A Jar of Ashes

I wanted to write about the books I read before this particular one. However, theme-wise, I think this book would be a perfect fit to be discussed in depth. Butter gripped me for the three days I had it in my possession, and I could not wait to write about it. After finishing this book, the first thing that popped into my mind was: when did Japan have an author this progressive? Also, what happened to the murder case? The cover took my attention right away. The promise of food and murder rattled my gruesome little bones that craved violence. While I did not get the cannibal story I expected, I did get a good recipe out of this. In the picture below, you would notice a little sticker; this is because I borrowed the book from my local library (viva la vida for libraries). The book's theme deals heavily with expectations, and to a certain extent, the expectations patriarchy puts on women.  The book cover About the Author (and Translator) The biography printed on the back of the book...

In the  12 April blog , I had said that college gave me much freer time than a job. That was before a plethora of tasks was heaped upon me, and everything was essentially a take-home job. My mouth (writing) ran much quicker than reality. My free time to blog was obviously taken away from me.  But that does not mean I abandoned this blog. I was just overwhelmed as the quota of writing I do turned into assignments. In the downtime from all of that, I read. Most of the books were non-fiction, which gave me quite a difficulty in reviewing them. I know what makes a fiction good or meaningful and how to express it; non-fiction? The only merit I can set as an assessment is whether I learned something from it. That's it.  So let me tell you about the books I've been reading, simplified. Psikologi-Kita & Eksistensialisme : Pengantar Filsafat Barat, Berkenalan dengan Eksistensialisme, Kita dan Kami  (We-Psychology & Existentialism: Western Philosophy Introduction,...

I am back with another book review. Finished the reading right on the 12th of April, a.k.a today. My days have been slow as of late, spent in reading and writing fiction pieces. Also trying to destress and lighten up from the news. So much bad news nowadays, especially when you return to college and have much freer time compared to a job. To my former co-workers who may be reading this: hey, guys! So, around the same time when Klara and the Sun came out, Kazuo Ishiguro’s daughter published her debut novel: Common Grounds . The book’s blurb offers a story about a long-lost friendship, rekindled. Reviews on the covers are gleaming and shimmering, as they often do. But is it?  About the author Naomi Ishiguro, as mentioned, is Kazuo Ishiguro’s daughter. In belief of her father’s prowess in writing, I decided to check her book out. Definitely not a case of mistaken identity when I typed in “Ishiguro” in the OPAC of the national library and thought this book was by Kazuo Ishiguro. Absolu...

CONTENT WARNING: mentions of sexual assault, spoilers for Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage novel, graphic sexual description edited 2026/29/03 22:31 In a previous post , I talked about Kazuo Ishiguro and how he moved Haruki Murakami’s spot from my top favourite author on magical realism. If you were a Harukist—Murakami’s fan—you would say that’s bollocks. I can agree. But consider: Kazuo Ishiguro does not objectify his (fictional) women. That alone is already a large win over Murakami’s works.  Today, the topic will delve a little bit deeper into that part of Murakami’s writings. I found a thesis by Kristina Mallabo on Google Scholar that compiles and summarises exactly what the problem is and why it is a problem. Moreover, this will be quite a long and technical post. So get comfy and prepare your eyes to continue reading. My Harukist days I read Haruki Murakami’s books, admittedly, a little bit too young. The prose, the subject matter, and my own situation at...

Klara and the Sun , authored by Kazuo Ishiguro (2021), struck an arrow through my heart. I know Kazuo Ishiguro from his previous work, The Buried Giant (2015). Simple circumstances prompted me to know of him: the Nobel Prize in Literature, 2017 .  The Buried Giant needed several more reads before I could muster an appropriate review. The Buried Giant impressed me that much. In contrast, Klara and the Sun is smaller in size, though denser. I held hope that Klara and the Sun would give me the same reading experience, and what do you know? It indeed delivers. About the author: Kazuo Ishiguro While he was born in Japan, Ishiguro wrote primarily in English on account of his moving to Britain at five years old. Nobel has his biography on their website , so you could check it out if you want.  In my personal world scope, Kazuo Ishiguro has moved Haruki Murakami’s spot as my favourite Japanese writer. Yes, despite him being more British in his writings than Japanese. Others may be...