The Woman Dies
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Tales from Japan that blend humor, surrealism, and sharp societal critique, by the acclaimed author of Where the Wild Ladies Are
“Piercing and sometimes surreal... Matsuda shines.”—Publishers Weekly
In The Woman Dies, renowned author Aoko Matsuda approaches often-thorny subjects such as sexism, prejudice, the normalizing effect of violence against women on screen, or the aesthetics associated with technology, with an inventiveness and quirky humor that keep these stories on the thrilling cusp between seriousness and levity.
Wordplay evolves into something much more complex, inanimate objects are endowed with their own point of view, and hard-hitting feminist stances are conveyed with a dry, detached humor that makes them even more undeniable.
Not so much a rollercoaster ride, rather an entire theme park, The Woman Dies is an out-of-the ordinary space readers will step into with feelings of wonder and discombobulation in equal parts.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Matsuda's piercing and sometimes surreal collection (after Where the Wild Ladies Are) offers a feminist critique of women's experiences in Japanese society. In "You Are Not What You Eat," the narrator becomes sick early in the morning, vomiting up the previous night's dinner and then foods she doesn't remember eating, causing her to be "engulfed with nostalgia" for a life she didn't live. Some of Matsuda's stories are light-hearted, like "Bette Davis," which follows a group of strangers who bond over the late actress and organize a seance to speak to her. During the ritual, they ask her to perform a line from Akira, which they believe she would have been perfectly suited for. The movies also come into play in the title entry, a scorching screed about the ways women are used for plot devices ("The woman dies. She dies for the sake of a good story. The woman is raped. She is raped for the sake of a good story. We grow up watching it happen"). Not all the entries deliver the same punch, but for the most part Matsuda shines with her distinctive imagery and focused commentary. Readers will find plenty to enjoy.
