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abbie_ 's review for:
Breasts and Eggs
by Mieko Kawakami
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(#gifted @picadorbooks) I only found out after finishing this book that Book One (Breasts, so to speak) had been published on its own as a novella, with Kawakami then expanding on the story, focusing more on one character, in Book Two (Eggs). This is set 10 years later and follows Natsuko's desire to have a child, while remaining single and averse to sex.
I LOVE narratives about motherhood, the more unconventional the better, so Natsuko's quest to have a child using a sperm donor, which is not a viable option for a single woman in Japan (in the story's timeline at least, not sure if it's changed now). Kawakami asks a lot of questions about artificial insemination, fertility, and singl motherhood in Japan, all loaded topics in a conservative society. The first half of Book Two is a little slow, but I was invested in Natsuko's dilemma, and the ending was very satisfying.
Book One (I'm doing this review backwards apparently) sees Natsuko interacting with her sister and niece over a three-day visit. Makiko, her sister, is struggling with her body image and obsessed with the idea of breast enhancement surgery, while her daughter Midoriko is hitting puberty and concerned about changes in her body. Although it does read differently to Book Two, I enjoyed both narratives, although Book Two a little more, once I realised Midoriko and Makiko weren't going to play as much of a part.
Kawakami deftly explores Japan's working-class women through the lens of Makiko, who has worked a low-paying job in a hostess bar for over 30 years. According to reviewers of the original Japanese, Kawakami makes excellent use of the dialect from Osaka. I think this explains the huge amount of dialogue put to use in this book. There was nothing wrong with the dialogue in English, but it is lacking the sparkle it clearly exhibits in Japanese, enhanced by the dialect which doesn't translate into English.
I think anyone interested in motherhood narratives should have this one on their radar! Murakami (not an author I particularly enjoy but he wields undeniable literary clout) is also a huge fan of Kawakami, if that spurs anyone's interest too!
I LOVE narratives about motherhood, the more unconventional the better, so Natsuko's quest to have a child using a sperm donor, which is not a viable option for a single woman in Japan (in the story's timeline at least, not sure if it's changed now). Kawakami asks a lot of questions about artificial insemination, fertility, and singl motherhood in Japan, all loaded topics in a conservative society. The first half of Book Two is a little slow, but I was invested in Natsuko's dilemma, and the ending was very satisfying.
Book One (I'm doing this review backwards apparently) sees Natsuko interacting with her sister and niece over a three-day visit. Makiko, her sister, is struggling with her body image and obsessed with the idea of breast enhancement surgery, while her daughter Midoriko is hitting puberty and concerned about changes in her body. Although it does read differently to Book Two, I enjoyed both narratives, although Book Two a little more, once I realised Midoriko and Makiko weren't going to play as much of a part.
Kawakami deftly explores Japan's working-class women through the lens of Makiko, who has worked a low-paying job in a hostess bar for over 30 years. According to reviewers of the original Japanese, Kawakami makes excellent use of the dialect from Osaka. I think this explains the huge amount of dialogue put to use in this book. There was nothing wrong with the dialogue in English, but it is lacking the sparkle it clearly exhibits in Japanese, enhanced by the dialect which doesn't translate into English.
I think anyone interested in motherhood narratives should have this one on their radar! Murakami (not an author I particularly enjoy but he wields undeniable literary clout) is also a huge fan of Kawakami, if that spurs anyone's interest too!