Kitchen
Author : Banana Yoshimoto
Year of Published : 1988
Language : Japan (translated in English in 1993)
Genre : Drama
"We all believe we can choose our own path from among the many alternatives. But perhaps it's more accurate to say that we make the choice unconsciously." Kitchen, by Yoshimoto Banana
I have a traumatic moment when it comes to Japan Novel especially the drama genre. Somehow I just hate the ending of Japanese novel.
But that's the art of reading novel, right? Once you'd swear you won't read it, but at the next day your curiosity is tickle you to read another one. Yes, I read 'Kitchen' just because of out of my curiosity.
Kitchen, well from the title is much interesting. It is nothing to do about cooking, chef nor restaurant story. It is just literally kitchen, the place where Mikage ( the main protagonist in this novel) is get attracted most all of any other places in home.
The story begin with the death of Mikage's grandmother, the last person left whom blood related with her. Feeling empty, and sad, the only place she can sleep in is in the kitchen, beside the refrigerator, sense the humming of the machine.
Suddenly, someone is coming, Yuichi, a boy whom by any chance close to Mikage's deceased grandmother. Yuichi is working on flower shop where Mikage's grandmother usually went to.
Yuichi is inviting Mikage to come his house. He is living with his mother-whom happen used to be his father. When Yuichi's mother died, his father feels so sad until he don't want to live as a man so he changed his gender thru plastic surgery.
Yuichi and his mother, Eriko are very kind to Mikage, they comfort her and made her feel no more lonely. Few days later, Mikage decided to move in to fulfilling Yuichi and his mother request.
Mikage lived in there for almost 6 months. She is become so close with Yuichi's mother and mother's transgender friends. They help Mikage to get out from her sadness and sorrow.
When Mikage finally move out, get a job as chef's assistant, at some night Yuichi called her and inform that his mother is die. Panic and shock, Mikage come to Yuichi's apartment and found out that Yuchi's mother died few weeks ago but Yuichi never found a way to tell Mikage.
Up to the funeral, I couldn't take in what had happened. My mind was blank; in my eyes everything was dark. I'd never lived with anyone but Eriko. She was my mother, my father. Because she was always Eriko, I never had to think about it. There were so many things to do every day that I just kept barrelling along without worrying about it. That's how things were. And then, wow! At the funeral ... It was so like her, not to die in some normal way. Even the murderer's wife and kids showed up. The girls from the club went nuts, and had I not behaved in a way befitting an eldest son it would have been complete chaos. You've been on my mind the whole time. That's the truth. All the time. But somehow I just couldn't call you. I was afraid that telling you would make it all real. I mean, to have my mother, my father, die that way meant I was left all alone. I couldn't tell you, even though I knew that you two were close. I was confused, out of my mind." Yuichi told Mikage the reason why he didn't call Mikage any soon.
"Maybe we should go into business. Our clients could pay us to move in with people they want dead. We'll call ourselves destruction workers." Yuichi joke to Mikage about their loss
At the point, Mikage feel so much sorrow and sad. She started to question why everyone she loved should die. She cried and trembles, the she realized how painful Yuichi feel's that time.
"From the bottom of my heart, I wanted to give up; I wanted to give up on living. There was no denying that tomorrow would come, and the day after tomorrow, and so next week, too. I never thought it would be this hard, but I would go on living in the midst of a gloomy depression, and that made me feel sick to the depths of my soul." Mikage's feeling toward Eriko death.
Mikage decided to stay in Yuichi apartment and not let Yuichi feels lonely and Yuichi ask Mikage to live together. Previously, Mikage always see Yuichi as a family, but that close moment-struggling to get out from sadness together, made Mikage feels different toward Yuichi. Then the rest story is about Mikage's self to get or not into Yuchi's heart.
"But I'm not free, I realized; I've been touched by Yuichi's soul. How much easier it would be to stay away forever." Mikage's feeling toward Yuichi.
The second part of Kitchen is Moonlight Shadow That's the story about a girl namely Satsuki whom lost her boyfriend, Hitoshi. Trying to out from the sorrow, she met Urara, an unordinary and mysterious girl by chance at the bridge. That bridge is monumental place for Satsuki, that's the place where Satsuki and his boyfriend usually parting to go to their own home. His boyfriend also got an accident and die near the bridge.
Satsuki also meet Hiiragi, his boyfriend's younger brother whom also lost his girlfriend in the accident with Satsuki's boyfriend. They tried to share their sorrow together and found the way out to live again.
Overall this novel is about death, and how the person left to deal with it. The character of Mikage and Satsuki are almost the same. While Mikage try to not share her real sorrow but deeply sad, Satsuki told the reader how her sorrow but didn't know how to deal with it.
"The Gods are assholes! I loved Hitoshi-I loved Hitoshi more than life itself." Satsuki's feeling toward Hitoshi death.
It is like reading the mind of someone who left. I like the Mikage's story better because is longer and somehow Mikage is sad and strong in the same time.
The plot of story is easily guessed. The unclear position and feeling of Yuichi to Mikage's is the most curios part.
Well I guess the strongest point of this novel is the beautiful dictions. It is like reading an art but in contemporary way. I guess Mikage's perception of life is Banana Yoshimoto's, just like reading her journal.
This novel is worth to read, and entertaining. Don't expect too much for the ending, you know Japanese novel always have a twisted ending, but I assure you there no more death for the narrator.Happy reading!!
If you want to read the ibook version of Kitchen, you can find it here!
Or you might to love these following books (contain death ;p)
The Perks of being Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
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