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Two beautifully written novellas about people dealing with grief - Kitchen No. 1 and Kitchen No. 2, also known as "Moonlight Shadow." Something that stuck out to me is the lack of internal dialogue; you never know what is going on until a character tells you, and so a lot of little details are left to be discovered.
In Kitchen, Mikage's grandmother (and last living relative) dies, and she goes to live with Yiuchi and his transgendered parent. There are lovely bits about how Mikage understands pe ...more
In Kitchen, Mikage's grandmother (and last living relative) dies, and she goes to live with Yiuchi and his transgendered parent. There are lovely bits about how Mikage understands pe ...more
Such a heartbreaking but also beautiful stories about grief, regrets, friendship, and love. Banana Yoshimoto is one of the earlier novelists in the 80-90s who brought Japanese literature to the global stage. Kitchen is such a classics, even though consisted of three shorter stories (two are related and one is not), it still has this depth character development, intricate nuances, and lots of cultural references that made you missed Japan terribly.
Just not for me.
Both of these stories are beautifully told, and although the translation is a bit choppy I can tell Yoshimoto is a great writer. I did have a hard time connecting to the characters. Their motives, speech, and even personalities seemed rather monotonous and indistinct. Compared to the strange events of their lives, the characters themselves were pretty uninspired.
It was a fine way to spend an evening, but this probably won’t be a book I come back to.
It was a fine way to spend an evening, but this probably won’t be a book I come back to.
Jan 16, 2012
Heather Davis
marked it as to-read
Nov 12, 2012
Cathy
marked it as to-read
Nov 26, 2013
Nina
marked it as to-read
Apr 18, 2018
Mary
marked it as to-read
May 10, 2023
Lynne
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Aug 31, 2023
Pat
marked it as to-read
