i assure you they are not) and scenes seem empty (because everything has a purpose, there is no need for pointless detail (take some notes please donna tartt)). i see from a few reviews that some had trouble getting there. (and that's fair.)
a surface reading of this book will certainly make you question kono's sanity (and i almost fell into this trap, but kept reminding myself that this author had been praised as one of the best feminist writers of japan by no other than kenzaburo oe) but, once you consider the backdrop of kono's life (an adolescence lived through the war and occupation of japan), the themes become a lot clearer. while i don't doubt that kono was deeply interested in sadomasochism itself, i find it incredibly shortsighted not to consider the depths of her metaphors and themes.
the most striking story, in my opinion, is "bone meat." the imagery of neglected (whether it be her own preference or not) woman losing her mind after the disappearance of her borderline abusive partner (husband?) was written so incredibly well. think the yellow wallpaper but with a little more spice. there is a lot going on there and i'm not currently in a position to properly dissect it all.
overall, i'm really glad i pushed through parts that i thought were less than exciting to experience the nuggets of gold.
a surface reading of this book will certainly make you question kono's sanity (and i almost fell into this trap, but kept reminding myself that this author had been praised as one of the best feminist writers of japan by no other than kenzaburo oe) but, once you consider the backdrop of kono's life (an adolescence lived through the war and occupation of japan), the themes become a lot clearer. while i don't doubt that kono was deeply interested in sadomasochism itself, i find it incredibly shortsighted not to consider the depths of her metaphors and themes.
the most striking story, in my opinion, is "bone meat." the imagery of neglected (whether it be her own preference or not) woman losing her mind after the disappearance of her borderline abusive partner (husband?) was written so incredibly well. think the yellow wallpaper but with a little more spice. there is a lot going on there and i'm not currently in a position to properly dissect it all.
overall, i'm really glad i pushed through parts that i thought were less than exciting to experience the nuggets of gold.