Scan barcode
A review by leoroses
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami
2.25
!!SPOILER FILLED REVIEW!!
This book was absolutely INFURIATING.
It's only redeeming factor is that I found myself laughing at how utterly absurd and comically, hysterically badly-made it was.
My main issues were the following:
1) The characters didn't read as 14 at all. Perhaps it was poorly translated from Japanese to English, but the writing felt profound and deeply reflective in a way that no 14 year old is mature enough to express themselves in. I find this flaw to be particularly astounding, since Kawakami's other novel, Ms Ice Sandwich, was handled really well and written very believably. For context, that one is from the perspective of a 4th grade boy. So I know Kawakami can write young people well. What happened, then?
2) So much of the story was filled with graphic descriptions of his bullying and random filler moments that added no relevancy or entertainment. I would venture to say that as much as 50% of the story was a bit redundant. Some of my favorite examples include:
This book was absolutely INFURIATING.
It's only redeeming factor is that I found myself laughing at how utterly absurd and comically, hysterically badly-made it was.
My main issues were the following:
1) The characters didn't read as 14 at all. Perhaps it was poorly translated from Japanese to English, but the writing felt profound and deeply reflective in a way that no 14 year old is mature enough to express themselves in. I find this flaw to be particularly astounding, since Kawakami's other novel, Ms Ice Sandwich, was handled really well and written very believably. For context, that one is from the perspective of a 4th grade boy. So I know Kawakami can write young people well. What happened, then?
2) So much of the story was filled with graphic descriptions of his bullying and random filler moments that added no relevancy or entertainment. I would venture to say that as much as 50% of the story was a bit redundant. Some of my favorite examples include:
- Going into detail about how the main character was masturbating (on two separate occasions). This was particularly uncomfortable since he is 14 and this had nothing to do with the story, so why do we feel the need to talk about it, twice?
- Going into explicit detail about his many bullying encounters, most notably the whole "Whale Park" encounter towards the end where he and Kojima are in underwear and fully butt naked, respectively, and coerced into having sex with each other while his classmates are watching. (It didn't actually end up happening, but again... wtf? They're 14....) (not to mention the whole volleyball scene).
3) The theme or moral of the story didn't make a lot of sense to me. The story is advertised on the blurb as two people who are bullied becoming friends, and finding solace in their shared terror. I have two main issues with this.
Firstly, the two never even really become friends. At best, they know superficial things about each other (the only thing we know about Kojima is that she has a poor dad and that she is bullied, and that she says "Happamine" and "Unhappamine" instead of speaking like a normal person), and the end includes absolutely no logical conclusion. I'm not saying that it had to be a perfect, happy ending, but it left so many questions unanswered (not in a quirky mysterious way but in a "WTF did i just read" way).
What happens to Kojima? How do they never see each other again if they're literally in the same class? I know that he quit school temporarily, but he reiterated MANY times throughout the story that he HAS to finish middle school under Japanese law, so how can he just drop out????
4) The ending was SO bad. What do you MEAN he gets plastic surgery and suddenly everything is better????? What do you MEAN?????????????????????????????? It makes me so angry that a book about depression and bullying ends in the character getting plastic surgery. I'm not saying that plastic surgery is bad or frowned upon, but it doesn't address the root of the problem.
I feel like I was dropped into the middle of a story, got a glimpse of it, and then left again without getting sufficient background context OR enough information about what happens after.
Here is a review by another user who perfectly sums up my thoughts. I wish I wrote this review because it articulates so many things that I left out in mine:
There were many things that confused me in the story such as the whole conservation with the protagonist and one of his bullies who was really a bystander more than anything. Another thing I couldn't wrap my head around is why we were not shown the painting and why it did not play a significant role in the story at all after they inevitably didn't see it. The whole book is named after this painting so why do we never get even a description or how if affected Kojima? Also, Kojima really started to get on my nerves. I can't fathom why she thinks being dirty will help her keep her connection with her father. Why not understand his character and show your connecting through contining his legacy or his values instead of voluntarily making yourself stinky because your dad is financially struggling? Like it's not like she doesn't have access to the facilities to maintain her hygiene, she simply just doesn't want 'for her dad' which doesn't make sense. I'm sure your father would rather you think about others around you and how your personal hygiene such as your stench affects them instead of being on some self-righteousness high because your so much better than everyone else because you stink. She deserved the bullying. Okay, obviously no one should be victims of bullying but Kojima's reason for her being a target of the bullying is genuinely crazy.
Additionally, the amount of times the main character masturbated made me super uncomfortable as well as the bullies telling the two main characters to have sex and Kojima taking off all her clothes at the end for no reason but because she could and it let her 'break free' of the bullies (no, you are just committing the crime of public indecency). I am not far off in age of the two main characters and there is no further exploration of the concept of young children understanding and engaging in sexual acts and/or how this can affect them. It makes me feel like author put it in the story for shock value or so it can be written off as being 'dark' or 'edgy'. Maybe I'm not 'intellectual' enough to comment on this book but I feel like it really did not accomplish much apart from an anti-bullying sentiment which I'm sure most held before entering this story.