C
An illuminating meditation on desire, connection and women in society, as screened through the lens of a so-called "murder mystery". I found Butter really refreshing for how it refused to fit nicely into the aforementioned genre, and for how it deliberately spent more time on its reflections on Japanese society instead. While it seems like the issue of beauty and body image struck a chord in other reviewers, the novel's musings on idol culture, paedophilia and acts of care/desire within relationships resonated with me more, as someone born outside of the West.
Asako Yuzuki writes beautifully and incisively: her descriptions of food were some of the best I've ever read, and her main characters feel real and fully fleshed out. I particularly enjoyed her depiction of Rika and Makoto's lukewarm relationship, perhaps because I've been lucky enough to have never experienced that kind of dulled, monotonous mix of care and obligation. This, in contrast with the alluring pull of Manoko Kajii and (my?) frustrated attempts to understand her through Rika's interactions with her, was something of a masterful juxtaposition.
The last third of the narrative felt very rushed however, speeding through an array of new and underdeveloped characters, surprise backstories (that don't satisfactorily resolve imo), lingering queerbaiting, and sudden reflections on God (and Ramadan!). In contrast with other reviews, I wish this book could have gone on for longer! The world of Asako Yuzuki's Butter is deliciously rich and complex, reminding me of Banana Yoshimoto's Kitchen in their sensitive exploration of relationships and care in Japan.
An illuminating meditation on desire, connection and women in society, as screened through the lens of a so-called "murder mystery". I found Butter really refreshing for how it refused to fit nicely into the aforementioned genre, and for how it deliberately spent more time on its reflections on Japanese society instead. While it seems like the issue of beauty and body image struck a chord in other reviewers, the novel's musings on idol culture, paedophilia and acts of care/desire within relationships resonated with me more, as someone born outside of the West.
Asako Yuzuki writes beautifully and incisively: her descriptions of food were some of the best I've ever read, and her main characters feel real and fully fleshed out. I particularly enjoyed her depiction of Rika and Makoto's lukewarm relationship, perhaps because I've been lucky enough to have never experienced that kind of dulled, monotonous mix of care and obligation. This, in contrast with the alluring pull of Manoko Kajii and (my?) frustrated attempts to understand her through Rika's interactions with her, was something of a masterful juxtaposition.
The last third of the narrative felt very rushed however, speeding through an array of new and underdeveloped characters, surprise backstories (that don't satisfactorily resolve imo), lingering queerbaiting, and sudden reflections on God (and Ramadan!). In contrast with other reviews, I wish this book could have gone on for longer! The world of Asako Yuzuki's Butter is deliciously rich and complex, reminding me of Banana Yoshimoto's Kitchen in their sensitive exploration of relationships and care in Japan.
