Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

I finished Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto quite some time ago, but for some reason haven't felt compelled to post about it.  It was my second read for the JLC4 (Japanese Literature Challenge 4 hosted by Bellezza) and one that I am glad I finally read.  However, its not exactly a book that I can truly be effusive about.  Don't get me wrong, its very well written, quite interesting and orginal, but there is just something slightly off kilter about it that makes me feel rather disconnected from it for some reason.  So, I'll be making this rather brief.

Comprised of two short stories (Kitchen and Moonlight Shadow), Kitchen by Yoshimoto is a quirky read that deals with loss, friendship, love, mother-child relationships, and so much more in such a short space that you can't help but be impressed by Yoshimoto's talent of the written word.  The characters are interesting and easily relatable, but at the same time there is something a bit off putting about them, which makes you feel as if you never truly get to know them.  As for the stories themselves, well, their titles are rather revealing as to the nature of each plotline. 

Kitchen:

In Kitchen we have Mikage who has just lost her grandmother and has been sleeping in the kitchen of their apartment.  She befriends a boy  named Yuichi and his mother Eriko and soon finds herself living with them - sleeping on their gigantic sofa facing their kitchen.  The kitchen is the only place where Mikage feels at peace.  They separate for a bit, but after Eriko dies, Yuichi eventually gets ahold of Mikage and reconnects with her and soon their friendship deepens into a partnership that involves, love, insecurities, and hope - basically everything involved in a romantic relationship.  

Moonlight Shadow:

As for the next story, Moonlight Shadow, we have the loss of a brother and lover.  Unable to move forward after the deaths of Hitoshi and Yumiko, Satsuki and Hiiragi must come to grips with their lives and the ways in which they are dealing with their joint and separate losses.  Under the moonlight shadow, both characters are able to have one last encounter with their respective loved ones and are finally able to let go of a past that is both memorable and heartbreaking. 

My thoughts:

As I've already mentioned, I don't really have much to say about either story, except that even now, weeks after reading this book, I am still left with a sense of longing for more.  Ending each story as quickly as she created each character and their tales of loss, Yoshimoto has left me in awe of her ability to touch upon a variety of issues within a few sentences and also her penchant for evoking emotional connections that border on sadness, despair, hope and love within such a short time frame.  She leaves her readers wondering about each character and what, if anything they have gained from these pages of words, words, words.  And let me just say, that though I felt a disconnection with the characters, at times I did feel an emotional pull toward them and as for what I gained from each story, well that is still to be determined.  What I do know, is that Yoshimoto is a powerful writer who has written a great book of short stories that leaves a lasting impression on whoever reads it. 

Reading Challenges!

Here are 3 more reading challenges that I am participating in. I forgot to post about these and I figured since I just posted about the Everything Austen II challenge, it would be a good time to post about these three. Plus, you never know who's on the lookout for joining in on all of this reading fun! So here goes:

1. Japanese Literature Challenge 4

Dolce Bellezza's 4th Japanese Literature Challenge began in June, but it runs through January 30, 2011.  So you can definitely still participate if you like. The goal of the challenge is to simply read 1 or more books of  Japanese literature between those dates I mentioned and that is it! How easy is that?! Technically, I already completed this challenge, because I read Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa and according to Bellezza, reading 1 book completes the challenge. However, I plan on reading some Murakami and a Yoshimoto book, so I'm not done just yet.   Anyhow, please join in on the fun if you are in the mood for some Japanese Literature. For more info, just check out Bellezza's site here. 

2. Paris in July

Paris in July - bliss! What a lovely idea for a challenge. Thanks to Bookbath and Thyme for Tea, that is exactly what I will be doing in July - enjoying Paris! Well, actually, I'll be enjoying Paris via books, film, music and food. And let me just say, I'm really looking forward to it!  The challenge runs through the entire month of July.  All you have to do is blog about anything French - how great is that!?! So, just read a French book (fiction or non-fiction), watch a French movie, listen to French music, cook some French food  or experience French art, architecture or travel and you are gold!  For more info, check out Bookbath or Thyme for Tea.  Hope you join us on our Parisian adventure!

