Kindle Customer: Chapters are short stories based on Japanese mythology.
United States on Jan 17, 2022
Kindle Customer: I absolutely loved Smarting Up. How did women get trapped into the obligation of removing hair from their bodies in order present themselves with smooth skin? The author cleverly links the stories and characters to a mysterious company. I was very happy to find short synopses of original versions of the stories at the end of the book. These ghost stories and folk tales are witty instead of scary.
United States on Jul 18, 2021
Jin: I have a soft spot for Japanese authors and I was really looking forward to read this short story collection. Even though the feminist re-telling of Japanese traditional ghost stories was refreshing, it was either sometimes too obvious or too flat to have any impact. I really liked the general atmosphere and how contemporary Japan was well portrayed using the Japanese ghost figures. The gender disparity, the focus on outward appearance of women and the indifference towards oneself and others are the main subjects of this book. Some stories were really good and entertaining (i.e. "Smartening up") and some of them were too plain, explaining too much. This book is ok for lovers of Japanese literature.
Germany on Jul 11, 2021
AAR: I might have gotten more out of it if I was familiar with the original stories this booking was reimagining. However despite that, I found this book interesting and, at times, downright delightful.
United States on Mar 28, 2021
Linda Lyles: Interesting short stories
United States on Feb 22, 2021
Reader: Very fine service - highly recommended!
Germany on Dec 06, 2020
AJ: Interesting modern take on traditional Japanese folktales. As you get into the latter half of the stories, they begin to come together loosely as a kind of almost novel. The book touches on heavy themes of violence, critiques of social norms and death with surprising lightness. Highly readable. Would recommend.
United States on Oct 28, 2020
| Aoko Matsuda's Where the Wild Ladies Are: A Journey Through a Land of Adventure | Lamb: Biff's Story of Jesus's Childhood and the Gospel | Fool: Christopher Moore's Hilarious Novel, Now Available from Viking Books | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
 |
 |
|
| B2B Rating |
88
|
97
|
95
|
| Sale off | $6 OFF | ||
| Total Reviews | 22 reviews | 125 reviews | 18 reviews |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1593766900 | 978-0380813810 | 978-0060590314 |
| Publisher | Soft Skull | William Morrow Paperbacks; 32nd edition | William Morrow; First Edition |
| Paperback | 288 pages | 444 pages | |
| Literary Fiction (Books) | Literary Fiction | ||
| Best Sellers Rank | #6,962 in Short Stories Anthologies#11,674 in Short Stories #30,423 in Literary Fiction | #12 in Humorous American Literature#227 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction#320 in Humorous Fiction | #97 in Humorous American Literature#790 in Humorous Fantasy #1,614 in Humorous Fiction |
| Language | English | English | English |
| Short Stories (Books) | Short Stories | ||
| Dimensions | 5.51 x 0.78 x 8.24 inches | 5.31 x 0.74 x 8 inches | 6 x 1.09 x 9 inches |
| Item Weight | 10.4 ounces | 13.6 ounces | 1.1 pounds |
| Short Stories Anthologies | Short Stories Anthologies | ||
| Customer Reviews | 4.2/5 stars of 391 ratings | 4.6/5 stars of 8,981 ratings | 4.5/5 stars of 1,886 ratings |
| ISBN-10 | 1593766904 | 0380813815 | 0060590319 |
United Kingdom on Jun 05, 2023