PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION:

On a hot summer’s day in a poor suburb of Tokyo we meet three women: thirty-year-old Natsu, her older sister Makiko, and Makiko’s teenage daughter Midoriko. Makiko, an ageing hostess despairing the loss of her looks, has travelled to Tokyo in search of breast enhancement surgery. She's accompanied by Midoriko, who has recently stopped speaking, finding herself unable to deal with her own changing body and her mother’s self-obsession. Her silence dominates Natsu’s rundown apartment, providing a catalyst for each woman to grapple with their own anxieties and their relationships with one another.

Ten years later, we meet Natsu again. She is now a writer and herself on a journey back to her native city, returning to memories of that summer and her family’s past as she faces her own uncertain future.

In Breasts and Eggs Mieko Kawakami paints a radical and intimate portrait of contemporary working class womanhood in Japan, recounting the heartbreaking journeys of three women in a society where the odds are stacked against them. This is an unforgettable full length English language debut from a major new international talent.


NO SPOILERS

EDIT TO ADD: The two parts of Breasts and Eggs have different translators. Part one was originally a blog before being turned into the original acclaimed novella, while the second part was added a decade later.

The publisher's description makes this sound like a"three women do stuff, overcome stuff, accept stuff" novel. It's not. I don't know to classify it but I was pulled in completely. There are no cliff hangers, no urgent page turning moments but it grabbed me from start to finish.

It's not a fast paced style but it doesn't labour or drag. It's easy to read although as a translation it's hard to know if this is true to Kawakami’s original; presumably it is. I do believe when we read a translation we have to accept we are reading the work of two writers...and I really like the combined style of these two.

Whilst the book highlights poverty, misogyny and acceptance from a woman's perspective, how it can shape not only her perception of herself but also her physical appearance, it was the wonderful small details of everyday life which I loved the most. The writing is very intimate, like reading someone's thoughts; the extracts from Midoriko’s diary really add to this.



Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin/Michael Joseph UK for the Advanced Reader Copy of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the arc.

I was interested in this book because it was endorsed by Murakami. At some parts of this novel, I could see why. Unfortunately, though, it was a bit repetitive in the second part.

The topics of the female biology and motherhood was really interesting and I liked the discussion about why exactly women want children. I just wish it could have been more condensed. Still a thought-provoking read.

Breasts and Eggs is a novel which triggers your curiosity to such an extent that you will find yourself down the rabbit-hole of Mieko Kawakami’s world, reading interviews, watching podcasts and engrossing yourself in her interviews with Haruki Murakami where she questions him on his sexualised depiction of the women in his novels.

I read and watched and listened, but nothing brought me any closer to writing a review that can sufficiently capture the essence of Breasts and Eggs. Mieko Kawakami’s novel might be unlike anything else you’ve read – whether whether it can be attributed to her straight-forward, blow-by-blow, sometimes quirky writing style or the controversial subjects she so eloquently raises.

Full review: https://wanderingwestswords.wordpress.com/2020/09/30/breasts-and-eggs-mieko-kawakami/

Over the last few years I have started to discover Japanese fiction, Having recently read,Ms Ice Sandwich I was intrigued to see what Breasts and Eggs would be like-I wasn’t disappointed. In many ways two books / tales that are linked through the character of Natsu. The first half a meeting of three sisters and the events of their gathering- at times humorous but also highly challenging in relation to societal expectations and their ever changing bodies and lives. The second half moves ahead in time and digs deeper into Natsu’s life and her desire for a child but is single. The thoughts of aging and loneliness are expanded upon in Natsu’s search for happiness. This is a fascinating book and the author writes with tenderness and a full awareness of the pressures in current Japanese life

This is a fantastic book, encapsulating what it is like to be a modern woman in a man's world. I loved how we were able to follow our protagonist over the course of a decade, spanning a full range of poignant themes - parenthood, sex, fertility, poverty, exploitation... It was intimate, endearing and enlightening. Subtly original and highly intelligent.

"At the end of the day, where is this pain that men feel coming from? In their opinion: us. It's all our fault- whether they're unpopular, broke, jobless."

