alanzalot 's review for:

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

3.0

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General consensus is that the first part (Breasts) is far superior to the second (Eggs), and I’m in complete agreement. I loved how the relationship between Natsu, Maki, and Midoriko unfolded in the first act over the few days they spent together in that tiny apartment in Tokyo. It felt so intimate. The second act fast forwards ten years and focuses on Natsu. The shift felt jarring, and the story meandered and lost my attention on several occasions. I had trouble connecting to Natsu’s internal musings and internet research findings on sperm donor conception. And to be honest, I was bitter about the loss of my favorite character, Midoriko, who all but vanishes into the background. Strangely, despite being bored by a lot of this book, I’ve found myself defensive of its criticisms, so I think overall I did like it even if I didn’t love it. Ultimately I appreciate its reflection on womanhood and feminine identity and the ways it candidly approaches topics of periods/puberty, body image, motherhood, aging, and societal ideation of sex and the nuclear family.