Scan barcode
mandkips's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, and Suicide
Minor: Animal death and Body horror
rorikae's review
fast-paced
3.5
In 'Where the Wild Ladies Are,' Aoko Matsuda retells classic Japanese stories with a feminist edge. I thoroughly enjoyed Matsuda's writing translated by Polly Barton and there were a number of stories in this collection that I thought were wonderful. In particular, I thought the stories "Smartening Up,""A Day Off," and "The Missing One" were excellent and did a great job of retelling their original folktales.
What I think falls flat about this collection though is that I didn't feel like most of the stories were particularly feminist in their retellings. There were a few that stood out but many of the stories were centered around male characters and the female characters in those stories weren't center stage. A male main character would often encounter or discuss a female ghost that he knew but the woman herself was kept at a distance and we weren't given the amount of time to delve into her backstory.
I also found it interesting that there is a throughline to many of the stories though I wished it had been more centerstage. If it had been introduced at the beginning of the collection or in the first story, I think it would have gone a lot further toward connecting all of the stories.
I would recommend reading this book in its physical form as I found the Kindle edition impeded how I would have liked to read the book. Matsuda summarizes all of the folktales that have inspired her retellings at the end of the book but in the Kindle edition, there isn't an easy way to flip to these summaries after each story to learn about its inspiration . I had to wait to read them until the end and by then, I had forgotten many of the stories and could only connect a few to their original versions.
Despite some of the issues that I had with this collection, I am interested to read more of Matsuda's work in the future as I did really like her prose and there were a few really excellent stories that stood out.
What I think falls flat about this collection though is that I didn't feel like most of the stories were particularly feminist in their retellings. There were a few that stood out but many of the stories were centered around male characters and the female characters in those stories weren't center stage. A male main character would often encounter or discuss a female ghost that he knew but the woman herself was kept at a distance and we weren't given the amount of time to delve into her backstory.
I also found it interesting that there is a throughline to many of the stories though I wished it had been more centerstage. If it had been introduced at the beginning of the collection or in the first story, I think it would have gone a lot further toward connecting all of the stories.
I would recommend reading this book in its physical form as I found the Kindle edition impeded how I would have liked to read the book. Matsuda summarizes all of the folktales that have inspired her retellings at the end of the book but in the Kindle edition, there isn't an easy way to flip to these summaries after each story to learn about its inspiration . I had to wait to read them until the end and by then, I had forgotten many of the stories and could only connect a few to their original versions.
Despite some of the issues that I had with this collection, I am interested to read more of Matsuda's work in the future as I did really like her prose and there were a few really excellent stories that stood out.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Death, and Body horror
More...