Raw, eccentric and intimate, 'Breasts and Eggs' is the collective experience of possessing a women's body and owning it despite the stigma, in modern-day Japan.

Divided into two parts, Book 1 is about Natsuko's sister - Makiko, a single mother working hard to sustain her family of two. She is obsessed with her Breasts and wants to go under the knife in order to achieve 'feminine beauty'. Whether this is a form of gaining control over the scattered pieces of her life it's left for the readers to deduce. Her daughter Midoriko is troubled by the complexities of growing up, anxieties associated with being poor and unaware of issues puberty brings with itself.
Book 2 is about Natsuko- an author in her early 30s, who despises marriage but wants a child of her own.

Natsuko reminisces about her childhood, the pros and cons of growing up in a dysfunctional and poor family. As she reunites with her sister and her niece, she discerns other women, their physical appearances and social behaviour. Book 2 however, is more of a social perspective on matters such as childbirth, sperm donation and being a writer/single mother. There are extended rants from characters, the idea behind it all is to show how society cages women who don't adhere to the norms. Kawakami's novel has an agenda and that is quite evident from the raunchy characters and the authoritative tone. The second half of the book is dreary but remarkable enough to make us keep reading. These characters serve as a mouthpiece as the author deftly touches on themes that plague women.

The 'monolithic expectation of a woman's body', the 'violence' behind bringing a child to this world, the ethical flaws of sperm donation and what 'motherhood' stands for women with divergent social standing- it is all in there, within these pages.

Breasts and Eggs is an absolutely exceptional book that examines womanhood from many different perspectives - from the ways that we view our bodies and how they change over time, the relationships we have with one another, having children, and different ways of conceiving. Kawakami successfully bridges generations of women with different views and examines this topic in detail without it ever seeming dry or so explicit that it detracts from the story. I've always enjoyed reading Japanese literature, and stylistically it reminded me of Murakami. It was refreshing to read a book that felt modern, encapsulating what it is to be a woman in Japan today. One of the best books I've read this year.

I picked up Breasts and Eggs as a last-minute addition to my WITmonth reads and while I was curious about the book, I did not expect to love it as much as I did. This is divided in two books: the first was originally published as a novella, and it’s about Natsuko, her sister Makiko and her niece Midoriko as they struggle with expectations and frustrations of being a woman in the society they live in. The second book takes place eight years later as Natsuko has published her first book and become an acclaimed author, but is now struggling with her next book and with growing old alone and childless.

As mentioned above, the first part was originally published as a novella and now expanded into a full book with the inclusion of the second part, and there is a very clear division between both, which don’t really converse with each other as much as one would hope. I enjoyed the first part very much, the building of tension and the odd fixation of Makiko with breast implants. It was weird, funny, sensitive, sharp and humane.

The second part has a different tone, although we still follow Natsuko: the story meanders a lot more, taking us to revisit more of Natsuko’s past, meet other characters and go through a few dream-like (hallucinations?) scenes. I am not a fan of dream scenes, so it’s unsurprising that I liked the first part better, and I had the distinct impression this second part was too long. Still, I enjoyed it very much, the author has truly a talent in bringing characters to life with vibrant personalities and powerful dialogue, which is where her story truly shines. I felt it was easy to relate to Natsuko and her family, despite us being so different, and I was very excited to read about her experiences with writing, meeting authors, going to events. Solitude and loneliness permeate this story, giving it a slightly sad tone, but it also shines with kindness and hope.

This was an incredible, thought-provoking read. I think for many readers this will be too slow, with too much meandering, but other readers might enjoy immersing themselves in the life of Natsuko and the people who cross paths with her. A brilliant exploration of the lives and struggles of women in Japan (especially working class) regarding beauty, aging, the pressures of motherhood, sex. Truly an incredible book!

Breasts and Eggs, that’s a title you don’t forget in a hurry. A title like that has to make You a little curious as to what is hiding within the pages, it certainly piqued my interest.

