one more in the category “lives that are wildly different from mine”.
the book consists of two parts, each corresponding thematically with breasts and eggs. in the first part protagonist’s sister was obsessed with getting a breast enlargement surgery, and in the second part protagonist herself was obsessed with getting pregnant.
of course, this is gross oversimplification of all the themes that the novel touches upon. the reader gets to know natsuko’s dreams, fears, traumas of the past, and hopes for the future. there is struggle to find meaningful job, pondering what it means to be lonely these days, why people should and should not have children. one book, so many thoughts.
other works of mieko kawakami are on my to-read list after reading “breasts and eggs”. thankfully, quite a few of them are translated from japanese to english.
opinions about books 