Scan barcode
A review by shroudofthesea
Where Europe Begins by Yōko Tawada
5.0
“There was another flash. The camera was cutting time into thin slices, the way a knife slices ham.”
i wish i could give this 4.5 stars because the last story in this collection, “the guest,” dragged on a bit too long for me and didn’t capture my imagination in the same way as the rest of them, but the rest absolutely enthralled me, particularly “the bath.” i’ve never read something that more perfectly captures the feeling of being a woman who lives alone in a city and feels alienated from even her own flesh and thoughts. a fantastic pandemic read that nearly resurrects kafka from a unique perspective and speaks to both the horror and wonder of modern life.
i wish i could give this 4.5 stars because the last story in this collection, “the guest,” dragged on a bit too long for me and didn’t capture my imagination in the same way as the rest of them, but the rest absolutely enthralled me, particularly “the bath.” i’ve never read something that more perfectly captures the feeling of being a woman who lives alone in a city and feels alienated from even her own flesh and thoughts. a fantastic pandemic read that nearly resurrects kafka from a unique perspective and speaks to both the horror and wonder of modern life.