Sisters Natsu and Makiko have grown up depending on each other, their mother died young and they lived with their grandmother but when she died they supported each other as best they could, working jobs underage to keep a roof over their heads.

Now adults, Makiko is a single parent to twelve year daughter Midoriko. They have a tempestuous relationship to say the least and currently Midoriko only talks by writing down her questions on a notepad. Mother and daughter’s relationship is not helped by Makiko’s constant battle with her looks, she works as a bar hostess and is convinced a breast augmentation will get her further in life.

At the start of the book Makiko and Midoriko have travelled during the summer from their home in Osaka to visit Natsu, a struggling writer, in her modest apartment in Tokyo. As the younger sister Natsu would do anything for her big sister but they are truly polar opposites, Natsu is quiet and reserved whereas Makiko is full of life. Their few days spent together during this summer show the family at their best and their worst, during time spent at an amusement park and also time spend waiting on a nastily drunk Makiko to come home. This visit ends with Midoriko putting down her notepad and starting to talk.

The book jumps forward some years and Natsu is now a successful published author, she has some new friends including her editor and a fellow author and she has a new goal in life. She wants to be a mother. The second half of the books takes us on Natsu’s journey to realising her dream, as a single woman she decides to go down the donor route but this proves to be a very bumpy journey indeed.

Breast and Eggs is a book that no matter how hard I try to review I probably can’t do it any justice whatsoever. I am fascinated by Japanese culture and every time I try a new (to me) Japanese author I learn a little bit more. The expectations of Japanese women by the older Japanese generation is still quite old fashioned, one of Natsu’s friends is expected to leave her life in Tokyo behind to move to the country as the say so of her poisonous mother in law. It is always an eye-opener a story like this but its not just a story, I read an interview of Meiko Kawakami and her upbringing seems to have echoed parts of the book.

This is a great story of sisterhood, female friendship and realising that you don’t always have to do what is expected of you. Please give it a try.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Quite underwhelmed. Not what I expected at all when I set my eyes on this book.
It wasn’t bad. It just fell a bit short.

Definitely an unusual book, but one that's worth spending time on! I really enjoyed the strange yet wonderful world this author created. Found the entire story very engaging and I found it difficult to put the book down. It's like venturing into another world, I highly recommend it. I think this one will appeal to Murakami fans!

A novel in two parts, Breasts and Eggs is narrated by Natsuko, a 31-year-old bookshop worker. The first section is set in 2008 when Natsuko’s sister Makiko and her teenage daughter, Midoriko, come to visit Natsuko in Tokyo. Makiko’s on the verge of 40 and contemplating breast implants. 13-year-old Midoriko hasn’t spoken to her mother for more than six months, writing notes on a pad instead. She keeps a journal which we’re privy to from the early stages of the book which reveals that Midoriko is concerned about puberty and the expectations placed on women. She’s also angry at her mother for wanting the implants. Natsuko is concerned about her sister, who ‘literally looked old’. The two women grew up in poverty and now Makiko works as a hostess in a bar. The strain of work and her daughter not speaking to her is clearly taking its toll on Makiko. Inevitably the tension builds and there’s a superb set piece towards the end of the section involving actual eggs.

In the second half of the novel, Natsuko is thirty-eight. Since the end of part one, she’s become a successful writer with a best-selling short story collection. Now she’s working on a novel and struggling to believe that she’s gone from poverty to full-time writer. She’s also wondering whether she wants to spend the rest of her life alone. This is partly a question of relationships but largely of whether or not she wants a child. Natsuko’s almost certain she’s asexual (although she never uses the term) and this further complicates the issue. In an attempt to find an answer, she begins to research fertility treatment and makes some unexpected discoveries.

Breasts and Eggs was a best-seller in Japan and has been described as ‘a literary grenade’, partly, I’m sure, because Kawakami so brilliantly sends up the middle-class male-dominated literary scene. There’s a brilliant set piece at a literary event which introduces another female writer, Rika Yusa, who has no time for the big male writers and no qualms about telling them. But what sets the book apart is its focus on three working-class women and their lives. Kawakami writes about money and the impact having so little has on someone’s life; she considers the long-lasting effects of growing up poor; she examines what it is to be a woman from a range of perspectives creating space for single mothers, for those who chose to remain child-free, and for a woman who’s asexual, therefore making room for so many different varieties of womanhood. Breasts and Eggs is a breath of fresh air. I loved it.

