The relatives of the girl Miying Sakurai left her one by one. When her only remaining relative, her grandmother, also passed away, she was left alone in the world. From then on, she could only sleep peacefully next to the refrigerator in the kitchen. At this time, Tanabe Yuichi, who had been cared for by her grandmother, and his transgender mother Eriko took her in. Through getting along day after day, she felt the warmth in this seemingly sick family. Starting from the kitchen, she slowly walked out of loneliness...
Reader comments
Such delicate emotions, I felt like I was seeing myself, and seeing the long-lost fleeting feelings materialize bit by bit. In the middle of the night, you just want to deliver the same delicious meal to another person, so that he can go from "hungry together" to "both feel delicious", regardless of the distance and expensive travel expenses. Such a pure mood is so rare. The trivial, ordinary and amplified emotions make me feel that the power of words is really great. I have always been worried about how to express it, and maybe I can get more delicious food from chewing it again and again.
It is really a very good and powerful book. Two excerpts are included in the appendix.
Eriko is a huge presence to me... She made me realize that although luck and misfortune do exist, it would be too willful to dwell on them all day long.
Moor the boat gently to the edge of the headland, don't break the sleeping moon shadow
## "Kitchen" book review
I always feel that the kitchen is a magical place.
It's not the shiny pots and pans or the delicious food that always comes out of the fridge. It's because, in that small space, we can always meet our truest selves.
I remember reading "The Kitchen" by Banana Yoshimoto for the first time on a cool autumn night. At that time, I had just experienced a broken relationship. My whole body seemed to be hollowed out, and even breathing felt laborious. I curled up on the sofa and opened the book, and then I couldn't put it down.
The heroine in the book, Meiying, lives alone in a huge house after losing all her relatives. Her life was like an empty kitchen, without smoke and warmth. Until she met Yuichi, the boy who always wore an apron and was busy in the kitchen.
Watching Meiying being healed bit by bit by Yuichi's cooking, I seemed to smell the aroma wafting from the book. It's the warmth of the miso soup, the crispness of the tonkatsu, and the sweetness of the rice. Every dish is like Yuichi's silent companionship, gently filling the hole in Meiying's heart.
I began to understand why Banana Yoshimoto chose the kitchen as the stage for the story. Because the kitchen is not only a place for cooking, but also a place where we connect with others. Here, we can take off all disguises and get along with others with our truest appearance. Here, through food, we can convey emotions that cannot be expressed in words.
After reading "The Kitchen," I walked into my own kitchen. I opened the refrigerator, took out the ingredients, and started making a meal for myself. When chopping vegetables, I feel like my heart is being cut open bit by bit. While cooking, I felt my tears boiling. But when I sat down and tasted the food I had made, I felt a peace I had never experienced before.
Banana Yoshimoto uses her unique brushwork to depict a story about loss and rebirth, loneliness and companionship. She told us that no matter how difficult life is, as long as there is a kitchen to go back to, we will never lose our way.
Now, I still go into the kitchen every night and cook myself a simple dinner. I know that there are many people like me in this world, looking for their own warmth under the light of the kitchen. And Banana Yoshimoto's "Kitchen" is like a bright light in the dark night, guiding us on the way home.
This book touched me very much, especially the character Eriko. I was deeply impressed by her strength and bravery. I think of those relatives and friends around me who have experienced setbacks. They, like Eriko, are working hard to live in difficult situations. This book taught me to cherish the people around me and to face the difficulties in life bravely. I like this book very much and recommend it to everyone!
After reading "The Kitchen", a scene like this came to my mind: "A man ate a bowl of pork cutlet rice bowl in a lonely night and burst into tears." Not only that, the emotional foreshadowing of this novel and the description of delicate feelings made this bowl of pork cutlet rice bowl unforgettable and not greasy at all.
Banana Yoshimoto's writing is warm and healing, and she reads it so delicately that you can almost absorb it all. I really like it.
