Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
27th out of 95 books
—
82 voters
Lizard
I shall refer to her as Lizard here, but not because of the small lizard tattoo that I discovered on her inner thigh.
The woman has round, black eyes that gaze at you with utter detachment, like the eyes of a reptile. Every bend and curve of her small body is cool to the touch, so cool that I want to scoop her up in my two hands.
This may bring to mind the image of a man hol
...morePaperback, 180 pages
Published
2001
by Faber & Faber
(first published 1993)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Yes and no and yes and no... I was concerned about the apparent trendiness of this author, and not without reason. I was attracted to Yoshimoto by critics' comparisons to Murakami and others. She has very little indeed to do with Murakami, though there is a certain, unusual coexistence of distance and involvement, bearing a resemblance to Murakami's narrators, that I sensed in Yoshimoto's as well. I was very disappointed in nearly all the stories in this volume; I found them "lite." However, aft...more
era da un po' che volevo leggere qualcosa della yoshimoto.. perchè ho iniziato con questo? lo ammetto.. mi piaceva la copertina *-*.
Ok ora che ho dimostrato al mondo la mia idiozia (T.T) passiamo al libro.. sei racconti.. mi sono parsi tutti molto belli, molto delicati, ognuno dei protagonisti ha un segreto, un particolare accaduto che ha segnato la propria vita e che aspetta il momento giusto per riaffiorare; tutti n'isoddisfazione di fondo che li condiziona anche se inconsciamente e che poi pr...more
Ok ora che ho dimostrato al mondo la mia idiozia (T.T) passiamo al libro.. sei racconti.. mi sono parsi tutti molto belli, molto delicati, ognuno dei protagonisti ha un segreto, un particolare accaduto che ha segnato la propria vita e che aspetta il momento giusto per riaffiorare; tutti n'isoddisfazione di fondo che li condiziona anche se inconsciamente e che poi pr...more
Aug 26, 2012
Ileen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011,
scrittori-giapponesi
Banana Yoshimoto ha un modo tutto suo per descrivere le situazioni quotidiane, le sviscera in un modo quasi maniacale ma mantenendo sempre una freddezza incredibile. Scava nelle emozioni umane mettendo a nudo tutto e considerando ogni lato del cubo. Ma quando si cimenta nella descrizione di stati particolari, che appartengono a tutte le persone nei diversi momenti della vita, quando si interroga su tutti quei momenti di passaggio tra una fase e l'altra, quando analizza ansie, rotture, traumi, Ba...more
Sei racconti intorno al tempo, alla guarigione, al destino, al fato, immersi in una Tokyo sfolgorante di luci notturne e pulsante di vita. I protagonisti sono accumunati dalla stessa sorte: tutti in qualche modo feriti si sono chiusi in un guscio che li protegge, ma contemporaneamente li separa dal mondo, impedendo loro di agire e di interagire con gli altri. Ma sensazioni dimenticate si affacciano alla memoria, la vita, prima paralizzata, ricomincia a scorrere rivelando la catartica necessità d...more
I absolutely love Banana Yoshimoto for her novel writing. And, truth be told, when I grabbed a copy of Lizard at Half Price Books, I thought it was a novel.
I got home, read the first story, believing it was a chapter in a novel. I got to the second story, and for a minute (or two or three) I was a little confused and disappointed. Not because the writing was bad (it's light and dark and brilliant!) But because I was expecting a novel.
When you are in the mood for a novel, it seems that only a n...more
I got home, read the first story, believing it was a chapter in a novel. I got to the second story, and for a minute (or two or three) I was a little confused and disappointed. Not because the writing was bad (it's light and dark and brilliant!) But because I was expecting a novel.
When you are in the mood for a novel, it seems that only a n...more
Reading this small book takes about as long as watching a movie and is a bit more satisfying but also frustrating. You can tell the author was only in her 20s when she wrote these stories. Most of the real trauma happens to these characters’ parents so they’re less aware of the impact of their own thinking and actions. The characters are at the stage where they begin to see that there may be more to their lives than what’s on the surface but they can’t quite grasp what yet. In the title story, L...more
Спочатку книжка не викликає жодного враження. Банана Йосімото — майстриня «іншого» письма в сенсі якоїсь тотальної неістероїдності і нетравматичності.
