[Yoshimoto] is the supreme poet of solitude, and how it can grip even in the middle of one of the world's busiest cities . . . [but there are always] tiny kindnesses from other human beings that makes life worth persevering with. ― Spectator
There was no past, no future, no words, nothing - just the light and the yellow and the scent of dry leaves in the sun.
Japan's internationally celebrated storyteller returns with five stories of healing and hope. Effortlessly beautiful, nostalgic and melancholy, the stories in Dead-End Memories explore the stories of five women who, following sudden and painful events, find solace in the blissful moments in everyday life.
The daughter of a restaurant owner experiences a budding romance, accompanied by the ghosts of an elderly couple. After a scandalous near-death experience, an editor gains a new lease of life. A woman seeks refuge in the apartment above her uncle's bar after being betrayed by her fiancé. As Yoshimoto's gentle, effortless prose reminds us, one true miracle can be as simple as having someone to share a meal with, and happiness is always within us if only we take a moment to see it.
Strange, melancholy and beautiful. At the centre of each story is a woman negotiating the quiet fallout of personal history. . . each one feels distinct, rich in its own particular way. . . These stories made me believe again that it was possible to write honestly, rigorously, morally, about the material reality of characters; to write toward human warmth as a reaffirmation of the bonds that tie us together. This is a supremely hopeful book, one that feels important because it shows that happiness, while not always easy, is still a subject worthy of art. -- Brandon Taylor ― The New York Times Book Review
Dead-End Memories is a collection of stories, each of which, while specific and distinct, has at its centre a woman both losing and finding something of herself. In Asa Yoneda's elegant translation of this collection-whose title story Yoshimoto herself considers her best-the soothing rhythm of the everyday and the mundane is broken by equally quiet moments of profundity. -- Ilana Masad ― An NPR Best Book of the Year
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
Yoshimoto has an effortless ability to penetrate her characters' hearts. ― The New York Times
[Yoshimoto's] 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
"oshimoto's writing style is economical. Most of her protagonists are, at heart, well-meaning people. And her stories assert, unabashedly, that good stories don't have to have unhappy endings. -- Alison Fincher ― Asian Review of Books
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. 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)
A new short story collection from one of Japan's most beloved authors features five women seeking peace in the face of uncertainty . . . One of the things that separates Yoshimoto from many contemporary writers is her refusal to linger on her characters' dark nights of the soul: All her protagonists are ultimately changed irrevocably by kindnesses-from others, from the natural world, from themselves-that lead them on paths toward the light. This, coupled with Yoshimoto's gentle prose (translated here by Yoneda), makes the collection perfect for readers looking for stories that will leave a sweet taste in their mouths without sacrificing depth or intelligence. ― Kirkus Reviews
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
