Reviews
A Millions Most Anticipated Book of the Year "Deftly translated by Bristol-based translator Asa Yoneda, Dead-End Memories contains five stories exploring the lives of five women struggling through challenging events. The dreamy, sometimes surreal stories explore emotionally heavy-hitting themes like life, love, death, happiness, identity, loneliness and grief, delivered with the author''s characteristic light touch. In other words, it''s classic Yoshimoto--great news for existing fans . . . One of the great pleasures of reading Yoshimoto is her gift for creating exceptional imagery out of simple language . . . Like your average lo-fi playlist, this is a late-night read to heighten a melancholy, nostalgic or contemplative state of mind, one you dive into to be transported to a kinder, gentler world for an hour or two." --Florentyna Leow, Japan Times " Dead-End Memories follows several women, each one coming back to her life after a traumatic event. Although you will find heartbreak, ghosts, and betrayal humming in the background of these tales, you will also encounter a great deal of heart and optimism. Don''t we all need that right now? It''s the kind of collection that leaves you a little lighter." --Katie Yee, A Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book of the Year "Once upon a time, Yoshimoto (born 1964) debuted as one of Japan''s youngest literary phenoms. In the decades since, she continues to produce brilliantly relevant fiction, notable for an open, accessible simplicity that belies revelatory observations about life, love, happiness, and more . . . Her latest collection contains five short stories translated again by Yoneda, who English-enabled Yoshimoto''s novel Moshi Moshi (2016). Each tale features women examining significant relationships, and each involves food-related settings--restaurants, cafeterias, a bar--seeming to suggest emotional needs transformed into something achingly physical . . . Bittersweet yet radiant, poignant yet promising, Yoshimoto once again showcases her dazzling appeal." -- Booklist (starred review) "Yoshimoto''s resonant collection centers on women struggling through challenging events. Though the characters in each of the five stories have been struck by bad luck and duplicity, they are intrinsically good-natured and are also greatly influenced by the generational traditions of their forebears . . . Yoshimoto embellishes these gorgeously written gems with sensual descriptions of food and sex, and makes them memorable by showing how the women set themselves free from misfortune via friendship and resilience. This is a gem." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Banana Yoshimoto is one of our greatest writers; in Dead-End Memories , she is absolutely at her best. Written with tenderness, complexity, generosity, and warmth, Yoshimoto''s characters are entirely singular, and also a finely wrought reflection of ourselves. This book is masterful--a portrait of the absurdity, brilliance, horror, and love encompassing daily life--and, in her delivery, Yoshimoto is a master." --Bryan Washington, author of Memorial "Reading Banana Yoshimoto is like taking a bracing, cleansing bath. These gentle yet formidable stories in Dead-End Memories rinse away the unimportant minutiae of life, leaving behind only the essential." --Ling Ma, author of Severance Praise for Banana Yoshimoto "Yoshimoto has an effortless ability to penetrate her characters'' hearts." -- The New York Times "Her ability to make everyday events seem romantic is a rare gift." -- Harper''s Bazaar "A sure and lyrical writer . . . Yoshimoto transforms the trite into the essential." -- The New Yorker "A master storyteller . . . The sensuality is subtle, masked, and extraordinarily powerful." -- Chicago Tribune "There is no such thing as a stock character in Yoshimoto''s fiction. She writes utterly without pretense." -- The Washington Post "Her achievements are already legend." -- The Boston Globe, "Reading Banana Yoshimoto is like taking a bracing, cleansing bath. These gentle yet formidable stories in Dead-End Memories rinse away the unimportant minutiae of life, leaving behind only the essential." --Ling Ma, author of Severance
