Just as context, I am nonbinary and asked my girlfriend for a lot of insight on the book, as she was born a cis woman. Wouldn’t want to have my foot in my mouth making claims about women everywhere.
Anyways,
I’ve been delving into the world of Japanese literature, particularly those on the tragic side. I started with No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai, which was incredible. I could feel just how much of an impact it had on many of the manga I liked, namely Oyasumi Punpun and Blood on the Tracks. These tragic themes became the trend of my Japanese literary adventure. Before you ask, yes, I am an emotional masochist.
Eventually, I landed on the works of Mieko Kawakami, and from the very first page, I was hooked. Kawakami’s voice for her characters is so blunt and at times, cruel. It makes more sense because these women have been though the wringer of life time and time again. I’ve lived with women my whole life, and I still learned so much about their experiences from this book.
Kawami’s descriptions of regular occurrences for women such as periods, misogyny, childbirth and even just being in the presence of other men is unsettling. It barrels past invasive and rolls around in the “filth” of womanhood, hell-bent on avoiding any sort of safe language to describe the blood, sweat and tears they must go through.
Even so, Breasts and Eggs is wrapped in this sentimental melancholy. Kawakami creates such visceral memories for the characters, finding a way to put into words those powerful feelings we get as we reminsince about our milestones in life. Kawami even dabbles in the surreal, crafting those absurd nightmares centered around those same memories with a clear glee in her prose.
Breasts and Eggs also challenges the viewer’s perpsective on womanhood many times, and never gives a clear cut answer on who is right. Really, there is no right answer. We’re all defined by different experiences, no less valid than the other. I really appreciate how the main character, Natsuko, is asexual too. It’s rare for ace characters to be represented to this degree, and I loved how it handles all the shitty parts of being ace too.
Despite all my drama talk, hope is still a core theme of the book. Even though the heartache and societal issues go unresolved, Kawakami refuses to let any of her characters fall to despair. They may be bruised and bullied, but they were never beaten. Life is cruel, but humans always find joy even in its darkest moments.
TL;DR women, amirite (non-deragatory)
by CarnivorousL