Kitchen

Rating:
Summary: Did I miss something?
Review: This was one of the first books that I read in Japanese because the language is simple (with few chinese characters), it is short, it was very popular in Japan, and Banana Yoshimoto's father is a famous Japanese thinker/philosopher: Takaaki Yoshimoto who writes books with such titles as "The Theory of Shared Fantasy" and "What is beauty according to language." He is one of Japan's most famous postwar intellectuals.
Familiar with the dense philosophical prose of Banana's father, I was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of her books. I enjoyed Kitchen, but also I found it rather lightweight and lacking in impact. This troubled me. In view of the success of the book and the famous-brain father, I worry whether in fact it was really deep and I just missed the point.
These days I think that the absence of a point is partly the point of the book. In this respect, Yoshimoto is quite representative of Japanese fiction today. The non-analytic, fade-off-into the distance plots, the soft, light, visual emphasis of the prose, the sensitivity of the characters who suffer terrible disaster without seeming to suffer terribly. Life is so light, and pointless, in modern Japanese fiction such as that by Murakami Haruki and Tsuji Hitonari, both of whom I prefer.
I agree philosophically. I enjoyed the read and my computer keyboard is a pale shade of blue-grey. I do not think that I missed anything.

Rating:
Summary: Deceptively Simple and Beautiful
Review: Kitchen is a deceptively simple but gorgeously written book. Banana Yoshimoto, in a work of what may be genius, manages to capture profound and deep emotions in a beautiful but unadorned writing style.

The characters are real. I mean really real. You won't find any cardboard cutouts here. And you won't find glamour girls or jet-setters. These are people we can really relate to, from the bottom of our heart. I came to love and cherish these characters and to really, really care what happened to them and their lives.

There isn't a fast-paced plot but the subjects explored by the author touch you so deeply that you would gladly trade her insight for plot any day. I think it would take a cold and cynical heart not to love Kitchen and its characters. I cherish them and I cherish this book. I know I'll be reading it again and again, for just as the main character is comforted by a kitchen, I am comforted by Kitchen.

Warm, wise and wonderful. If these elements appeal to you, then you will no doubt love Kitchen as much as I do.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: This is one book that does live up to its reputation, that became a pop-culture phenomenon because of the its quality, and not because it was bland and inoffensive. It may be short and simply written, but it deals with important themes in a major way. You get that sense of restrained power - like with Hemingway - that what's said is only the tip of the iceberg, and that the author's imagination could fill out a volume many times as long. It isn't sentimental or 'cute,' either. It's very different to explain why it works, and the only real answer is the incredible talent of the author.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, Evocative Writing
Review: "Kitchen" is the first book I've read by Ms. Banana, and I was so pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of her writing style combined with the power of her message. The author's very offbeat vibe is retained in this book by skillful translation to English. It also retains its uniquely Japanese flavor, but through it all, the book is very accessable. The lead characters in "Kitchen" and "Moonlight Shadow" (also included) are stunned by tragedy, loss and hopelessness, while the joy, pleasure, and relentless beat of life are always tantalizingly available nearby in the form of great food, laughter, warm tea, busy sidewalks, and old acquaintances - the only question is when and whether the suffering ones can get back into the swing of life. Yoshimoto's evocative imagery, kooky characters, nihilistic philosophy, and piquant sensory descriptions, all combined to leave me deeply moved at the end of this short journey and hungering for more of her stories. I'm also hungering for the delicious-sounding food in them.

Rating:
Summary: Don't underestimate Banana
Review: I think it would be a mistake to write of Kitchen or Yoshimoto as a literary lightweight, a common knock against her. Mikage and Yuichi's struggles in the aftermath of shocking and devastating deaths was incredibly moving. Their need to create a brighter, happier life together in a death-filled world, to discover how to continue to live in a cruel and uncaring environment ... isn't that what we all are trying to do to some degree or another? Kitchen is a 4.5/5 star book in my opinion. If you liked Kitchen, I'd recommend Haruki Murakami ... especially "Dance, Dance, Dance" which touches on some similar themes but deals with them in very different ways.

Moonlight Shadow was a little whimsical for my tastes. The characters deal with the same issues as Mikage and Yuichi, but with a science fiction touch. Yoshimoto seemed to be trying too hard to make her point about moving on after death, rather than developing a good short story. It was a disappointing follow-up to Kitchen.

