キッチン
1988
- fiction
- kitchens
- literatura japonesa
- japanese short stories
- women
- domestic fiction
- short stories
- chr 1993
- pro gotham book mart (former owner) (gotham book mart collection copy)
- translations into english
The story
A scathing comedy of social striving in the suburbs, Absurd Person Singular follows the fortunes of three couples who turn up in each other's kitchens on three successive Christmases, to hilarious and devastating effect.
What it’s like
Soft, unhurried prose in which kitchens carry the emotional weight: the hum of a refrigerator at night, the clink of tea things, the warmth of a room where someone is always cooking. Sentences are short and clear, with a dreamy, slightly detached quality that makes grief feel close to the skin without ever turning sharp. The mood is tender and quiet, a blend of loneliness and comfort, the kind of book that suits a rainy evening, a sleepless hour, or a slow weekend with a cup of something warm. Pacing is leisurely and reflective, with long passages of ordinary domestic detail and small acts of care. The emotional arc follows a young woman who has lost her closest family and slowly finds a new sense of belonging among unconventional, generous people. The intensity is gentle: loss and sorrow are present, but there is no violence, and the sadness is soothing rather than harrowing. It suits readers who want a comforting, melancholy story about chosen family, food, and healing, and anyone who finds solace in quiet domestic spaces.
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