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A review by lilykh13
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
4.75
the first story of the book is a sweet and tender story of the mother daughter relationship between makiko and midoriko, with natsuko taking a backseat in the story. acting more as an omniscient presence than a full character. this acts more as a prologue to the second story of the book: natsuko’s tale.
kawakami writes with such an intelligent and poet look on society, specifically womanhood. she dissects the female experience from bodily autonomy to what makes someone a woman. there’s a tenderness that underpins the whole writing style, like kawakami has taken your hand and leading you into an unknown void. it’s truly beautiful.
the line that truly stuck out for me was that women are “free labour with a pussy”. the harsh reality of a women’s role in society, yet this was juxtaposed with the delicate relationship between all of the female characters. kawakami explored all arguments over artificial insemination and parenthood. with yuriko’s monologue about the selfishness of parents being so vividly real was inspiring. however, my favourite part was the symbol of the ferris wheel, acting as a symbol of rebirth for both midoriko and natsume. this is a book i will be thinking about for a long time.
kawakami writes with such an intelligent and poet look on society, specifically womanhood. she dissects the female experience from bodily autonomy to what makes someone a woman. there’s a tenderness that underpins the whole writing style, like kawakami has taken your hand and leading you into an unknown void. it’s truly beautiful.