BOOK HAUL + REVIEW

BANANA-MANIA

Super late, like 20+ years, to the trend. I adored Kitchen because the writing is beautiful and profound. The book's two stories are about grief: finding people that are also experiencing loss, communicating with them, and overcoming the grief. I was surprised by the fantastical/magical realism aspect. Kitchen was one of my favorite books this year, so I wanted to read more of Banana Yoshimoto's words.

Coincidentally, I purchased the books she wrote/published right after Kitchen. I purchased N.P., Lizard, and Asleep—I listed them chronologically. If I had known that I would read her bibliography chronologically, I also would've picked up Amrita, but I'm glad I didn't because it doesn't sound that great.

I liked N.P., but I wish it was more sinister. The catalyst for the plot is a story by a Japanese author who committed suicide, the people the translate his final story also commit suicide, and this story brings people closer together. It had the makings of a mystery and thriller; sadly, it's not. I was excited when a character was introduced because other characters described her as crazy, and I expected a Mrs. Danvers-style villain. I'm so disappointed. 

N.P. is about people becoming fast friends through shared trauma but through rose-colored glasses. It's not very realistic, and it feels like you're just floating on water, going wherever the water takes you without questioning anything. Oh, look, a person is getting murdered. *shrugs* Oh well! That's what the story is like. Wish the characters had more backbone and had more depth than their quirks.

While there are moments of fantastic writing, I do not think it's as amazing and poignant as Kitchen. Perhaps it's the translation and tone of translation that threw me off. The afterword explains why many random aspects were thrown together but doesn't justify "what I went through." 

Also that cover is hideous.

I was currently reading Lizard as I first wrote this post. While reading, I *finally* noticed the trend of first-person narration in Yoshimoto's work. It can get old if you read her books in succession and in one sitting, but it should be fine if you're reading this on your commute/on and off. I recommend her books if you're commuting because they're light literary-wise and literally. 

Also, because it's translation, it's difficult at first to distinguish the gender of the narrator; if you read the original Japanese, I'm sure you can immediately identify the gender of the narrator. It's mainly love stories, men talking about their feelings, etc. It's pretty prose, but it's not resonating with me. 

After finishing, "Blood and Water" was my favorite from the collection of short stories because it was less romance-centric and more familial. There are stories about newlywed issues, past trauma affecting your relationships, I still don't quite understand what Helix is about/think it's the weakest link, having affairs, and being a "reformed" nymphomaniac in that order. It's a collection of weird/off-beat stories; you're bound to find something that resonates with you. 

Sadly, I started to dislike Banana Yoshimoto's works more and more. It was the writing; it bored me. I thought Asleep was the worst collection. 1/3 stories were enjoyable. The first story is about incest heartbreak, the second is a sapphic ghost story with an enabling male love interest, and the last is also about an affair.

My favorite was the slightly homoerotic ghost story. But, I did also somewhat enjoy the last story because I related to the female protagonist to some capacity. She doesn't know what to do with her life, her idelness makes her tired and ambivalent towards life, and she needs something that challenges her/preoocupies her time to have some purpose. 

BOOK DEPOSITORY

I've been trying to buy more secondhand books, but sometimes the prices are much higher than buying them new, which is baffling. 

I purchased two books by, you guessed it, Japanese authors. I purchased Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa because the premise sounds great, and their name is Durian <3. In my first foray into Hiromi Kawakami's works, I will read Strange Weather in Tokyo.

Lastly, for my first Korean fiction, I will read, unsurprisingly, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo. All the BTS fans are cheering. I am not ARMY, btw, not that there is anything wrong with being a BTS fan. Please do not come for me. Spare me. I would like to see another day.

It was a journey to get these books because there was a mixup at the post office, but that's all sorted. I was anxiously tracking the parcels. It's not that serious, but I made it such a big deal because of the inconvenience...