This Japanese novel is a poignant and reflective tale about conjoined twins who share a single body and their quest to understand their shared existence. Author Asahina, a doctor and novelist, blends his medical expertise with deep human empathy to create a narrative that’s both unique and compelling. The story offers profound insights and endearing […]
Why are books worth preserving? What can they teach us? Dinner at the Night Library is about a library with a difference on the outskirts of Tokyo. The books it houses are from the libraries of deceased authors, and are on public display but not for loan. The privately owned library opens only at night, and is […]
A gritty noir page-turner weaving together family, money, and crime, Mieko Kawakami’s Sisters in Yellow follows a girl as she sheds the shackles of her upbringing and seeks to break free from soul-crushing poverty. Underneath lies a probing exploration of human dignity and ethics—a depth that gave Kawakami’s Breasts and Eggs and Heaven their emotional heft. Our lives may appear to […]
The story is narrated by The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, who becomes infatuated with a woman known as “The Woman in the Purple Skirt” in her neighbourhood. The narrator’s intense interest in the Woman in the Purple Skirt leads to an unhealthy obsession, with her closely tracking the woman’s daily activities. As the story […]
In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, “Klara and the Sun,” we are introduced to a world where Artificial Intelligence has evolved to a point where robots like Klara and Rosa, the B2 model, are designed as companions for children. These robots are highly functional but docile, and as the story begins, they sit in a shop, eagerly […]
This is a unique and imaginative novel that tells the story of Rika Horauchi, a reserved young woman who takes on an unconventional part-time job at a museum. Her role is to engage in Latin conversations with a statue of Venus, who miraculously comes to life during the museum’s closing hours. The narrative is a […]
This is a highly ambitious novella that delves into the life of Shaka, a woman in her thirties with congenital myopathy, a condition severely affecting her mobility and breathing. She lives in a group care home she inherited from her wealthy parents. Frustrated with her disability, Shaka maintains a secret Twitter account to vent her […]
Seventeen-year old Yuko lives with a young stepfather who takes his job as a parent seriously. Despite several changes in her home situation, and being raised by people who are unrelated, Yuko does not consider herself unfortunate since everybody responsible for her welfare has made her happiness their priority. She is pragmatic and emotionally resilient, […]
This is the sixth novel by Li Kotomi, a Taiwanese-born author who gained recognition for her literary work, including winning the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for her fifth novel, An Island Where Red Spider Lilies Bloom. Li Kotomi stands out in the Japanese literary scene due to her explicit exploration of political themes. Her latest work […]
The novel opens with a short prologue in which Amane, age 20, is in bed with her boyfriend, who comments that they are the opposite of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise after eating the forbidden fruit. Now people are returning to Paradise and as the last couple to have sex […]