Genre: Literary Fiction, Japanese Literature
Synopsis: Rika Machida is a journalist investigating Manako Kajii, a gourmet cook convicted of killing men with her cooking. As Rika becomes obsessed with understanding Kajii, she is drawn into a world of rich, indulgent food, challenging societal pressures and beauty standards in Japan.
My thoughts: This book is deceptively deep, but I became obsessed with it, the way Rika becomes obsessed with Kajii. The description of the food was alluring. Yuzuki made me feel as if I was also experiencing each dish. I learned a lot about the Japanese culture as well. This book reminded me a bit of Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell, except on of them is a convicted murderer. My advice is to not go into this book thinking it will be a typical murder mystery, it’s not fast-paced. It’s one you need to savor slowly.
My rating: 4/5 stars
My favorite quotes:
“Don’t you think that’s a disease of the contemporary age? It feels like these days our value is determined by how much effort we make from day to day. That matters even more than our results. After a while, the concept of effort starts to become mixed up with things feeling difficult, and then you reach the point where the person seen as the most admirable is the one suffering the most. I think that’s the reason people are so vicious towards Manako Kajii. She refuses to live that life, refuses to suffer.”
“She was tired of living her life thinking constantly about how she appeared to others, checking her answers against everyone else’s.”
“What you need above all is strength . . . A fighting spirit that can withstand the tedium of everyday life without getting blunted by it.”
She was beginning to understand that the more delicious the time she spent with others, the more alone she felt.”
“Not looking after yourself is a form of violence.”
“The vinegar in the beurre blanc sauce brought the creamy smoothness of the sea urchin into even starker relief. As the warm sea urchin was crushed on the surface of her tongue, it was transformed into sea-flavoured cream that blended seamlessly with the similarly rich taste of the flan pastry, redolent with egg yolk.”
bonitappétit 