Оповіді ведуться, як правило, від першої особи, рівним тоном, чого б не стосувалися. Вражаючих метафор, напружених колізій у ній нема. Мимоволі починаєш замислюватися — а що є?
Оповідання «Ящірки» об'єднує впевненість. Вона повна і водночас невиразна. Це впевненість у поточному моменті. У точці на лінії долі. Але загалом, хіба точка прикладення важ...more
Оповіді ведуться, як правило, від першої особи, рівним тоном, чого б не стосувалися. Вражаючих метафор, напружених колізій у ній нема. Мимоволі починаєш замислюватися — а що є?
Оповідання «Ящірки» об'єднує впевненість. Вона повна і водночас невиразна. Це впевненість у поточному моменті. У точці на лінії долі. Але загалом, хіба точка прикладення важ...more
J'ai terminé ce recueil de nouvelles ce matin, dans le train pour Montpellier. Pendant l'heure que j'ai mise à finir le livre, j'ai eu l'impression d'être toute seule dans le wagon.
Il y a tellement de violence dans les histoires de Banana Yoshimoto, mais c'est toujours de la violence hors-scène -- des choses qui sont arrivées aux personnages avant qu'on les rencontre, les événements qui les ont menés aux situations que l'auteure décide de raconter. Alors d'un côté il y a un courant de fond de p...more
Il y a tellement de violence dans les histoires de Banana Yoshimoto, mais c'est toujours de la violence hors-scène -- des choses qui sont arrivées aux personnages avant qu'on les rencontre, les événements qui les ont menés aux situations que l'auteure décide de raconter. Alors d'un côté il y a un courant de fond de p...more
ผลงานของ โยชิโมโตะ บานานา จะเรียบง่าย สบายๆ ดูธรรมดาๆ แต่สามารถพาเราล่องลอยไปในห่วงอารมณ์ของตัวละครได้อย่างดี เล่มนี้ก็เหมือนงานก่อนๆที่ผ่านมา ค่อยๆ เป็น ค่อยๆ ไป ผ่านความสัมพันธ์ของ ฉัน และ จิ้งเหลน ความรักที่มืดหม่น และแปลกประลาด จนไปจบที่ความมืดหม่นที่ลดน้อยลงจากเดิม แม้จะมืดมิด แต่ก็มีความสุขในแบบของมัน เพราะชีวิตเปลี่ยนแปลงไปทุกวัน
I love her prose, and I cannot wait to read Kitchen. The short story collection was both elegant and surreal. Some of my favorite excerpts include...
"We've done so much together, wherever I go and whatever I see, I think of you. Newborn babies; the pattern on the plate that you can see under a paper-thin slice of sashimi; fireworks in August. The moon hidden behind the clouds over the ocean at night. When I'm sitting down someplace, inadvertently stepping on someone's toes, and have to apologize...more
"We've done so much together, wherever I go and whatever I see, I think of you. Newborn babies; the pattern on the plate that you can see under a paper-thin slice of sashimi; fireworks in August. The moon hidden behind the clouds over the ocean at night. When I'm sitting down someplace, inadvertently stepping on someone's toes, and have to apologize...more
I read this book yesterday. I thought it would be a light read, since it was a six short stories compilation from Banana. Well, I was wrong. the book got me thinking a lot, and i think the stories fit the 'karma' and 'spiritual' themes Banana inspires very well.
My best bet is the last short story: A Strange River from Down the River. I find it relaxing, deep but also complicated. However, I still prefer her novels to her short stories.
My best bet is the last short story: A Strange River from Down the River. I find it relaxing, deep but also complicated. However, I still prefer her novels to her short stories.
العظاءة: هذا هو العنوان باللغة العربية لهذه المجموعة القصصية للكاتبة اليابانية بانانا يوشيموتو.
اجدها قصص قصيرة جميلة جدا وتستحق القراءة والتأمل.