The subject of loneliness and death, the sense of atmosphere, is still full of hope in the corner, the sunshine has never disappeared
Beyond physical sensitivity
A very quiet book
Life is a painting, colorful due to the rendering of different stories
Let's find mutual comfort together in this dark world
Through the description of each picture, it really makes people feel like reading a comic. Scenes come into view. The delicate writing style makes people moved. They find a way to heal themselves in pain. After reading it, I really feel warm in my heart.
Such delicate emotions, I felt like I was seeing myself, and seeing the long-lost fleeting feelings materialize bit by bit. In the middle of the night, you just want to deliver the same delicious meal to another person, so that he can go from "hungry together" to "both feel delicious", regardless of the distance and expensive travel expenses. Such a pure mood is so rare. The trivial, ordinary and amplified emotions make me feel that the power of words is really great. I have always been worried about how to express it, and maybe I can get more delicious food from chewing it again and again.
It is really a very good and powerful book. Two excerpts are included in the appendix. Eriko is a huge presence to me... She made me realize that although luck and misfortune do exist, it would be too willful to dwell on them all day long. Moor the boat gently to the edge of the headland, don't break the sleeping moon shadow
## "Kitchen" book review I always feel that the kitchen is a magical place. It's not the shiny pots and pans or the delicious food that always comes out of the fridge. It's because, in that small space, we can always meet our truest selves. I remember reading "The Kitchen" by Banana Yoshimoto for the first time on a cool autumn night. At that time, I had just experienced a broken relationship. My whole body seemed to be hollowed out, and even breathing felt laborious. I curled up on the sofa and opened the book, and then I couldn't put it down. The heroine in the book, Meiying, lives alone in a huge house after losing all her relatives. Her life was like an empty kitchen, without smoke and warmth. Until she met Yuichi, the boy who always wore an apron and was busy in the kitchen. Watching Meiying being healed bit by bit by Yuichi's cooking, I seemed to smell the aroma wafting from the book. It's the warmth of the miso soup, the crispness of the tonkatsu, and the sweetness of the rice. Every dish is like Yuichi's silent companionship, gently filling the hole in Meiying's heart. I began to understand why Banana Yoshimoto chose the kitchen as the stage for the story. Because the kitchen is not only a place for cooking, but also a place where we connect with others. Here, we can take off all disguises and get along with others with our truest appearance. Here, through food, we can convey emotions that cannot be expressed in words. After reading "The Kitchen," I walked into my own kitchen. I opened the refrigerator, took out the ingredients, and started making a meal for myself. When chopping vegetables, I feel like my heart is being cut open bit by bit. While cooking, I felt my tears boiling. But when I sat down and tasted the food I had made, I felt a peace I had never experienced before. Banana Yoshimoto uses her unique brushwork to depict a story about loss and rebirth, loneliness and companionship. She told us that no matter how difficult life is, as long as there is a kitchen to go back to, we will never lose our way. Now, I still go into the kitchen every night and cook myself a simple dinner. I know that there are many people like me in this world, looking for their own warmth under the light of the kitchen. And Banana Yoshimoto's "Kitchen" is like a bright light in the dark night, guiding us on the way home.
This book touched me very much, especially the character Eriko. I was deeply impressed by her strength and bravery. I think of those relatives and friends around me who have experienced setbacks. They, like Eriko, are working hard to live in difficult situations. This book taught me to cherish the people around me and to face the difficulties in life bravely. I like this book very much and recommend it to everyone!
After reading "The Kitchen", a scene like this came to my mind: "A man ate a bowl of pork cutlet rice bowl in a lonely night and burst into tears." Not only that, the emotional foreshadowing of this novel and the description of delicate feelings made this bowl of pork cutlet rice bowl unforgettable and not greasy at all.
Banana Yoshimoto's writing is warm and healing, and she reads it so delicately that you can almost absorb it all. I really like it.
The subject of loneliness and death, the sense of atmosphere, is still full of hope in the corner, the sunshine has never disappeared
Beyond physical sensitivity
A very quiet book
Life is a painting, colorful due to the rendering of different stories
Let's find mutual comfort together in this dark world
Through the description of each picture, it really makes people feel like reading a comic. Scenes come into view. The delicate writing style makes people moved. They find a way to heal themselves in pain. After reading it, I really feel warm in my heart.