This is the first book of Yoshimoto's that I've read ... thanks to Kitchen, I'll be sure it's not the last. But I can only hope that the rest of her work is as well-writen as Kitchen and not like Moonlight Shadow.

One last comment: I read the Japanese version first, and I think the translator did a good job of getting Yoshimoto's style into English. It felt like the ending of the translation was more abrubt than the Japanese version, but I'm not sure why. Not sure if I'm the only one who felt that way or not ... In any event, I would definitely recommend Kitchen- see for yourself if you like it and Yoshimoto's style.

Rating:
Summary: "The place I like best in this world is the kitchen."
Review: KITCHEN was the first book I read from bestselling author, Banana Yoshimoto and I fell in love with her graceful and seemingly effortless style of writing on the very first page. While I've now read several other books by Banana Yoshimoto, I think KITCHEN is her best to date and it's certainly my favorite.

Banana Yoshimoto is, I think, the only one of today's writers capable of capturing perfectly the exact moment when we must leave the carefree innocence of childhood behind and face the fact that all of our dreams aren't going to come true, that all of our wishes aren't going to be fulfilled and that life hits sour notes just as often as it hits ones that are sweet.

The protagonist of KITCHEN is Mikage Sakurai, a woman just entering adulthood who, after the death of her grandmother, finds herself all alone in the world. Feeling bereft and adrift, Mikage, who loves kitchens-any kitchen-begins sleeping beside her refrigerator for comfort.

When her college chum, a charming young man named Yuichi Tanabe becomes concerned about Mikage and her emotional state, he invites her to move into the apartment he shares with his mother, Eriko.

Mikage gladly accepts Yuichi's invitation and, partly to assuage her grief and partly to repay Yuichi and Eriko for their kindness, Mikage begins preparing elaborate dinners for the three of them.

As the friendship between Mikage and Yuichi deepens, Yuichi suffers a loss of his own, a loss that only brings him closer to Mikage. Mikage, meanwhile, has "found" her calling in the kitchen, in the preparation of food.

Although Banana Yoshimoto is the grand master at depicting the first loss of childhood innocence, she has many other talents as well. For example, her books contain wry and subtle humor. In KITCHEN part of this humor (and a part of the sadness as well) stems from the fact that Eriko is not really Yuichi's mother but his father. When Yuichi's mother died, his father thought it only fitting and right that he should take her place in Yuichi's life. Compounding this absurdity (which isn't so absurd in KITCHEN) is the fact that Mikage is awe struck by Eriko's "feminine" beauty.

Even though there is humor in KITCHEN, don't expect to laugh out loud. Yoshimoto's humor isn't that kind; it's subtle and nuanced and understated and poignant...exactly the way it should be. In fact, everything in this book is exactly the way it should be.

I love the fact that KITCHEN is told in the first person. I loved hearing Mikage's story from Mikage, herself. She's such a wonderful character and her thoughts and observations about herself and the people around her are so insightful and so honest and so warm. I don't know how anyone could fail to love her.

A lot of people love the work of Banana Yoshimoto, but there are those who say she's too naïve, too "simple," or too spare. I absolutely don't agree with any of those things. She's honest, she's unassuming and she's economical. She says so much with so few words which is a terrific talent in and of itself.

It hurts to grow up and leave the innocence of childhood behind. It hurts to realize that most of our dreams won't be realized. It hurts to know that life is bitter as often as it is sweet. Banana Yoshimoto understands this particular type of pain better than anyone. While the characters in Yoshimoto's books are people just teetering on the edge of adulthood, you don't have to be that young in order to enjoy her books. The pain of coming to terms with life and the "real" world never leaves us, no matter how old we get. It's universal. Banana Yoshimoto doesn't have the answer to all the world's problems, but she can take the sting out of them for awhile and let you know you're not alone. I always come away from one of Yoshimoto's books feeling comforted, feeling a little more hopeful and a little more confident. And, I certainly can't think of better company to be in than Banana Yoshimoto's or that of the wonderful characters she creates.

I would recommend KITCHEN to anyone, young or not so young. Just please, keep an open mind when you're reading it and realize that not everything that's great has to look complicated. Sometimes the most profound things are the least complex.

Rating:
Summary: Soulfood
Review: To me the non-americanized Japanese culture has always been about being subtle yet effective. Even to a point where the effectivness is so thorough that is starts to hurt. It is as if they are using chopsticks to create their art - you just have to be precise, something that is not required when eating with a fork.