من بعد قراءتي لـ هاروكي موراكامي في "كافكا على الشاطئ" وهذه المجموعة القصصية لبانانا يوشيموتو، اعترف ان هؤلاء القوم يعرفون الكتابة جيدا. واننا مقصرون جدا في التعرف على الثقافة اليابانية.
اجدها قصص قصيرة جميلة جدا وتستحق القراءة والتأمل.
من بعد قراءتي لـ هاروكي موراكامي في "كافكا على الشاطئ" وهذه المجموعة القصصية لبانانا يوشيموتو، اعترف ان هؤلاء القوم يعرفون الكتابة جيدا. واننا مقصرون جدا في التعرف على الثقافة اليابانية.
This is the second book that I have read by Banana Yoshimoto, the first being Kitchen, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
This is a collection of short stories, and I really breezed through it very quickly. Her writing style is almost effortless, yet upon closer examination one can always find deeper meaning: it is by no means shallow or superficial. In addition all of the stories she tells are absolutely fascinating, and the always have so many layers, that by the time you get to the end of the story,...more
This is a collection of short stories, and I really breezed through it very quickly. Her writing style is almost effortless, yet upon closer examination one can always find deeper meaning: it is by no means shallow or superficial. In addition all of the stories she tells are absolutely fascinating, and the always have so many layers, that by the time you get to the end of the story,...more
I am drawn to this (not "this", specifically, but "this type of", perhaps) nearly painfully detached narrator - partially, I think, because I and others belonging to my generation can relate to it/him/her. It may have more to do with age than generation, really -- the sense of isolation as you begin to forge ahead in your -own- life is one I think many can relate to at one time or another. Anyway, while I agree with many other readers' reviews (typically fewer stars than mine), I can't help but...more
A collection of short stories about love and noticing beauty in everyday things and moments. The prose is very "matter of fact", but that might be a translation issue. It reminded me of Elementals: Stories of Fire and Ice which I read recently and also enjoyed. There's a touch of magic (especially in the first story, Newlywed, which takes place on a train -- fitting that I read it on the bus.) They are more about mood than plot, which is okay with me, but I can see how it wouldn't be everyone's...more
I think these short stories go under the genre Magical Realism. I think that although Yoshimoto did a good job putting a lot of detail into her stories, they were quite confusing. The very first story in the book was about a man who was riding a train, and that story was very confusing because i wasn't sure if he was just hallucinating about a beautiful woman or if the woman was real. I also didn't like the stories becaue they seemed very unrealistic.
The only short story I liked was "Blood and
...more
Sep 04, 2011
Ainun Nazrin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
cult-fiction,
terjemahan
I have mixed feelings about this book. I don't know, it's not that I hate the stories nor I love them but I have to admit that the stories are very engaging, I can't put down the book. I finished all six short stories in two hours.
I don't know why I bought this book in the first place. I read Kitchen before, which I have neutral feeling towards it. (I completely forgot about that novel I have to search my review of that book from my blog - I read it in 2008!) I don't really love (or hate) Kitch...more
I don't know why I bought this book in the first place. I read Kitchen before, which I have neutral feeling towards it. (I completely forgot about that novel I have to search my review of that book from my blog - I read it in 2008!) I don't really love (or hate) Kitch...more
This book of 6 short stories was beautiful but boring. I read it pretty fast, and enjoyed it but almost nothing happened. The thread that ran through all six stories was about memory and its effect on relationships, but even those effects were subdued and minimal. Nobody broke up or tried to kill eachother, they just continued coping. Some of the memories were a little graphic, but knowing that the character ultimately survived them drains them of all suspense. I am willing to read one of her no...more
Feb 24, 2013
Ape
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
japan-china-korea,
short-stories
I have been dibbling in and out of this collection of short stories for the last couple of weeks, and I finished reading the final story this morning. I do like Banana Yoshimoto's characters and style of story telling. They're all modern tales of people living in and around Tokyo, coming to terms with modern living, relationships, sex etc, but I think above all else coming to terms with themselves and the person they really are. There are some great characters, such as "Lizard", and the daughte...more
This is a collection of short stories, though calling them novellas would be a better description. The stories are strange and surreal in a way that I have only seen from Japanese authors. Its hard to describe them in a way that anyone could understand, but I can try.
