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sakusha's review
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I liked that the book was written like fiction, but also included real life problems like meat quality. It was like a modern version of “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. The writing quality was good, and I liked how the author tied everything together—herself, her health issues, the American wives she interviewed, the woman in Japan, and the health of the meat. All over the cover of the book are reviews saying the book is “delicious, tender, sizzling, juicy” and “leaves you hungry for more,” but it’s more disgusting than appetizing. Did those reviewers even read the book?
DES is an example of another thing that doctors/scientists thought was perfectly safe which they urged people to take, only for it to be revealed later that it was detrimental to health (125-126). The drug companies and meat industry argued that “the doses of DES given to cattle were minuscule and harmless to humans and that the residues in the meat were far below the levels of danger” (126). Just like the mercury, aluminum, and formaldehyde in vaccines. “Them scientists of yers, they get their paychecks from the pharmacooticals, and they’re all in cahoots with the gov’ment” (263). Got that right.
What I didn’t like:
1. The liberal agenda of the author. She made a point of including racial minorities and lesbians in a positive light, and she implied or flatout said that heterosexual conservative whites were boring, phony, “religious nuts” (70), “entirely predictable” (108), selfish and corrupt (279), dumb and hysterical (189). If she used those words with blacks or lesbians, then she’s get labelled racist or bigoted. But liberals think it’s okay to criticize whites. Jane doesn’t even want to consider visiting the Thayer family, just because they’re white (106). Racist! The author doesn’t mention the hormones being added to meat as a possible reason for the increase in homosexuality. Probably because this might offend the LGBT. They are so determined to see their sexual orientation as something to be proud of, not a defect to feel bad about, equivalent to a cisman growing unwanted breasts and a high pitched voice.
2. The author seems to also have an agenda at demonizing meat consumption because of production practices, but doesn’t talk at all about the horrors done to fruits and vegetables. They may not feel pain, but they are also doused with poisons which make them unhealthy to consume. It seems like the moral of the book is to be vegetarian, but you’re not going to be any healthier that way when your vegetarian food is still being doused with poisons. The author blames global warming on the “belches and flatulence by the world’s 1.3 billion cattle and other ruminant livestock each year” (250). But what about the belches and flatulence caused by the world’s 6-7 billion HUMAN population? It’s a simple fact of math that reducing human population would cure global warming better than becoming a vegetarian. Which Bill Gates is working on. Do you mind?
3. The author didn’t do enough research when it came to Japan. She seemed to think that homosexuality “was not often tolerated in Japan” (173). But I think Japan embraced it long before the US did. Sailor Moon, a 90s anime for kids, had lesbians in it. Japan has a whole subgenre of anime called yaoi and yuri, which is anime all about gays and lesbians.The lesbians take Akiko shopping for a “futon mattress on a frame that folded into a couch, which was clever and very American” (346). Futons ORIGINATED in Japan. See Wikipedia.
4. The common hypocrisy of the female narrator (Jane) when it comes to male preferences. She was a hapa woman who showed no interest in Asian males. She was disgusted with Uenowho tried to rape her , but she liked Sloan’s aggression and roughness (349). Sloan was a tall white man (54). Sloan is described as unapologetic, relentless, overwhelming (53-54, 90). He let her know with his hand that she wouldn’t get away (53) and that he was in charge (90). “There was to be no discussion” (54). Sloan made her feel afraid and diminutive (90). Sounds an awful lot like rape to me, but she’s okay with it, presumably because he’s an “exquisite” white guy (55). He admits feeling like a pedophile and liking it (54). She admits to not trusting him, yet she lets him have sex with her (93). She assumes that he has a harem, and she doesn’t mind (91). Sloan insisted on wearing two condoms when having sex, because didn’t want to risk that the woman he was using would get pregnant and he’d have to be stuck with her for life or pay for his offspring (91). Jane, like many modern women, goes into the relationship wanting something casual (91-92), but eventually hopes that the man will have feelings for her the way she does for him (93). A scenario pretty sure to result in heartbreak and disappointment and single motherhood. A condom may help prevent pregnancy, but it doesn’t prevent the heartbreak. It’s obvious to me that if people only want sexual pleasure with no strings attached, they should stick to masturbation. Jane scowls at a guy she liked and played hard to get (151), so it’s no wonder than men have trouble knowing what women want when they act like this. The woman sends signals of “no” but secretly means “yes.” Is it any surprise women get raped? The behavior of most women is just as toxic as the behavior of most men.
DES is an example of another thing that doctors/scientists thought was perfectly safe which they urged people to take, only for it to be revealed later that it was detrimental to health (125-126). The drug companies and meat industry argued that “the doses of DES given to cattle were minuscule and harmless to humans and that the residues in the meat were far below the levels of danger” (126). Just like the mercury, aluminum, and formaldehyde in vaccines. “Them scientists of yers, they get their paychecks from the pharmacooticals, and they’re all in cahoots with the gov’ment” (263). Got that right.
What I didn’t like:
1. The liberal agenda of the author. She made a point of including racial minorities and lesbians in a positive light, and she implied or flatout said that heterosexual conservative whites were boring, phony, “religious nuts” (70), “entirely predictable” (108), selfish and corrupt (279), dumb and hysterical (189). If she used those words with blacks or lesbians, then she’s get labelled racist or bigoted. But liberals think it’s okay to criticize whites. Jane doesn’t even want to consider visiting the Thayer family, just because they’re white (106). Racist! The author doesn’t mention the hormones being added to meat as a possible reason for the increase in homosexuality. Probably because this might offend the LGBT. They are so determined to see their sexual orientation as something to be proud of, not a defect to feel bad about, equivalent to a cisman growing unwanted breasts and a high pitched voice.
2. The author seems to also have an agenda at demonizing meat consumption because of production practices, but doesn’t talk at all about the horrors done to fruits and vegetables. They may not feel pain, but they are also doused with poisons which make them unhealthy to consume. It seems like the moral of the book is to be vegetarian, but you’re not going to be any healthier that way when your vegetarian food is still being doused with poisons. The author blames global warming on the “belches and flatulence by the world’s 1.3 billion cattle and other ruminant livestock each year” (250). But what about the belches and flatulence caused by the world’s 6-7 billion HUMAN population? It’s a simple fact of math that reducing human population would cure global warming better than becoming a vegetarian. Which Bill Gates is working on. Do you mind?
3. The author didn’t do enough research when it came to Japan. She seemed to think that homosexuality “was not often tolerated in Japan” (173). But I think Japan embraced it long before the US did. Sailor Moon, a 90s anime for kids, had lesbians in it. Japan has a whole subgenre of anime called yaoi and yuri, which is anime all about gays and lesbians.
4. The common hypocrisy of the female narrator (Jane) when it comes to male preferences. She was a hapa woman who showed no interest in Asian males. She was disgusted with Ueno
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Rape and Cursing
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