Yoshimoto is one of the brightest representatives of Japanese Genration X (although I hate to use this expression), and "Kitchen" is her breakthrough novel. As many others have mentioned, the connection between the title and the content is almost nonexistent. But at the same time it seems that kitchen is the one place that represents feeling safe and at home to the book's female protagonist. No matter where that kitchen might be or in which state of mind you enter it.

Actually, it should be said that Mikage, the protagonist I was speaking about, is the main character of the first two chapters, because this books consists of a two chaptered novella and of a similiarly themed short story "Moonlight Shadow". The themes are (if I only use a few words) death, love and loneliness. I'm sure I can say that the first two parts speak of these topics in a more subtle, even blurry, language, and that the third part tries to make the themes clearer and cleaner by being more precise. And "Moonlight Sahdow", despite being wondeful, might be the only mistake of this book - without it the overall feeling you get might be even stronger.

Since it is hard to describe a plot such as this one, I would just say that it speaks about normal young people being forced into extraordinary circumstances that help them find each-other. But don't stat thinking that it is just another of those stories. It is so much more! The characters, the descriptions, the events that take place, all of these are written in a hauntingly beautiful and detailed language that still manages to leave a place for you to piece it all together, to find your own bigger picture. And all this on a backdrop of modern Japan.

So, to whom this book is written? Certainly those who want to know more about Japan, its culture and everyday life will find this delightful and informative. Those who want to know how people from different cultures look upon the eternal questions of life in a globalized world will find this insightful. And, last but not least, those who just want to enjoy a good piece of literature will find this book mesemerizing and enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: Two stories
Review: This book by Banana Yoshimoto is a refreshing story (actually two novellas). The book is comprised of two stories, Kitchen and Moonlight Shadow. Kitchen is about a young woman who encounters a lot of tragedy in her life and finds a companion in the least likely of places. The story takes place in Tokyo, Japan and you see a part of Tokyo's' culture you weren't aware was there. You take a trip with Mikage (the main character) as she goes through loss of family, gain of family and twisted emotions over love and hate. The second story in the book is called Moonlight Shadow and it is also about loss of a loved one. You see how Satsuki and Hiiragi get through their hard times in different ways and how friendship can help you through the most difficult times. The most important part of the story is how hoping can pull at a person. You see hope act throughout this whole story. You see it in every crevice and street corner Satsuki turns. You see it through Urara (the strange woman) and you see it through the ending of the story. Hope is the theme of this last story, make no mistake of it. These two stories will excite you and puzzle you and twist your emotions. You will feel their tragedy and pain. I highly recommend this book to anyone. Two thumbs up for kitchen!!

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing!
Review: Kitchen is a refreshing novella. The stories are related to love and death of family members and beloved one. Yoshimoto¡¦s delicate writing deeply touches people¡¦s heart. The characters of the stories are as real as someone who is around us everyday. When reading the stories, I can feel the happiness, sadness and excitement of the characters. In the story ¡¥Kitchen¡¦, Yoshimoto shows how a young lady, Mikage, deals with the emptiness and sadness when her grandmother passed away. Meanwhile, Mikage gets a chance to learn more about the young man, Yuichi, who has a very special family background. From Mikage¡¦s encounter of Yuichi and his family, we can get a closer look to the contemporary Japanese family from a different point of view. Yuichi and his mother show us the relationship between father and son as well as mother and son¡Xbut you¡¦ll have to read the book to find out why. The love between them is implicit and quiet, different from how westerners show their love to their family. The relationship between Mikage and Yuichi is ambiguous yet interesting. The loving yet quiet relationships are attractive and it touches readers¡¦ heart.

Part two of the novella focuses on the loss of love. Yoshimoto successfully draws the readers into the story, the little bridge on the river. Around the little bridge, Satsuki discovers a secret that helps her to finish her unfinished dream. Although there are some other similar stories on the market, the descriptions of the characters in the book are totally different from them. The unique reactions of different characters reflect different attitudes and feelings toward death and departure of the significant other. It reflects the emptiness and loneliness of the modern world, the helplessness of people in front of life; and different kinds of love around us.

Rating:
Summary: I've read this book more than five times.
Review: This is a book that stirs up my interest in reading. Before reading Kitchen, I didn't like reading at all. But somebow I picked up this book, even though its cover was not particularly pretty, and read it. Both stories are wonderful! Best read on a rainy day.