3. The Summer Reading Challenge 2010

Hosted by Coconut Library, this reading challenge is rather straight forward.  Beginning June 1, 2010 and ending on August 31, 2010, all you have to do is read.  The goal is to have read 3000 pages by the end of the challenge.  How simple is that!?! I like this challenge, because it will help me to keep track of how much I've read and also because it'll inspire to read more this summer so that I can hit that mark of 3000.  So far I've read 880 pages, which is not too shabby.  Combined with the other challenges I'm participating in, I'm sure to reach 3000 before summer's end.  If you want to join in on the fun, check out CL's site here.
 
Alright, well I'm off to read. Cheers and happy reading!!!

Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa

Description from book flap:

In a crumbling seaside hotel on the coast of Japan, quiet seventeen-year-old Mari works the front desk as her mother tends to the off-season customers.  When one night they are forced to expel a middle-aged man and a prostitute from their room, Mari finds herself drawn to the man's voice, in what will become the first gesture of a single long seduction.  In spite of her provincial surroundings, and her cool but controlling mother, Mari is a sophisticated observer of human desire, and she sees in this man something she has long been looking for.

The man is a proud if threadbare translator living on an island off the coast.  A widower, there are whispers around town that he may have murdered his wife.  Mari begins to visit him on his island, and he soon initiates her into a dark realm of both pain and pleasure, a place in which she finds herself more at ease even than the translator.  As Mari's mother begins to close in on the affair, Mari's sense of what is suitable and what is desirable are recklessly engaged.

My thoughts:

Wow. Ogawa has written another haunting novel.  I'm not sure what to write about this book, because truthfully there were times that I was rather shocked at the deplorable and violent manner in which Mari was treated by her companion, the translator.  Her first foray into an intimate relationship consisted of being tied up, hung by the ceiling, photographed, physically and verbally abused - all of which Mari craved and enjoyed.  So, why did I cringe whilst reading about this S&M relationship? Because Mari is seventeen and has never experienced unconditional love from anyone (except her father, who was an alcoholic that died rather suddenly in Mari's young life).  She believes she is ugly and undeserving of happiness and views her relationship with the translator as a means of escape from her stagnant life at the hotel; where her mother roughly brushes her hair every morning and constantly berates her for merely existing.  With no friends to talk with or hang out, Mari relishes the freedom she feels when she is with the translator.   And this translator takes advantage of Mari's naivete.  He engages this young lady by playing on her loneliness and desperation.  At first, he seems rather odd, but quiet and soft spoken.  There is a walk around town and a wave goodbye, which leads to a letter that implores Mari to please meet him again.  Once they are on his island and in his house, the atmosphere shifts and the translator is no longer kind - instead he becomes forceful and authoritative with regards to what he expects from Mari.  Its interesting to watch this relationship progress throughout the book and the ways in which Mari's demeanor changes, along with her feelings about her body and self.  I think that the introduction of the translator's nephew was an easy way to begin the ending of Mari's relationship with the translator. Of course, the ending is not what I expected.  I won't spoil the ending for you, but suffice it to say that the translator turns out to be just as ugly a person as I had figured out earlier.  As for Mari, I'm not sure what I feel towards her, except disappointment and pity.  In the end, these characters definitely captured my attention as did their story.  Ogawa is able to describe a scene so vividly that you can clearly picture Mari's thrill at deceiving her mother or the excitement she felt while reading the translator's letters tucked away behind the front desk when no one was looking.  The writing is solid and the tone is perfect at capturing the unpredictable shift of events throughout the novel.  I would definitely recommend this book to Ogawa fans.

Happy reading to all! I'm off to finish reading Jean Rhys', Let Them Call It Jazz.

By the by, this read counts towards two of my reading challenges: Bellezza's Japanese Literature Challenge 4 and CL's The Summer Reading Challenge 2010 - (Click on the links to find out more about each challenge, if you are interested in joining in on the reading fun).  Bazinga for me!