Kitchen

by Banana Yoshimoto

Kitchen

by
Banana Yoshimoto

book data

3,902 ratings, 3.81 average rating, 434 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		25%
4		38%
3		27%
2		6%
1		1%

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published

July 28th 2002 by Tusquets (first published 1987)

details

Paperback, 150 pages

literary awards

Nihon University Department of Arts Prize (1986), Kaien magazine New Writer Prize (1987)

isbn

8472233863 (isbn13: 9788472233867)

description

When Banana Yoshimoto's Kitchen was first published in Japan in 1988, "Banana-mania" seized the country. Kitchen won two of Japan's most pre…more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 4,997)

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Jul 09, 2007

Jason Pettus rated it:

(review of isbn 0671880187)

Oh, let's face it; I love everything Banana Yoshimoto's ever written! But that said, she's not for everyone; she's a minimalist storyteller, at least in my opinion, able to turn the emotional state of the right reader with the flick of just one beautiful perfect phrase, but only if you're ready to catch that beautiful perfect phrase and appreciate it for what it is. Give up on this review yet? Then you shouldn't be reading Yoshimoto! Actually consisting of two novellas, Kitchen (named after the ...more

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Apr 07, 2007

ruzmarì rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

"Kitchen" is a great little novella, and reading it is like having an old friend come to stay with you for a few days out of the blue. That one friend who had just the perfect quirky turn of phrase, the oddly poetic outlook on things like noodles and shoelace-tips. Yoshimoto's writing has matured since "Kitchen," but this story remains fresh and thoughtful, charming and simple and deep. My favorite part of the book, though, isn't the title novella but the one included afte...more

Like this review? yes (6 people liked it)

1 comment

Jun 11, 2009

Jia rated it:

(review of other edition)

Read in June, 2009

"Mikage, kau terpesona pada ibuku?" tanyanya.

"Begitulah. Habis dia cantik sekali," kataku jujur.

"Ya, ya," sambil tertawa, Yuichi berjalan ke arahku lalu duduk di lantai di depanku. "Dia menjalani operasi plastik."

"Masa?" tanyaku berpura-pura tenang. "Mungkin karena itu wajah kalian samasekali tidak mirip."

"Bukan itu saja...," Yuichi melanjutkan tanpa mampu menahan geli, "dia...more

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Apr 03, 2008

Shery rated it:

(review of isbn 057116790X)

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: everyone, teens, adults

Although this book surrounded many themes of love and death, it was surprisingly light and refreshing. Yoshimoto writes in a very classy but bold style which conveys the inner strength of main characters.

The first character, Mikage is a young adult living in contemporary Japan, whose grandmother had died at the beginning of the book. She then moves in with a friend, Yuichi, and his mother, Eriko who was a transsexual. Through a series of events, which includes another death, and slo...more

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Jan 20, 2008

Shimelle rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Shimelle by: Jen

Having read this last week, I'm now confused. Not about the book (which reads in a way that doesn't require the slightest bit of effort) or about Japanese culture (which comes to life with enough universality to make sense). No. I was confused as to why, with an MA in contemporary English literature -- and a specialism in gender studies -- I had only come to find this book now, at the suggestion of a dear friend. During my studies, professors lauded extremes. Books like Tim & Pete, Dennis C...more

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Jul 03, 2007

Leslie rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

bookshelves: favorites

Read in August, 2003

recommends it for: those who like reading about eating, fans of green tea, udon, and tempura

Brooklyn has the best tag sales. People there seem to only own good stuff, and sometimes get in the mood to sell it all off for fifty cents a pop. It was at such a tag sale that I spotted the book, which I had earlier seen on the "currently reading" list of a very ahead-of-the-curve friend's blog (that was in 2001, before "blog" had entered the mainstream vocabulary and this Yoshimoto reading dude was the only person I knew who had one). The tag sale also featured some beauti...more

