my review is here http://rereadinglives.blogspot.com/20...

For me, this book is very much similar to "Kitchen"--two separate novellas which are somehow related. They are both lightly written yet hit the reader strong. I love Yoshimoto's clear prose that show us characters who keep their emotions in check, and yet manage to transcend and redeem themselves, all the while serving as guides for our own liberation. ( )

For my first foray into the writing of Banana Yoshimoto, I can say that I enjoyed her style. It's simple and fresh (and quick) but a little light and easy.

The first, tells the story of a woman who is traipsing around the countryside and for whatever reason gets an ominous feeling after passing a temple/shrine in the woods. She then proceeds to remember a woman from her past, who had certain abilities or experiences with the supernatural and the like. Her girlfriend, Chizoku, wasn't all about that and I liked how she would replay the relationship out in her mind (or through dreams) because she had lots of regrets about it and how it ended. The end was very satisfying and sweet.

The second story (my favorite) tells the story of a sister who tries to come to terms with her sister, Kuni, who is lying in a vegetative state and has no chance of recovering. Her family is trying to deal with it and basically 'wrap things up' and get on with their lives even though it is obviously very painful - they are in a way numb and try to cope with it like everyone eventually does. She relives her life, experiences with her sister .. think about what kind of person her sister was etc. Maybe because I have a sister and am that close to her as well, that it had a strong reaction in me. Perhaps.

I also liked how it didn't have anything to do with sex or men. It sounds strange but it always needs to be inserted here or there in most contemporary books, even if it was a one-sentence thing. Essentially pointless to the plot. Like a woman couldn't function without a man, that a woman MUST have a man etc.

In these stories, it was only about the women - eventhough the latter had a man, Sakai, her sister's fiance's brother .. who was somewhat of an integral part of the story (though in retrospect it was just to have someone to bounce things off and hint at something in the future "if the timing was right").

The only thing I somewhat disliked was how flip the character would get at the end of the chapter, as if it was just done in the whole "Oh well .. " style just to end the chapter. ( )