Reviews

Talk to My Back by Yamada Murasaki

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lexcellent's review

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reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

This was a fun read. I’m so glad that the US still has no-fault divorce. It’s one of the best things about this country tbh. This work actually reminds me of the moment in Kageki Shojo!! where Akiya tells Sarasa that, like her, many boys don’t get to be Sukeroku, and she replies like, “But they can at least have the chance”. Anyway I’m excited to read more about Japanese feminism. I’d also like to check out more of Murasaki’s other works.

titalindaslibrary's review

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challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A manga unlike any other I’ve read before. This long form pondering on motherhood was melancholy, realistic, and contained brief glimpses of joy. It felt like real life. I’ve found this feeling with all of the translated Japanese litfic I’ve read, and this manga contains that same essence.

leslottie's review

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emotional slow-paced

4.0

coversofceilidh's review

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emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

gigireadswithkiki's review

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

A manga collection of short glimpses into snippets of a housewife's/mother's life as she struggles to adjust to the ever changing landscape of her life, there were times where I felt immense frustration with the MC and the degrees by which she is taken for granted by her husband. And yet, it’s so easy to point out and criticize his performative incompetence in 2024, when we have the language to do so. For a piece of fiction originating from 2009 Japan (a country who's misogyny is ofttimes hidden under the guise of its alluring culture), this book is completely revolutionary.

The art style is whimsically simplistic, with stark black and white lines delineating characters and places. The story itself is pretty plotless/directionless, but the short manga chapters made the book highly compelling. I particularly enjoyed how clear it was that Yamada Murasaki is a cat lover at heart.

The true heart of the novel though, is that this book achieves what many other literary fiction stories revolving motherhood try yet fail to achieve: a candid reflection on the housewife & the mother, encompassing both the negative & positive facets of the two, held together with the stark knowledge that the roles are heavily steeped in patriarchal expectations. In the story itself, this translates to a main character who holds no disillusioned expectations for where her life ought to be, while also allowing for a character who isn't bursting to the brim with nihilism. She is multifaceted, bursting to the brim with a myriad of complex and messy emotions about the life that has been built around her; from loneliness to rage to fearlessness, her story encompasses it all.

The book is definitely frustrating at times (especially when her husband is present), but I think the introspective reflections had by the main character and her overall character growth are highly rewarding. Literary fiction books regarding the complexities of motherhood are forever saturating the market, but I'd highly recommend "Talk To My Back" for those looking for a fresh (old) take on the topic.