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3 comments

Feb 27, 2008

Jennifer rated it:

(review of isbn 0671880187)

Read in February, 2008

Any time I try to read Japanese novels I feel like I'm missing something. In Kitchen, as in the few other Japanese novels I've read, the prose seems flat and spare. I'm beginning to think it's not a question of translation and more a question of a different writing style. Mikage, a young woman, is left alone when her grandmother dies, following the deaths of her parents and grandfather. She ends up being sort of adopted by the Tanabe family, a young man her age and his transsexual (m to f) m...more

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Feb 17, 2009

Black Elephants rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

bookshelves: short-story

Read in March, 2006

Kitchen is a novel made up of two short stories - the eponymous one and another, by one of Japan’s most popular contemporary writers Banana Yoshimoto. This was actually her debut novel and it contains all the zest and magic of a new author just setting out.

The two stories, while separate, are connected by the themes of love, loss and enchantment in a world of reality. Our first opens with the protagonist Mikage unsure how to move on after her grandmother’s death (being her only the...more Kitchen is a novel made up of two short stories - the eponymous one and another, by one of Japan’s most popular contemporary writers Banana Yoshimoto. This was actually her debut novel and it contains all the zest and magic of a new author just setting out.

The two stories, while separate, are connected by the themes of love, loss and enchantment in a world of reality. Our first opens with the protagonist Mikage unsure how to move on after her grandmother’s death (being her only then living relation in the world), and how she ends up moving in with the quiet but intriguing Yuichi and his mother/father Eriko. The second is about young Satsuki who has lost her young lover of many years and her meeting of the enigmatic Urara, who seems to know something of how she can meet him again.

What I really loved about these stories was the language, and I have always believed that if the translation (in this case done by Megan Backus) is phenomenal then the original must go even beyond that. But all credit does not wholly belong to the translator, Banana Yoshimoto herself is very aware of her words. It’s not so much an elegance or ornamentation of language but more the grace of simplicity and a focus on regular details. Many of today’s novels take the reader on a roller-coaster ride through plots and characters of the fantastic, the grotesque, and the bizarre, but Yoshimoto, even with her plots of dreams and the dead, is refreshingly on Planet Earth, and the effect is lovely.

Some quotes:

“The space that cannot be filled, no matter how cheerfully a child and an old person are living together - the deathly silence that, panting in a corner of the room, pushes its way in like a shudder” (21).

“Looking out the window as the evening wind came through the screen door, a remnant of pale blue stretching over the hot sky, we ate boiled pork, cold Chinese noodles and cucumber salad. I cooked for them: she who made a fuss over everything I did; he who ate vast quantities in silence” (57).

“Memorizing the recipe, I would make carrot cakes that included a bit of my soul. At the supermarket I would stare at a bright red tomato, loving it for dear life. Having known such joy, there was no going back” (59).

My new vocabulary word:

“Jostled by the motion of the bus, I was determined to keep that dirigible, so far off in the sky, in sight no matter what” (34)

n. A self-propelled lighter-than-air craft with directional control surfaces

(less)

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Jan 06, 2010

Dewi Kharisma rated it:

(review of other edition)

bookshelves: review

Read in January, 2010

Menyelesaikannya dalam 5 hari. Bahkan sesungguhnya engga berniat menyelesaikannya dan ingin membuat kisahnya dalam benakku menggantung saja. Karena, apa yang bisa diharapkan dari kalimat-kalimat indah yang memiliki akhir?

Entah penulisnya atau penerjemahnya yang memiliki kosa kata indah memabukkan. Yang jelas, yup, itu terjadi dalam novel 'Kitchen' ini. Saking sukanya dengan kalimat-kalimat dalam novel ini, saya bahkan bertekad untuk mulai 'belajar memberi highlight dengan stabilo' un...more

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Dec 19, 2009

Indah ip rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

Buku ini terdiri dari dua novelet: Kitchen dan Moonlight Shadow.