This is a book that was originally two novellas. It examines a range of important contemporary issues which affect women including: gender identity; body image; the role of women in society and feminism; and motherhood. I found the first half interesting and compelling - the author deals directly and unflinchingly with the characters’ obsessions and concerns. But the book begins to drag as we get to the second part. I found that I ended up just skimming the pages to reach the end. I am not sure why the two novellas were brought together but it feels as if this is to their individual detriment, and unfortunately dilutes the impact of the author’s messages.

I am grateful to the publishers for a review copy via NetGalley.

Japanese fiction with an endorsement by Murakami? Sold!

This book follows three women, two sisters and a daughter, as they navigate life and all the fun that brings. This book made more sense to me after I found out it was originally two separate books - 1) Breasts, 2) Eggs.

The first book follows older sister Makiko who is desperate for breast enhancement surgery. It follows her family as they try to understand why she wants to do this, and her journey as she researches and plans to undertake the procedure.

The second book follows the same characters but this time focuses on younger sister Natsu. Natsu is late thirties, single and considering artificial insemination. This procedure isn't easily available to single women in Japan so we follow her as she considers different options and deals with her friends' and family's reactions.

This is a really strong and powerful novel looking at the relationships between women and how women's bodies are viewed and treated. It was intense at times but it's a book that will stay with me for a long time.

Dnf.

I really wanted to finish the book as I got the arc from Netgalley but I couldn’t do it even when I tried for few days. I did finish reading 50% of the book but this writing or story was just not for me. I found it really boring and wasn’t engaged into the story or the characters. Thankyou for the e-arc Netgalley and the publisher but I am afraid I will have to include this in not finished category and if I continue I might go into a reading slump so I will start reading something else. Sorry it’s not for me personally but others may enjoy the book.

Breasts and Eggs was a real pleasure to read. The writing was accessible and flowed well, it read more like women's contemporary fiction than literary fiction which made the 400+ pages flew by.

The novel is split into two parts - Book 1 and Book 2. Book 1 focuses on our protagonist Natsu and her relationship with her sister, Makiko, who becomes obsessed with getting bigger breasts. We're also introduced to Makiko's daughter, Midoriko, who has not spoken to her mother for 6 months and communicates with her solely through written notes. The events of Book 1 take place over the course of just a few days but by following these three women we explore issues around motherhood, beauty standards and poverty.

While I enjoyed Book 1, I preferred Book 2 which picks up 10 years on from the events of Book 1. Makiko and Midoriko play a smaller role in the second part with the focus being much more on Natsu and the people she encounters. She is now a successful writer and living in a nicer apartment yet something is missing in her life. Natsu worries that she will die alone and decides that although she doesn't necessarily want a romantic partner she does want a child and sets off on a mission to become pregnant using a sperm donor. Some of her encounters on this journey were sad, some were gross and some were quite funny but throughout I empathised with Natsu and very much wanted her to succeed. I think that was the real strength of Book 2 as it gave us more time with a protagonist who was unsure, scared and vulnerable in a way that made her easy to like.

I found the ending bittersweet but felt satisfied that it gave enough of a conclusion to be an ending without tying everything in a neat bow.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am glad to have read it with thanks to the translators for bringing this story to an English-speaking audience.

I received a digital copy after I requested it from Netgalley, however that will not affect the review. My opinions are my own.


So, apparently, this is not just one story but two stories and it makes so much sense to know that. While I was reading I totally got that impression but to see that I actually was created like that makes much more sense. At the beginning of book or part 2 I felt a big disconnection in plot, style and endgame and seeing that it’s actually on purpose, makes it easier for me to understand. That is also the reason why it took me slightly longer to get interested on it, as I was feeling completely lost.

