Dive into the critically acclaimed world of Gifted, a novella lauded for its unflinching portrayal of complex family dynamics and personal struggles. This compelling work has garnered praise from leading literary voices and publications, solidifying its place as a must-read for those seeking impactful and insightful narratives.
Yōko Ogawa, the celebrated author of The Memory Police, notes the book’s stark realism, stating it “Demonstrates that death is the only way forward. Oozes with maternal cruelty.” This powerful observation hints at the intense emotional landscape navigated within Gifted. Shuichi Yoshida, author of Parade, further emphasizes the author’s skillful command of language, remarking, “There is a vigilance in her sentences. The author takes responsibility for every word.”
The New Yorker highlights the novella’s unflinching honesty and autobiographical elements, describing it as a story where a “young woman working as a bar hostess and sex worker in Tokyo reckons with several unresolved personal traumas… with brutal honesty.” Kris Kosaka from The Japan Times praises the book’s evocative nature, noting “Gifted lyrically captures a moment in time, unwrapping the bittersweet denouement in a fraught relationship between a mother and daughter.”
Rebecca Hussey of Words Without Borders delves into the thematic depth, explaining “Gifted explores beauty, and the body itself, as a troubling inheritance, a complicated gift that, at least for women, belongs to you but is never fully in your control.” The Asian Review of Books draws a comparison to Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman, emphasizing the novella’s emotional nuance: “A unique and propulsive story reminiscent of the emotional elusiveness of Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman… unfolds a heartbreaking story about the distance and closeness between mother and daughter.”
Devon Dunn from Book Culture in New York City recommends Gifted for readers of literary giants like Clarice Lispector and Barbara Comyns, describing it as “a short, pungent novella that packs a punch.” Mathuson Anthony of Book Club Bar in New York City further underscores the book’s sharp impact: “Pitiless and sharp…a gleaming pocket knife of a novel stabbing into the heart of maternal abuse, inherited trauma, and the cyclical nature of sex work.”
Grace Sullivan from Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA, points out the book’s unique cultural insight, stating it “Explores a fascinating Japanese subculture missing from the many translated novels we’ve seen recently from Japanese authors,” and highlights the added layer of interest from its autobiographical basis.
These accolades paint a picture of Gifted as a profoundly moving and expertly crafted novella. Its exploration of complex themes, combined with its unflinching honesty and lyrical prose, makes Gifted a compelling read for anyone interested in contemporary Japanese literature and stories that resonate with raw emotional power.