Tertarik beli buku ini satu, karena covernya simpel tapi cantik, kedua, karena judul dan ceritanya berkaitan sama dapur.I love kitchen!Buat saya dapur adalah tempat belajar, tempat saya bisa hilang dan larut dalam sebuah dunia tersendiri yang menantang dan mengasyikkan :-)

Kedua kisah di dalamnya intinya sama, tentang rasa sedih dan bagaimana menghadapinya. Yang paling saya suka adalah kalimat-kalimat sang "...more

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Jun 03, 2009

Blackbird Ravenousmind rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

Read in June, 2009

The reasons why I bought this book were quite silly. First, I got extra money in my pocket and then the second was some kind of feeling that saying tome, "this is a good and simple book which worth to read and collect". Luckily I was right. Although if I was wrong I still would read and keep it, though I won't touch it anymore. If you buy some food that's not delicious, you could easily throw it or let it rotten, but book is the only thing I couldn't expell from my room.
Like any ...more

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Dec 07, 2008

Trin rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

bookshelves: fiction, japanese-lit

Read in December, 2008

Not as blatantly annoying as N.P., but still not very good. (Why did I read it at all, you legitimately inquire? Because I bought both it and N.P. at the same time, for 25¢ each, and I felt obligated. Yes, even at 25¢. At least it was short.) As in N.P., Yoshimoto writes conversations between characters that bear absolutely no relationship to the way people actually talk:

“Don’t fall asleep,” said Yuichi.
“I’m not. I really love doing this, writing change-of-address ...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

2 comments

Jul 21, 2009

Candace rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

bookshelves: 2009-first-time-reads, foreign-authors

Read in July, 2009

I can honestly say that this is not a book that I would have normally picked up and decided to read, but after reading several good reviews, I decided to give it a try. I had no idea what the story was about and had never even heard of the author (but as I'm trying to somewhat broaden my reading horizons, I figured - why not?)

Kitchen is the story of a young girl named Mikage who was raised by her grandmother who has recently passed away. After her grandmother's passing, Mikage goes...more

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Feb 05, 2009

Sara rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

Read in January, 2008

This is one of those books that I picked up years ago, started to read, put down and did not pick up for years and years. I guess it was last spring or summer I was looking for something to read and finally picked it back up again.

Kitchen was an OK novel about love, loss, and trying to build yourself back up after experiencing loss (via death). It took me awhile to get into her very simplistic style (although it works for some books/stories, it just seemed to be a little too simplis...more

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Oct 24, 2009

Vickie rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

Read in October, 2009

I find it difficult to review a book that has been translated from another language, especially ones as grammatically different as Japanese. Are the words truly as transformative as they seem or is it the work of a transcendental translator?

Further complicating matters is the fact that this book was/is a monumental success, despite the critiques leveled at it by the more serious members of the literary community. Populist vs. Intellectual... nowadays this conflict seems to be growin...more I find it difficult to review a book that has been translated from another language, especially ones as grammatically different as Japanese. Are the words truly as transformative as they seem or is it the work of a transcendental translator?

Further complicating matters is the fact that this book was/is a monumental success, despite the critiques leveled at it by the more serious members of the literary community. Populist vs. Intellectual... nowadays this conflict seems to be growing too heated to remain polite conversation.

Now, to the uncomplicated part. I like this book. It made me happy to read it, despite the consistent tragedies. The imagery in "Kitchen" especially moved me. In describing a summer when she was happy, Mikage expounds on her joys in cooking, and food. "At the supermarket I would stare at a bright red tomato, loving it for dear life." I love this line.

Banana Yoshimoto's book is excellent at encapsulating the 80's for me. Japan was going through a terrible economic recession, and likewise, Mikage lost every single one of her relatives. Suddenly she is relying on people she hardly knows. You have Eriko, a character who is larger than life and outlandish in a way that was shocking back then, and solid, quiet Yuichi. Through their support Mikage is able to reconnect with what makes her happy in life--cooking--and despite continued tragedies they make their way through with love. Dawwww. It makes me nostalgic for those simpler times as opposed to the doom and gloom of later pop culture literature.