There are four stories and they vary on topics from love to dreams, the past and the present. I enjoyed the shorts and will indeed pick up more novels of this author. I wish I could write more by way of review but there is just no w...more
I like Yoshimoto's ethereal writing, but generally prefer her longer works, where she gets to go spiralling off in prolonged and strange excursions. However, Lizard is good. When I think of this book now, I keep coming back to the description that she gives of the woman she calls Lizard, a woman with round black reptilian eyes that gaze at you with utter detachment. And the man holding Lizard 'imagines ...the strange tickling sensation of sharp claws scampering around in my palms'. I was hooked,...more
Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto is a collection of 6 short stories about love, acceptance, and growing as a person. I really liked two of the short stories: Lizard and A Strange Tale from Down by the River. I was impressed by the depth, emotion, and sincerity of these two stories; however, I didn't feel as drawn into the other four stories. Perhaps they weren't long enough to capture my attention. I felt that some of the stories were a bit flat. Two of the stories were quick and enjoyable to read whi...more
This is a collection of short stories, and I found myself stopping after each story to give myself the opportunity to think about the characters before moving on to the next one.
The writer reminds me a bit of Murikami because the characters are slightly detached from their lives, and when they talk about themselves it's almost as if they are describing scenes that are unfolding before them rather than scenes they participate in.
Even in translation, it's beautifully written. I will be reading m...more
The writer reminds me a bit of Murikami because the characters are slightly detached from their lives, and when they talk about themselves it's almost as if they are describing scenes that are unfolding before them rather than scenes they participate in.
Even in translation, it's beautifully written. I will be reading m...more
http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...
Oh I love Banana! This was a collection of short stories that, in true Banana style (or perhaps Japanese style) didn't follow my Western notions of linear storytelling with a beginning-middle-end, a conflict and resolution or clear plot points. Instead they are more like poetry, or a delicate painting, or the leaves of an elegant flower. They are delicate and elegant stories that provide a brief but deep look into a moment in someone's life, a glimpse into...more
Oh I love Banana! This was a collection of short stories that, in true Banana style (or perhaps Japanese style) didn't follow my Western notions of linear storytelling with a beginning-middle-end, a conflict and resolution or clear plot points. Instead they are more like poetry, or a delicate painting, or the leaves of an elegant flower. They are delicate and elegant stories that provide a brief but deep look into a moment in someone's life, a glimpse into...more
“Hitokage” es en realidad el Remake de “Tokage”, una colección de pequeñas historias publicada por Yoshimoto en 1993, sólo que 15 años después, la autora decidió re-escribir y mejorar la primera de esas historias llamada reptíl, para de cierta manera hacerla más consistente e interesante. Debo decir que esta novela en particular es la primera de Yoshimoto que leo en la que, aunque la temática principal gira en torno a una mujer, el narrador en realidad es un Hombre que nos cuenta todo lo que exp...more
After I found out Lizard was categorized as "magical realism" and makes it easier to understand why I said, "What?" at the end of the book. Leaving the read unsure is a characteristic of magical realism. While reading this, I felt lost and unsure. While the multiple perspectives are confusing, it's still somewhat interesting. This book kind of talks about itimate relationships between people and it was just pretty interesting to read about these characters' thoughts about them. I suppose almost...more
I do enjoy reading Japanese fiction, especially that fiction that stands on the fringes of fantasy and reality. Haruki Murakami is a master of this, with his weird underground people and border universes. Banana Yoshimoto is equally skilled, writing exquisite short stories about the minor strangeness that one might encounter in life.
About a strange shapeshifting creature that rides the train, trying to tempt salarymen to leave their lives of dullness and predictability. A woman who can heal with...more
About a strange shapeshifting creature that rides the train, trying to tempt salarymen to leave their lives of dullness and predictability. A woman who can heal with...more
When I was still a student in college oh so long ago, I briefly became a member of a book club... (you know the ones where you choose from a list of books and pay a certain price... although this was at the beginning of the internet days, it was actually done all through snail mail correspondence... wow!)
