Kitchen: Banana Yoshimoto

This book was a very good read. It includes the story of Kitchen and another, shorter story called Moonlight Shadow that deals with similar themes of loss and bereavement, and the power of human connection to help pull through difficult times.

Mikage, the heroine of Banana Yoshimoto's novella 'Kitchen' is an orphan who, since the death of her parents, has been cared for by her grandmother, who lives in a large apartment with a very comfortable and comforting kitchen. When her grandmother sadly dies, Mikage finds solace by taking her bed into the kitchen and sleeping next to the old refrigerator with its reassuring hum. Mikage knows she can't continue to spend her days and nights ensconced in the comfort of her grandmother's kitchen, but she can't seem to find the energy to move her life forward; therefore when an acquaintance of hers, a young man named Yuichi Tanabe, offers her a home with him and his very glamorous mother, Eriko, in their well-appointed apartment, Mikage finds herself agreeing - and when she arrives at the Tanabes' home and falls immediately in love with their kitchen, she knows she has come to the right place.As Mikage gets to know Yuichi better, she realises he is a more interesting and unusual young man than she first thought, but Yuichi's mother (who, before her sex change, was his father) is an even more unusual individual. However both Yuichi and Eriko make Mikage feel welcomed and wanted, and slowly, as she spends more time with the Tanabes, Mikage begins to cope with the loss of her beloved grandmother. But then something happens to Eriko that changes the dynamics of Mikage and Yuichi's relationship - however is this a change for the better or worse for our two protagonists?First-person narrated by Mikage, this is an unusual and off-beat story, written in a charming, idiosyncratic style which, in places, has passages which seem almost dreamlike. One to read and enjoy in one sitting (this is more novella than novel) and then possibly to put back on the bookshelf to experience again when you feel the need for something a little different.4 Stars.

I loved this book about bereavement,sadness and hope. Two little novellas beautifully told. It will stay with me for a while

Everything was fine but the back was ripped were it says ‘Chicago Tribune’ but a part from that everything looks fine

Having recently visited Tokyo, I set upon finding a translated text by a Japanese author that was set in the country I'd quickly fallen in love with, and was not disappointed. "Kitchen" was an effortless, stunning read, showcasing timeless writing. I know that I will read this gem again and again.

Beautiful.

A surprising and sensitive tale that defies speed reading and packs a punch in every word. An apparently slight text that will keep you thinking well after you have read the final word.

Wonderful writing. Two short minimalist stories that are hard to read quickly because the ideas and emotions are complex, but the prose deceptively simple. Wabi-sabi of literature, it holds up damaged lives and finds beauty in the the breaks in a meditative way. Recommend