Becca Reviews: Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

This is the third piece of Japanese Fiction I've read this year and I am starting to see patterns and become familiar with the style of writing. Without generalising there are similar themes throughout the work of many Japanese authors, such as the traditions of keeping the voice and motions quiet and restrained, in part, to make a burst of action or emotion all the more explosive.

Kawakami wrote this book in such a way that it's essentially two shorter stories sandwiched together. The first 'Breasts' is about Natsuko, an aspiring, and struggling, author, her sister Makiko, a hostess set on a breast augmentation, and Makiko's daughter, Midoriko, who has recently given up speaking with her mother. The family grew up in and now still live in poverty. Natsuko lives in Tokyo and her sister and niece are visiting her there from Osaka. The second half of the text 'Eggs' is several years in the future, and written later by Kawakami, and focuses on Natsuko's desire to become a mother and the question of sperm donation to a single parent. She is now a successful author, we see much less of her family, and instead travel with her to conferences on IVF and the child's right to know their biological father.

There are discussions of womanhood, femininity, bodies versus sexuality and tonnes more. You could write a PhD on this text and never run out of things to say. Whilst the themes are fairly universal and familiar, such as wanting to change your body and feeling distant from your body, we gain an interesting insight into these issues through the lense of Japanese culture. Not only does Makiko dislike the size and shape of her breasts, particularly after breast-feeding but she also talks about methods of bleaching nipples (youch!) to attain the lighter and 'more desirable' shade of pink.

Some general elements to note, I love how detailed Kawakami's, and Japanese authors generally, descriptions are of places, conversations, people etc. I noted in another review that Philippa Gregory describes scenes by smell and as though she is viewing an oil painting. Conversely, Kawakami's descriptions are notably different, creating the sense that the narrator is glancing around the room or setting and absorbing details. We may not be told the size of the room or the time of day - but we do get the temperature, the lighting, and the atmosphere. These things give you a better idea of how the scene feels rather than looks and I really like this style.

Another stylistic choice was moving seamlessly from describing a real event to a dream, or a day dream, or some drunk or overtired hallucination. Multiple times I had to check whether what I was reading was really happening or if Natsuko was just imagining it.

I did enjoy 'Breasts' more than 'Eggs'. 'Eggs' became long and meandering, and whilst it debated an interesting ethical issue in which Natsuko must make a difficult choice, this choice is solved for her from an outside plot element, which (to me) defeats the point. My enjoyment of this book came less from the plot and more from all the bits surrounding it. The diary entries, the conversations, the drunk dinners, the feeling of an early period, and walking to the train station etc.

Overall, convincing characters, great anecdotes, elements that will stay with you, and a great window into life as a woman in Tokyo. (Bonus points for a beautiful cover!)

If you are after a piece of feminist writing that explores body image, control over one's body, and all the ways society has made that control so difficult to obtain and hold on to then definitely give this one a go. If you're a fan of traditional Japanese fiction, also give it a go. If it's something different to your normal read and you're up for a challenge, give it a go! I have seen many reviews saying they DNF (did not finish) - this is sad as I think a quick research into some of the topics, Japanese culture surrounding poverty and women, and maybe a quick read of some literary criticism on the text will have you back for more! It's worth it!

Read: 18/08/2024

Published: 06/02/2012

ISBN: 978-1509898206

Price: £6.69 (GBP)