Breasts and Eggs

By: Mieko Kawakami

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Jeena Yi

Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

The story of three women by a writer hailed by Haruki Murakami as Japan’s most important contemporary novelist.

Challenging every preconception about storytelling and prose style, mixing wry humor and riveting emotional depth, Kawakami is today one of Japan’s most important and best-selling writers. She exploded onto the cultural scene first as a musician, then as a poet and popular blogger, and is now an award-winning novelist.

Breasts & Eggs paints a portrait of contemporary womanhood in Japan and recounts the intimate journeys of three women as they confront oppressive mores and their own uncertainties on the road to finding peace and futures they can truly call their own.

It tells the story of three women: the 30-year-old Natsu, her older sister, Makiko, and Makiko’s daughter, Midoriko. Makiko has traveled to Tokyo in search of an affordable breast enhancement procedure. She is accompanied by Midoriko, who has recently grown silent, finding herself unable to voice the vague yet overwhelming pressures associated with growing up. Her silence proves a catalyst for each woman to confront her fears and frustrations.

On another hot summer’s day 10 years later, Natsu, on a journey back to her native city, struggles with her own indeterminate identity as she confronts anxieties about growing old alone and childless.

©2020 Mieko Kawakami (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Remarkable range

Ranges from dark depths to glowing light. Literary but without pretension, she captures both mundane life and poetry in solid everyday language. Moving and emotional yet unsentimental, it’s the most startlingly feminine book I (a man) have ever read. And excellent performance.

Honest, thought provoking, deeply engaging

I found parts of myself in these characters I didn’t have a name for. At times i wanted to scream at these characters, other times I wanted to buy them a beer. Absolutely worth the listen.

Good Story

This was a good story it gets a little drawn out in part 2 but it was good overall.

Compelling and important window

A new view into working class women in Japan, beautifully told An important discussion of the meaning of childbearing.

Great story — very fresh; no rose colored glasses

I loved how the book started with the theme of windows not being a thing you think about when you’re poor. (Yes I listened to the whole book!) Overall wonderful and the narrator was great but I struggled with everything sounding like it was foreshadowing doom., like in a noir film, almost to the point of absurdity. There is a lot of harsh reality in this story. To the point where I had to take breaks. But there is hope, too. And bravo for non-traditional lifestyles!! There is no single formula for happiness and positivity contributing to the world!

Feminine perspective of Japanese femininity

Fabulously detailed story telling, from many different intimate perspectives. More dialogue between characters than I can usually stand, though interesting enough to hold my attention.

Felt like a series of essays

This felt less like a full story and more a series of essays in the form of conversations. Writing was wonderful and I’ll read more from this author but this story didn’t feel fully cooked yet.

Thanks

Mixed bag

Book1 is exquisite storytelling with vibrant characters and fascinating, dark and funny, nonconventional story line. Book 2, although it touches far more sensitive and important topic, should have been three times shorter. I still recommend the book and urge you to make your own conclusion.

Overall good

The book could be slow at times which is why it took me a couple of months to get through. Overall, I liked the feminist message of womanhood and motherhood perspectives in modern Japan.

Incredible Narration

This story is worth your time.

As for the narration, this ranks among the best. The dialogue across the board is incredible, but one scene (you’ll know the one) was so enthralling I almost missed my stop on my commute.