Scan barcode
A review by bluereen
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami
4.0
“You're right, Mitsutsuka. It isn't anything, but it's so beautiful that I could cry.”
***
I read this book at the perfect time. If I hadn’t been working yet, Fuyuko’s life wouldn’t have impacted me as much as it did.
Most Japanese novels I’ve read tend to focus on introspection, loneliness, and the mundane. This one is no exception. We follow Fuyuko, a freelance copyeditor in her 30s, who’s been living her life with contented resignation. That is until she forms an unlikely connection with a man she meets at the cultural centre. This sets off a chain of events that challenge her longstanding beliefs and mannerisms.
Here, Kawakami acutely explores themes of purpose, anxiety, work culture, and gendered expectations. I would say this is a feminist novel, for it depicts several women who lead polar opposite lives. But despite their status and achievements, they’re all burdened by the standards society has imposed on how women should act, think, and lead their lives. It’s suffocating, to say the least, but it’s the cold and universal truth.
Aside from the lovely depiction of light and human connection, the character exploration here goes deep. While the story was slow-paced at first, it sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions toward the end. She did a lovely job of gradually peeling off the layers of Fuyuko’s character as the narrative progressed. And as I flipped through the last page, it warmed my heart to witness how far she had come.
Overall, it was a quiet and emotional read. It strongly reminded me of the characters in Convenience Store Woman and Strange Weather in Tokyo. I do wonder what it feels like to have read this in the original language, as it felt that some nuances were lost in translation.
***
I read this book at the perfect time. If I hadn’t been working yet, Fuyuko’s life wouldn’t have impacted me as much as it did.
Most Japanese novels I’ve read tend to focus on introspection, loneliness, and the mundane. This one is no exception. We follow Fuyuko, a freelance copyeditor in her 30s, who’s been living her life with contented resignation. That is until she forms an unlikely connection with a man she meets at the cultural centre. This sets off a chain of events that challenge her longstanding beliefs and mannerisms.
Here, Kawakami acutely explores themes of purpose, anxiety, work culture, and gendered expectations. I would say this is a feminist novel, for it depicts several women who lead polar opposite lives. But despite their status and achievements, they’re all burdened by the standards society has imposed on how women should act, think, and lead their lives. It’s suffocating, to say the least, but it’s the cold and universal truth.
Aside from the lovely depiction of light and human connection, the character exploration here goes deep. While the story was slow-paced at first, it sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions toward the end. She did a lovely job of gradually peeling off the layers of Fuyuko’s character as the narrative progressed. And as I flipped through the last page, it warmed my heart to witness how far she had come.
Overall, it was a quiet and emotional read. It strongly reminded me of the characters in Convenience Store Woman and Strange Weather in Tokyo. I do wonder what it feels like to have read this in the original language, as it felt that some nuances were lost in translation.