Breasts & Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd)īreasts and Eggs is perhaps best known for its feminist overtones, dealing with female bodily autonomy, working-class womanhood, child-rearing and menstruation in incredibly frank and no-nonsense ways. And this is him at his concise, metaphorical and philosophical best. Love him or hate him, Murakami is a fundamental part of the Japanese literary canon. Though 19-year-old Mari, journeying through Tokyo after dark, is the central protagonist, the city itself is the novel’s beating heart, coming alive through vibrant imagery and the unruly cast of characters Mari meets along the way. After Dark by Haruki Murakami (Translated by Peter Gabriel)Īfter Dark is in many ways classic Haruki Murakami: A coming-of-age story steeped in surrealism and set against the backdrop of the neon-splashed capital. Its patent eccentricity demands it play a role closer to a character than a setting, while its diverse neighborhoods – and the clerks, chefs, teens, salarymen, otaku, swindlers, single mothers and lonely gaijin inhabiting them – drip with narrative potential.įrom the bestselling female authors who helped reinvigorate Japanese literature to hallmark tales from the two Murakamis, check out our list of the best contemporary fiction that takes place in Tokyo.ġ.
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