A review by wordsaremything
Toddler-Hunting & Other Stories, by Taeko Kōno
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]