50books_poc | Grotesque and The Lesser Blessed (Reply)

It's very hard for me to describe this book. I found it in the mystery section of the bookstore, but it's very unlike the usual genre mystery. There's an unnamed, unreliable narrator telling over the stories of other unreliable narrators, which creates several layers to the book. There's also a certain larger-than-life aspect to some of the characters, particularly the narrator's sister, a very beautiful girl whose physical attractiveness seems to be the center of her life.

However the book relates very much to real life and real social problems in Japan, particularly misogyny and the treatment of women. Two of the characters end up in prostitution, and end up murdered, but the book is less about figuring out who did it and more about revealing why... if we can trust the accounts we're receiving.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you're in the mood for a challenging, complex read. But I'm not sure when I'll be ready to tackle any more of her writing.

As far as the translation goes, I can't compare it to the original but I found it flowed well and sounded natural.

Another review of this book is linked here.

This is the coming-of-age story of a young Dogrib man, written by a Dogrib author. The story talks about the girl he loves, a friend he encounters, and his father figure who wants him to understand his heritage. I thought it was very unique in its use of poetic language, and how it left many issues mysterious. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

Another review of the book is here.