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A review by belle_fiction
Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda
3.0
3.5 stars
Well this was certainly an interesting short story collection! I must say as with all short story collections there were some real gems in here but there were also a few which I didn't really like or get much from :(
The highlights for me included the following:
- The Peony Lanterns
- The Jealous Type
- Silently Burning
- A New Recruit
- Having a Blast
- The Missing One
All of these stories were singularly unique and fascinating, and I am definitely going to re-read these in the future. These were definitely the strongest ones and there was something very beautiful about 'Silently Burning' which is probably my favourite of the collection.
Some of the other stories in this book felt incomplete to me and ended rather abruptly which often left me wondering what the point of these stories were - two which come to mind are 'Loved One' and 'A Day Off'. They weren't very engaging nor did they make me 'feel' anything and so I was left somewhat disappointed especially when there are some incredibly good stories throughout.
I will say that Polly Burton has done a fantastic job in translating these stories and really made them come to life especially because these were originally written in Japanese. I definitely want to check out more of her translated fiction and will also keep an eye out for future books by Matsuda.
All in all this short story collection is well-worth a read - just don't expect them all to be gems and leave a profound impression on you.
Well this was certainly an interesting short story collection! I must say as with all short story collections there were some real gems in here but there were also a few which I didn't really like or get much from :(
The highlights for me included the following:
- The Peony Lanterns
- The Jealous Type
- Silently Burning
- A New Recruit
- Having a Blast
- The Missing One
All of these stories were singularly unique and fascinating, and I am definitely going to re-read these in the future. These were definitely the strongest ones and there was something very beautiful about 'Silently Burning' which is probably my favourite of the collection.
Some of the other stories in this book felt incomplete to me and ended rather abruptly which often left me wondering what the point of these stories were - two which come to mind are 'Loved One' and 'A Day Off'. They weren't very engaging nor did they make me 'feel' anything and so I was left somewhat disappointed especially when there are some incredibly good stories throughout.
I will say that Polly Burton has done a fantastic job in translating these stories and really made them come to life especially because these were originally written in Japanese. I definitely want to check out more of her translated fiction and will also keep an eye out for future books by Matsuda.
All in all this short story collection is well-worth a read - just don't expect them all to be gems and leave a profound impression on you.