zankzank's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible. How had I not heard of this book or this author before? I wanted to stay with these characters and these stories so much longer than the brevity of their medium allowed.
labelleepoque's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Grief, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
akemi_666's review
4.0
Exceedingly unnerving high-class BDSM set in post-war Japan.
Recurring theme of the eroticism of subservience (hysteria) perhaps mirrors a collective libidinal need for Japan to reshape its national myth (from dominator to dominated) under neoimperial rule by the United States of America.
The necessity to derive joy from the other's cruelty (masochism) acts as a sublime defense mechanism, knitting back together a totally shattered psychic landscape.
Additionally, willing one's own abnegation (in the face of an external negator), while still self-destructive, may be read as an attempt to return to oneself control (over what already feels inevitable, or perhaps, has already come to pass).
Recurring theme of the eroticism of subservience (hysteria) perhaps mirrors a collective libidinal need for Japan to reshape its national myth (from dominator to dominated) under neoimperial rule by the United States of America.
The necessity to derive joy from the other's cruelty (masochism) acts as a sublime defense mechanism, knitting back together a totally shattered psychic landscape.
Additionally, willing one's own abnegation (in the face of an external negator), while still self-destructive, may be read as an attempt to return to oneself control (over what already feels inevitable, or perhaps, has already come to pass).
wordsaremything's review
3.0
All ratings out of 5 stars
Average of 3.42 stars
Night Journey - 2.5
- orgy? swingers where is the couple?
Full Tide - 3/5
- interesting "twist" about the suicide
Toddler Hunting - 3.5
- interesting but very disturbing. why are all the women turned on by pain. multiple women in this collection are like this woman: like painful sex, don't like children, and man is not really present/loving
Snow- 3.5
- #mommyissues
Theater - 4.5
- loved this one. grooming their unicorn
Crabs - 4.7
- love this one also. what is she keeping from him? the crabs represent her illness?
Ants Swarm - 2
- uncomfy to read. vicious way to treat a child
Final Moments - 5
- my favorite one. her stupid little tasks she chooses, all for a husband who isn't even that great. was she actually going to die? or just anxious about it?
Conjurer - 3.5
- weird. why are all the men in these stories so shitty
Bone Meat - 2
- did not like any of this. bizarre
"You know," she said, "I often think about all of your futures. Of course, I can't say for sure what kind of husbands you and your sister will marry, or what sort of lives you'll lead, but don't think you're always going to be this happy, dear. We're almost too happy. Life isn't always like this." [Full Tide] {essentially foreshadowing for the relationships in the story}
She had once been told that in order to prevent a nightmare [her mother dying] from coming true, you have to tell someone about it, but she had been terrified that saying anything about this dream might have the opposite effect, so she's resisted her first impulse to wake Kisaki up. [Snow] {interesting thought, that you have to share}
pg 107 description of the theater in [Theater] is very on brand and accurate
pg 173 abortion in the States [Ants Swarm]
Average of 3.42 stars
Spoiler
Night Journey - 2.5
- orgy? swingers where is the couple?
Full Tide - 3/5
- interesting "twist" about the suicide
Toddler Hunting - 3.5
- interesting but very disturbing. why are all the women turned on by pain. multiple women in this collection are like this woman: like painful sex, don't like children, and man is not really present/loving
Snow- 3.5
- #mommyissues
Theater - 4.5
- loved this one. grooming their unicorn
Crabs - 4.7
- love this one also. what is she keeping from him? the crabs represent her illness?
Ants Swarm - 2
- uncomfy to read. vicious way to treat a child
Final Moments - 5
- my favorite one. her stupid little tasks she chooses, all for a husband who isn't even that great. was she actually going to die? or just anxious about it?
Conjurer - 3.5
- weird. why are all the men in these stories so shitty
Bone Meat - 2
- did not like any of this. bizarre
"You know," she said, "I often think about all of your futures. Of course, I can't say for sure what kind of husbands you and your sister will marry, or what sort of lives you'll lead, but don't think you're always going to be this happy, dear. We're almost too happy. Life isn't always like this." [Full Tide] {essentially foreshadowing for the relationships in the story}
She had once been told that in order to prevent a nightmare [her mother dying] from coming true, you have to tell someone about it, but she had been terrified that saying anything about this dream might have the opposite effect, so she's resisted her first impulse to wake Kisaki up. [Snow] {interesting thought, that you have to share}
pg 107 description of the theater in [Theater] is very on brand and accurate
pg 173 abortion in the States [Ants Swarm]
lene_kretzsch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
timewarne404's review
4.0
Japanese writers the best perverts of all time, and it's great to finally read a woman author in a writing culture typically dominated by men. That being said this short story collection can seem a little one-note with its obsessions with sexual kinks ( are they even kinks anymore if every character is into them?) Overall, a very fun collection with some insights into the role of women in Japanese society, that maybe is best read with a little gap between stories rather than marathoned.
dpai12's review
2.0
TW: violence, paedophilia
‘Toddler Hunting and other stories’ is a collection of short stories by Taeko Kono. This recommendation came from a Vintage Books Podcast episode where they were discussing Japanese authors. I was a starry eyed reader, fresh off the Murakami boat and decided to explore Japanese literature a little further.
This book isn’t ‘lame’ per se. It’s straight up horrifying. I don’t know what the appeal is in the eroticism of violence. ‘Toddler Hunting’ is disturbingly wretched and reeks of paedophilia of the most violent degree. What’s worse, the author attempts to humanise a person with such unsettling ideas.
.
Majority of the stories in this book seem to have carnal themes. I DNF’ed it after reading 3. The one titled ‘Snow’ was the only tale that struck a chord with me. It is about the relationship between a mother and a daughter, and how we tend to inherit quirks from our loved ones.
.
I can’t even begin to comprehend how it has a 4.6 rating on Amazon. Dark, scandalous and painful. I haven’t cringed so much since.. I can’t remember when. If you like Sadism, Masochism and it’s kind, this book might be for you.
‘Toddler Hunting and other stories’ is a collection of short stories by Taeko Kono. This recommendation came from a Vintage Books Podcast episode where they were discussing Japanese authors. I was a starry eyed reader, fresh off the Murakami boat and decided to explore Japanese literature a little further.
This book isn’t ‘lame’ per se. It’s straight up horrifying. I don’t know what the appeal is in the eroticism of violence. ‘Toddler Hunting’ is disturbingly wretched and reeks of paedophilia of the most violent degree. What’s worse, the author attempts to humanise a person with such unsettling ideas.
.
Majority of the stories in this book seem to have carnal themes. I DNF’ed it after reading 3. The one titled ‘Snow’ was the only tale that struck a chord with me. It is about the relationship between a mother and a daughter, and how we tend to inherit quirks from our loved ones.
.
I can’t even begin to comprehend how it has a 4.6 rating on Amazon. Dark, scandalous and painful. I haven’t cringed so much since.. I can’t remember when. If you like Sadism, Masochism and it’s kind, this book might be for you.
sea_level's review
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5