The second story, "Moonlight Shadow", has a metaphysical aspect that, while very Japanese, also translates well to popular ghost stories in the West. Shorter, but more tightly weaved than "Kitchen", I found it to be a pleasant addition. I di like "Kitchen" a bit more, but then again, I love anything pertaining to food.

What a winding review I wrote! My brain is wonky today, but I felt I had to write some review before I put this book back on my shelf. Liked it! Read more!(less)

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Aug 10, 2009

Nielam rated it:

(review of other edition)

bookshelves: lifesoothing

Read in August, 2009

recommends it for: runi, nurkastelia, nandia

buat saya, buku yang bagus adalah buku yang membuat saya ingin menulis. kepiawaian sang penulis merangkai kata sehingga mampu menggelitik otak malas saya untuk menghasilkan sesuatu. saya membaca banyak buku, tapi tidak banyak yang berhasil menggoda minat saya untuk menghasilkan sesuatu, kebanyakan hanyalah hiburan untuk mengisi kekosongan.

tapi buku ini...anehnya membuat saya merasakan suatu kekosongan dan mengajarkan saya bahwa kekosongan itu tidak selamanya buruk. bahwa mungkin sesu...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

3 comments

Jun 17, 2009

Rachel rated it:

(review of isbn 0671880187)

Read in June, 2009

Kitchen isn't really a novel, but a novella ("Kitchen") and a short story ("Moonlight Shadow"). Though I wasn't really prepared for this format at the outset, by the end it really makes quite perfect sense. Neither story is longer than it needs to be, and both dovetail quite nicely to offer variations on a theme of grief, loss, and mourning. In "Kitchen," two orphaned twenty-somethings help each other through the loss of their parent-figures. In "Moonlight Shad...more Kitchen isn't really a novel, but a novella ("Kitchen") and a short story ("Moonlight Shadow"). Though I wasn't really prepared for this format at the outset, by the end it really makes quite perfect sense. Neither story is longer than it needs to be, and both dovetail quite nicely to offer variations on a theme of grief, loss, and mourning. In "Kitchen," two orphaned twenty-somethings help each other through the loss of their parent-figures. In "Moonlight Shadow," two young adults help each other through the loss of a lover (and a sibling).

Both stories are narrated by a female voice, and in each story the main protagonists are a male-female pair. Though neither pair is engaged in a sexual (or even romantic) relationship, the genders seem to be significant, though, in allowing the characters to navigate social strictures on their outward expressions of grief. Yoshimoto deftly portrays the characters' different approaches to their grief and, inasmuch as possible in these short stories, reveals their respective character development within their gender roles. Though gender roles is not the main theme of either story, it lends itself to an interesting depiction of human reactions to death, and to people's personal outreach when mourning.

Both stories are delightful reads (even if the connecting theme is a tragic one). While the narratives are not overwhelmingly the product of Japanese culture, but could take place more or less anywhere in the world, some of the characters' actions and reactions give voice to Japanese cultural mores and expectations. As such, the stories provide a nice window into Japanese life and culture without being overbearingly cultural.

Of the two stories, I found "Moonlight Shadow" much more compelling. Perhaps it was the haunting quality of the unexplained phenomenon the characters experience. ("Kitchen" has at least one moment of such magic, as well.) Or perhaps it was the more concise nature of the story, which moved the plot along more fluidly. "Kitchen" was by no means a bad or boring story, but it did not have the tight and neatly packaged feel of "Moonlight Shadow." Yoshimoto has received rave reviews but to be honest, while reading "Kitchen" I couldn't quite see what all the fuss was about. Only after reading "Moonlight Shadow," and noting the intersecting themes of the two stories, was I really impressed with Kitchen on the whole. "Moonlight Shadow" gives weight and relevance to this small collection.(less)