I think, from my reduced knowledge, that this is a great reflection on the lives of women in Japan. Most of the characters are women, indifferent moments of their lives, with different socio-economic background, age, and different ways of living. I found fascinating to read about them and see how they were different but, at the same time, have many of the same worries. I think the main topic of the story would be how it feels to be a women from different point of view. And not only their views but the insight. Most of the conversation take place in situations where only women are gathered with topics that are of interest for them, and it shows.

This is clearly a book about characters and their relationships. But also a very self reflective book with a lot of strong debate points regarding a very big spectrum of moral and ethic issues. And I absolutely adored reading about this characters and their lives but at times, and more often than not past the equator of the story, it begun to be repetitive. I was still intrigued by the characters and how they were gonna end but I also think that the story would have benefited of less repetition.

Even though for me started to drag towards the end, it was a very interesting read that I would recommend to everyone who likes to read about Japanese culture and society from a point of view predominantly female.

I was initially confused by the format of this book because I kept seeing blurbs online describing it as "exploring the inner conflicts of an adolescent girl who refuses to communicate with her mother except through writing". Whilst this is true, it only applies to "Book One" which was originally a novella, but not "Book Two" which focuses more on Natsuko and her feelings regarding being alone and childless ten years later. Europa Editions describes the book as "newly expanded", so Book Two is obviously following on from the original publication.

With this in mind, whilst I enjoyed both parts, I felt that Book One was the better of the two as I thought the journal entries of Midoriko, Makiko's young daughter and Natsuko's niece, throughout was effective, highlighting the contrast between Makiko's feelings regarding her aging body as a hostess with her young daughter's panicked feelings about pregnancy and periods, as well as her irritation towards her mother. Book Two is good, though a bit more meandering and disjointed at times, although I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. The writing reminded me a lot of Banana Yoshimoto (who I love) and Kawakami is an incredibly good writer, exploring the many struggles [working-class] women face in Japan, such as existentialism, loneliness, motherhood, and poverty. It was also fascinating to learn about artificial insemination and sperm donation in Japan (as a person from Western society) and the different opinions people may have on this.

The ending of Book Two was slightly disappointing, although I can understand why it may have happened because of Natsuko's childhood and her feelings regarding her own upbringing (I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say anymore). There's also a scene in Book One involving Natsuko's confusion over a transgender person in a bathhouse which I found slightly awkward to read and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The overall length of Book Two could have also been slightly shorter. Despite these flaws however, both books in Breasts and Eggs are enjoyable, funny, and poignant and Kawakami is a fantastic writer who I'd love to read more of.

I love Japanese fiction, so I was very excited to read the ARC of Breasts and Eggs, and I was not disappointed.

I must say that the greatest strength of the book is the honest and vivid prose (credit must also be given to the translators). This is reflected in the very title; there is certainly no false advertising here. It really does feel like I stumbled across someone’s old diary. Nothing is sanitised or downplayed. Talk of breasts, sperm and menstruation is so casual that their role as motifs and central plot-points is not off-putting at all, but rather interesting and indicative of the book’s raison d’être.

This is a real insight into the psyche of a writer, of a woman, of a person with real human thoughts and feelings. This is a glimpse into an ‘ordinary’ life to show us that no life is ‘ordinary’. Not much happens action-wise for large segments of the book, but that gives Kawakami ample time to showcase Natsuko’s inner thoughts (as the main protagonist). We, as the reader, truly get to know her. Enough goes on internally that external action is not necessary.

One gripe I have is that the jump between the first and second book seems too abrupt. I’ve noticed other reviews mentioning this, and saying that they preferred the first (published on its own a few years ago). I never read the original, so I managed to thoroughly enjoy the book as a whole. Although it must be said, I found Book One a lot stronger thematically and emotionally. The ending was happier that I expected or that the book was hinting towards, but because I came to came for Natsuko I didn’t really mind.

I would therefore recommend Breasts and Eggs but if you read the first book when it was originally published, know that Book One is the superior work.

This was such an eye-opening read. A glimpse into a world I didn't really know existed and had seldom thought about - breathtaking.