Anyway, I have often purchased books simply because I liked either the cover, title, or author's name.
In the case of Lizard, I was attracted to all three. Without knowing what I was getting my...more
Anyway, I have often purchased books simply because I liked either the cover, title, or author's name.
In the case of Lizard, I was attracted to all three. Without knowing what I was getting my...more
Sei racconti della Yoshimoto. Sei gocce di un profumo soave che inebria i sensi. E' come quando, camminando per strada ci facciamo guidare dall'olfatto. All'inizio percepiamo qualcosa, una profumo, un odore, una scia che ci porta a deviare dai nostri percorsi abituali. I nostri sensi sono stuzzicati, incuriositi e iniziamo se seguire la scia, in un crescendo di sensazioni, senza però capire dove potrà portarci. Fino ad arrivare, alla fine, a scoprire cosa l'ha generata.
Con questi racconti è lo s...more
Con questi racconti è lo s...more
This was the fist book of Banana Yoshimoto's I have read. My brother recommended her, and let me know that my grandmother read this book before she passed away a few years ago. I thought it would be a light quick read of short stories. Quick yes, but very thought provoking. Each story I read I was also imagining how my grandmother enjoyed and interpreted the spiritually based stories. This book speaks to the heart, across cultures and generations.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Banana Yoshimoto (よしもと ばなな ) (born July 24, 1964[1], in Tokyo) is the pen name of Mahoko Yoshimoto (吉本 真秀子 Yoshimoto Mahoko), a Japanese contemporary writer. She writes her name in hiragana.
Yoshimoto, daughter of Takaaki Yoshimoto, was born in Tokyo on July 24, 1964. Along with having a famous father, poet Takaaki Yoshimoto, Banana's sister, Haruno Yoiko, is a well-known cartoonist in Japan. Growi...more
More about Banana Yoshimoto...
Yoshimoto, daughter of Takaaki Yoshimoto, was born in Tokyo on July 24, 1964. Along with having a famous father, poet Takaaki Yoshimoto, Banana's sister, Haruno Yoiko, is a well-known cartoonist in Japan. Growi...more
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“Your love is different from mine. What I mean is, when you close your eyes, for that moment, the center of the universe comes to reside within you. And you become a small figure within that vastness, which spreads without limit behind you, and continues to expand at tremendous speed, to engulf all of my past, even before I was born, and every word I've ever written, and each view I've seen, and all the constellations, and the darkness of outer space that surrounds the small blue ball that is earth. Then, when you open your eyes, all that disappears.
I anticipate the next time you are troubled and must close your eyes again.
The way we think may be completely different, but you and I are an ancient, archetypal couple, the original man and woman. We are the model for Adam and Eve. For all couples in love, there comes a moment when a man gazes at a woman with the very same kind of realization. It is an infinite helix, the dance of two souls resonating, like the twist of DNA, like the vast universe.
Oddly, at that moment, she looked over at me and smiled. As if in response to what I'd been thinking, she said, "That was beautiful. I'll never forget it.”
—
25 people liked it
I anticipate the next time you are troubled and must close your eyes again.
The way we think may be completely different, but you and I are an ancient, archetypal couple, the original man and woman. We are the model for Adam and Eve. For all couples in love, there comes a moment when a man gazes at a woman with the very same kind of realization. It is an infinite helix, the dance of two souls resonating, like the twist of DNA, like the vast universe.
Oddly, at that moment, she looked over at me and smiled. As if in response to what I'd been thinking, she said, "That was beautiful. I'll never forget it.”
“With Lizard, I felt overwhelmed by the desire to touch her skin, to kiss her, hold her, make love to her,no matter how it happened, I just had to have her, Lizard and no one else. Right then and there. Tears came to my eyes, I wanted her so much.”
—
3 people liked it
More quotes…
Oct 09, 2007 12:17pm