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Dec 14, 2009

Samantha rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

bookshelves: 9th-grade-advisory

Read in December, 2009

Mikage's suffered a lot in her life: her parents died and she had to be raised up by her grandmother. And now, her beloved grandmother who took care of her, is dead and she's all alone. The apartment where she lives is empty, all the life in it gone because of the death of her grandmother. Then, there's Yuichi. She hardly knows him, but had heard many stories of him from his grandmother. He offered her to come and live with him and his father-turned-mother, Eriko, until she could find her own ap...more

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Jan 05, 2010

Sevinka rated it:

(review of isbn 0802142443)

Read in January, 2010

Great book! I was astonished it´s tender beauty. Sweet, nice, beautiful... For me, one of best of Japanese literature. I love it!
This book contains two Banana´s works, short story Moonlight´s shadow about sorrow heroine after death her boyfriend in accident and I cried by reading all the time. But this is not pesimistic work. Very sad, yes, but still warm, about her love for him and about sadness and about her returning to the life, which is still beautiful (vith vision of beauty of the...more Great book! I was astonished it´s tender beauty. Sweet, nice, beautiful... For me, one of best of Japanese literature. I love it!
This book contains two Banana´s works, short story Moonlight´s shadow about sorrow heroine after death her boyfriend in accident and I cried by reading all the time. But this is not pesimistic work. Very sad, yes, but still warm, about her love for him and about sadness and about her returning to the life, which is still beautiful (vith vision of beauty of the comon world). Very sensitive, very ... trutful. Who lost his love the one know this and understand this. Astonishing. This is so good as works of Kawabata! How can someone call this commercial or kitch? Maybe the one who cannot love I mean.
The other is Kitchin and it is still about sorrow after death her/his beloved. Heroine lost her grandmother, the only living her relative. This sorrow is not so deep as in first case, granny was old, there is less of pain and more of beuaty of life. She begins live with her friend (not boyfriend) Yuuji and her "mother" Eriko, who is in reality his father and gay-okama (which he becomes after death of his beloved wife, Yuuji´s mother, for him very painful thing, but it teachs him to live fully, without fear). Eriko is very sweet, I love her/him very much :o), and heroine is after some time O.K.
Than is Eriko murdered by man who loves her/him and was by her/him denied. Heroine is smashed by sorrow, Eriko was for her as new mother (father :o)), but for Yuuji is that "end of world". She must help him and she helps him. This is more about life which we must live, with all pains and sorrows which we must bear. Every of us will know someday death of his/her beloved, of his grandparets, parents, maybe husbands/wifes or children, too. Death is part of our life. And we must bear it, we must continue in living, and we must still see the beuaty of the world. Not only great beauty, as moon, stars, flowers, temples and so on (so typical for old Japanese literature - but who see it still in nowdays, and from young people???), but it simply things as kitchen or food. This is so wise, so great truth! This book is masterwork. I love it.
I want read other works of this author. I maybe dissapointed, this maybe her best work and other really silly or kitch, I don´t know. But Kitchen is for me really masterwork of Japanese literature, of every literature. (less)

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Jun 23, 2009

Sitty Asiah rated it:

(review of other edition)

Owns a copy — Read in July, 2009

Saya menemukan buku ini pertama kali di MP Bookpoint. Desain kavernya langsung menyerap pehatian saya. Simple, hening, tapi tegas. Judulnya lalu membuat saya semakin ingin mengangkat buku itu dari display dan membaca sinopsisnya. Si editor buku ini hanya menuliskan tentang si tokoh utama yang ditinggal mati neneknya dan hidup sebatang kara. Namanya Mikage, dan dia tidak bisa tidur di tempat lain selain dapur. Ditulis oleh Banana Yoshimoto yang merupakan peraih penghargaan Kaien Newcomer Writers ...more