A review by abbie_
Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb

fast-paced

1.5

This was an odd little book. I’ve never read any of Belgian author Amélie Nothomb’s books, but I know of her reputation for being somewhat outlandish. This book is based on her real life experiences working for a large Japanese corporation, and is meant as a satirical portrayal of the huge role work plays in Japanese society. It was published in 1999 and by christ you can tell - it’s definitely a product of its time, and the casual racism and fatphobia made it a difficult read. It’s a shame, as there are some genuinely funny parts, but the sweeping generalisations of Japanese women, Japanese men, Japanese bosses just left a bad taste. 
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