Comments on: Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

By: Bookie Mee | 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Challenge

Bookie Mee | 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Challenge — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:15:12 +0000

[...] 1900s (1 book) 183) Kitchen — Banana Yohimoto [...]

By: mee

mee — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:13:31 +0000

Yea I wasn’t impressed. You remind me however, to look for the movie. I somehow forgot about it.

By: Gnoe

Gnoe — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:51:30 +0000

Thank you :) Kitchen was on my wishlist but when I received it because of a bookcrossing book ring I was participating in, I noticed I had already read it! That’s how little impressed I was by the book…

By: Japanese Literature Challenge 2 Wrap-Up | Books of Mee

Japanese Literature Challenge 2 Wrap-Up | Books of Mee — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:35:39 +0000

[...] Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto [...]

By: Suko

Suko — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:53:56 +0000

It was unfair of me to comment when I’ve never read her work. Sometimes much is lost (shades of meanings, nuances, cultural ironies) when books are translated into other languages. I ‘ll definitely keep an eye out for Yoshimoto’s books, because I generally like things that are off-beat.

By: wrenwren

wrenwren — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:47:24 +0000

I find your review of Yoshimoto’s work interesting. You start of by stating her work is ordinary, actually repeating it three times. Then you site a passage that is anything but boring, but it is weird so it has no value? I think you may have missed out on some of the aspects of the book.
Her descriptions of the weather and environment surrounding the characters sheds light onto the situation of those characters. Mikage’s old apartment is dark and lonley, as her grandmother is now dead. However, Yuiichi’s apartment is describe as bright and full or life; plants, and family. Yoshimoto does an excellent job of describing and imparting the feeling of isolation these characters experience as well as the possible chance for happiness.
I think that to toss this book off as boring and dull simply because it deals with subject material that may be familiar and doesn’t use fancy words is a waste.
In the original Japanese text, the use of the transexual character, Eriko, is really interesting in regards to the use of female and male speech. I don’t think this character was tossed in to ‘heat things up’.
For all of you who might be turned off this book by this review. Stop, take a breath, and give the book a try on your own. If you keep in mind the isolation that so many people face and experience in their daily lives, you will appreciate and understand this work much more.

By: mee

mee — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:12:42 +0000

Sometimes it’s all about the timing. Perhaps I’m just not at that point in life that suits the book.

I haven’t read Batman comics for ages. I’d like to read Watchmen though. (I’m assuming you talked about the books. For a moment there I was thinking about the movies.)

By: mrdes

mrdes — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:57:20 +0000

Honestly, when I read “Kitchen” in 2005, it was kind of deceptively simple, yet beautiful. Perhaps you’re too used to more profound works, looking at what you read:)

P.S. : Just finished “Dark Knight Returns”; very, very disappointed: it has none of the complexity and complicity of “Watchmen”:(

By: mee

mee — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:34:30 +0000

lol. spot on!

By: Suko

Suko — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:08:05 +0000

Perhaps the most notable thing about this author is her name.