Reviews

The Shooting Gallery and Other Stories by Yūko Tsushima

sam_bizar_wilcox's review against another edition

4.0

I can't think of another author who can more skillfully tackle late 20th-century single-motherhood. I can't think of another author more attuned to the cost -- the real financial cost -- of trying to raise kids on one's own. Yuko Tsushima writes with what I can only describe as a quiet brilliance. Her prose is typically not showy; her stories don't have intense emotional highs and lows. Instead, these are restrained slice-of-life stories that, nonetheless, reveal an unspoken devastation at their core. After reading and falling in love with Territory of Light, I continue to be impressed by Tsushima's work.

natashaeb's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

amishi1712's review against another edition

4.0

I started reading this book for two reasons: I was very drawn to the idea of reading a collection of short stories focused on the lives of women in Japan leading unconventional lives and that Tsushima is the daughter of Osamu Dazai—one of the most celebrated and famous modern Japanese authors. I kept on reading this book and will remember it for its excellent prose, intriguing characters, radical views and haunting imagery. Highly recommended to anyone who loves reading fiction about everyday life but written in an impactful manner. Also, I'll buy and mail a copy to anyone who wants to read feminist fiction in/about Japan.

I keep wishing I could have met Tsushima before she passed away in 2016. Will definitely be reading more of her works now. Glad I got an opportunity to cross paths with her words and thoughts and characters.

ohwretchedme's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

theodoralang's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Incredible, challenging book about jealousy, parenthood, childhood, relationships, and memory. Many of the protagonists share identical or very similar features; aided by this, each story approaches these similar concepts from a new and complex angle, further elaborating and reconsidering. This is not a cheerful book; it's about discomfort, resignation, dissatisfaction, and the upsetting domestic roles of women. My favorite stories were 'The Chysanthemum Beetle,' 'The Shooting Gallery,' and 'The Silent Traders.'