A review by serendipitysbooks
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 I finished reading Diary of a Void this morning and I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about it. The premise was certainly intriguing - one day at work Shibata announces she can’t clear away the coffee cups in the meeting room because she is pregnant and the smell of coffee makes her nauseous. Except she is not pregnant. The beginning and end of the book included lots of pertinent remarks and examples of sexist workplace practices where female staff are expected to do things like pour tea, tidy up after other staff, distribute the mail on top of their actual duties, simply because they are women. However, I got a bit lost in the middle where Shibata seemed to get taken in by her own fake pregnancy and carried it over to her personal life. But then certain things made no sense. I mean you can pad your clothing to trick your office mates but you can’t really fool an ultrasound. So was she just imagining the whole thing? I truly don’t know. Obviously I still struggle with surrealism in my reading life! For me this books was at its best when its commentary on workplace culture, the experiences of pregnant women, and the expectations on mothers was clearly based in the real world. It was interesting that being perceived as pregnant gave Shibata permission to leave work “early” (actually on time), and to look after herself by eating well and exercising. Sad that it was only because she was responsible for growing another life that these things became permissible when they are basic rights which should be available to everyone. The name she chose for her son was so clever and I really liked the ending both for Shibata’s subversive behaviour and for the clues that she was on the path to a more fulfilling professional and personal life. 
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