Book Review 📚 ‘Kitchen’ by Banana Yoshimoto
Hello,
As promised- Here is my second book review of the past month.
‘Kitchen’ by Banana Yoshimoto is probably not a book I would have picked up, I’m not sure why, I think both the fact that the simple noun of something so every-day like “Kitchen” lead me to have thought it was boring. Also, as the book is translated into English from Japanese, I guess my first reaction was that it may not have relevance to me in England.
Both of these presumptions were wrong
I was kindly given this book to borrow by a work colleague who adores Japanese culture. It was after trying the traditional Japanese sweets of “Mochi” that she actually suggested the book.
Previously my friend has lent me a very long, though I’m sure marvellous, book that I couldn’t get through (I struggle to maintain concentration for long complex narratives). It was through the fact that this is a fairly short book of 150 pages and the fact that ‘Kitchen’ is one of her favourite books of all time, that she lent it to me.
The narrative is one that I struggle to do justice on paper or computer screen. It is split into three parts “Kitchen” parts 1 and 2 and “Moonlight Shadow” - which from what I have gathered of the story involves the same protagonist from “Kitchen” but highlighting a different plight. If not I have interpreted this wrong and it might be two separate short stories which is more likely I must say.
What I can say about both is that in their simplicity, they are beautiful. Yoshimoto has such a brilliant way of identifying human emotions and explaining them so simply and understandably as facts of life.
The narrative of “Kitchen” is quite a simple one on the surface. A young girl studying at university loses her last remaining family member, her Grandmother. On being left alone in presumably the apartment they shared, she is kindly invited to live with a boy who used to work for her Grandmother, alongside his Mother in their house. The link with the Kitchen is that the main character, Mickage , explains from the onset that she finds something comforting about a kitchen, with its sounds and smells. This is pathetic fallacy to some extent as later in the narrative when she is back on her feet she gains a sought after job as a kitchen assistant.
However this story is far from simple, whilst day to day life happens for a girl processing loss it also highlights love between family, love between friends and bittersweet loyalty in the most resting of times.
I really recommend this book, especially if it’s not one you’d normally be drawn to. You really can’t judge a book by its cover.
Molly xx
As promised- Here is my second book review of the past month.
‘Kitchen’ by Banana Yoshimoto is probably not a book I would have picked up, I’m not sure why, I think both the fact that the simple noun of something so every-day like “Kitchen” lead me to have thought it was boring. Also, as the book is translated into English from Japanese, I guess my first reaction was that it may not have relevance to me in England.
Both of these presumptions were wrong
I was kindly given this book to borrow by a work colleague who adores Japanese culture. It was after trying the traditional Japanese sweets of “Mochi” that she actually suggested the book.
Previously my friend has lent me a very long, though I’m sure marvellous, book that I couldn’t get through (I struggle to maintain concentration for long complex narratives). It was through the fact that this is a fairly short book of 150 pages and the fact that ‘Kitchen’ is one of her favourite books of all time, that she lent it to me.
The narrative is one that I struggle to do justice on paper or computer screen. It is split into three parts “Kitchen” parts 1 and 2 and “Moonlight Shadow” - which from what I have gathered of the story involves the same protagonist from “Kitchen” but highlighting a different plight. If not I have interpreted this wrong and it might be two separate short stories which is more likely I must say.
What I can say about both is that in their simplicity, they are beautiful. Yoshimoto has such a brilliant way of identifying human emotions and explaining them so simply and understandably as facts of life.
The narrative of “Kitchen” is quite a simple one on the surface. A young girl studying at university loses her last remaining family member, her Grandmother. On being left alone in presumably the apartment they shared, she is kindly invited to live with a boy who used to work for her Grandmother, alongside his Mother in their house. The link with the Kitchen is that the main character, Mickage , explains from the onset that she finds something comforting about a kitchen, with its sounds and smells. This is pathetic fallacy to some extent as later in the narrative when she is back on her feet she gains a sought after job as a kitchen assistant.
However this story is far from simple, whilst day to day life happens for a girl processing loss it also highlights love between family, love between friends and bittersweet loyalty in the most resting of times.
I really recommend this book, especially if it’s not one you’d normally be drawn to. You really can’t judge a book by its cover.
Molly xx
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