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A review by rereader33
Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda
4.0
This was an interesting and engaging short story collection. Matsuda is a phenomenal storyteller, capable of shifting tones and perspectives with each story without losing the audience. The writing is simple yet packs a punch when it needs to, and certain made me feel like I was witnessing everything first hand. Ordinarily, I would review each story in the collection and give my opinions on each one, but there are 17 stories in this collection and unfortunately not all of them left enough of an impression on me to talk about outside of "it was good". In lieu of reviewing all of them, here are the a few of the stories I read that did leave an impact and will briefly discuss:
"Smartening Up"-this was an interesting story that dealt with the more troubling side of female beauty regimens. I loved the discussion on how removing something from the body (in this instance, hair) for cosmetic reasons can do more harm than good. Most importantly, how women specifically are told to do this despite the financial and emotional toll it takes. But the ending was great and seeing the main character focus more on her own happiness rather than her appearance was awesome.
"The Peony Lanterns"-this gets full marks for feeling like I was actually in Shinzaburo's home watching this bizarre sales pitch. Damn, that was entertaining!
"The Jealous Type"-not only did it have the most unpredictable ending, but this is one of the few times where something was written in second person really well. Also, the commentary on how entertainment media romanticize/ normalize jealous behavior in relationships and how dangerous this is to impressionable people *coughTWILIGHTcoughFIFTYSHADESOFGREYcoughAFTERcough* made me smile.
"Enoki"-LOVED the commentary on people comparing the female body to objects either for laughs or to force some meaning/ message on them and how harmful that is to women. Also, massive props for calling out the unnecessary violence and suffering women have had to endure in legends or in real life.
"A Day Off"-really short, but hit home how draining it can be to try to protect women from harassment, stalking, sexual violence because of how often they occur, and how even good people can think of giving up on helping because it feels like these things will never stop. And yet, the ending gives some semblance of hope, which is a nice touch.
Those are my thoughts on the collection and some of the stories. While not every story was a slam dunk, I don't think there's a single one that I disliked. If you're interested in a collection of short stories retelling Japanese folklore with a feminist twist, I highly recommend this collection. If nothing else, it's a fast read that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
"Smartening Up"-this was an interesting story that dealt with the more troubling side of female beauty regimens. I loved the discussion on how removing something from the body (in this instance, hair) for cosmetic reasons can do more harm than good. Most importantly, how women specifically are told to do this despite the financial and emotional toll it takes. But the ending was great and seeing the main character focus more on her own happiness rather than her appearance was awesome.
"The Peony Lanterns"-this gets full marks for feeling like I was actually in Shinzaburo's home watching this bizarre sales pitch. Damn, that was entertaining!
"The Jealous Type"-not only did it have the most unpredictable ending, but this is one of the few times where something was written in second person really well. Also, the commentary on how entertainment media romanticize/ normalize jealous behavior in relationships and how dangerous this is to impressionable people *coughTWILIGHTcoughFIFTYSHADESOFGREYcoughAFTERcough* made me smile.
"Enoki"-LOVED the commentary on people comparing the female body to objects either for laughs or to force some meaning/ message on them and how harmful that is to women. Also, massive props for calling out the unnecessary violence and suffering women have had to endure in legends or in real life.
"A Day Off"-really short, but hit home how draining it can be to try to protect women from harassment, stalking, sexual violence because of how often they occur, and how even good people can think of giving up on helping because it feels like these things will never stop. And yet, the ending gives some semblance of hope, which is a nice touch.
Those are my thoughts on the collection and some of the stories. While not every story was a slam dunk, I don't think there's a single one that I disliked. If you're interested in a collection of short stories retelling Japanese folklore with a feminist twist, I highly recommend this collection. If nothing else, it's a fast read that keeps you engaged from start to finish.