Butter

A Novel of Food and Murder

De: Asako Yuzuki

Narrado por: Hanako Footman

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer, and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story

There are two things that I simply cannot tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, whom she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination, but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew, and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a master class in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii, but it seems that Rika might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body. Do she and Kajii have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of a convicted con woman and serial killer—the “Konkatsu Killer”—Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance, and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

©2024 Asako Yuzuki (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

The narrators voice

Sublime. I want to listen to every audiobook read by this narrator. Also genuinely one of the most satisfying books to listen to.

Interesting look at societal pressure in Japan

Not sure what to make of this book. The first part is a sharp and interesting look at Japanese work culture and gender relations. The second part kind of drifts into a saccharine feel good story reminiscent of the Goonies where a group of misfits crowning achievement is cooking a turkey without getting food poisoning.

Rice with butter and soy is a taste revelation!

This book is worth every minute of your listening, not only about the interesting case in question and the maddening and complex Manako Kaji, but I love the self revelation that Rika explores, and how she becomes a strong and confident woman. Her relationships change and develop deeper meaning for both her and her circle of friends.
The toast she makes at the turkey dinner could have been summed up with “Thsnks to Manako Kaji opening a curiosity in me about food, it has also helped me find all of you!”.

Story with Depth

The story brought me to a lot of reflection. I am a big foodie so I lived hearing about all the dishes and how the author blended it so well into what makes life

enjoyable, subtly feminist, read

amazing performance, it was so nice to listen to. the story is a slow burn for sure, with mild highs and lows, but it is consistent in its overall trajectory. there’s really not much about ‘murder’ as the book states but more so about self discovery and reflection.

A bit hard to follow

As an American listener, I found it difficult to differentiate the names of the characters. The scene transitions were hard to follow so I spent a good deal of time playing catch up. Interesting premise for a story.

Quite a journey, loved and hated at times

And anyway, isn’t that what a good book does? Takes you on a journey, unexpected, with rich characters making good and bad decisions as they move through their lives, desires, relationships. It took me a bit to get into this book but by the end, I was so glad I read it. A compelling, rich tale of women’s desires and relationships to food, lovers, their bodies, cultural expectations, other women, and their jobs and roles as workers, wives, friends.

A Beautiful & Sensuous Telling

In prose like poetry, Yuzuki explores the feminine mystique in a story as sensual as French cuisine. The sometimes brutal (public shaming on social media), sometimes nuanced (concern” expressed by “friends”), external forces and catastrophic internal influences (ruminating, second-guessing) that shape women’s thoughts and behaviors are picked here like Rika’s scab. An extraordinary literary accomplishment!

Amazing

An amazing story of slowly being consumed by your work and those around you, and learning to become your own person. Disturbing and charming all at once.

If You’re Afraid of Butter…

Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder far exceeded my expectations. I found the story and characters to be very well drawn and engaging. The writing style was excellent throughout especially in terms of the characters and their arcs. Toward the end, the story did lose some focus but it did not really damage the impact of the work for me. The author did a great job of presenting these themes and events in a thought provoking manner that invites the audience to ponder many issues.

The underlying themes of misogyny, culture, food, and feminism to name a few are woven into the narrative in clever ways. The descriptions of the foods themselves are very vivid and engaging.

This is not an action packed novel. So, readers who prefer a lot of excitement may not like it. The interactions rang very true for the most part and I found many surprises in the storyline along the way.

The narration performance by Hanako Footman was impressive throughout most of the work. However, there were times when it was confusing as to which character was speaking. Overall, the narration effectively and positively enhanced and supported the material.

I would recommend this book to readers who are interested in the actual case, Japanese culture, feminism, exploring the patriarchy and its power and influence throughout the world, the role of misogyny and how to address it. Foodies might be interested in this, if they are also partial to stories inspired by true crime.