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The Third Love
Having married her childhood sweetheart, Riko now finds herself trapped in a relationship that has been soured by infidelity. One day, by chance, she runs into her old friend Mr Takaoka, who offers friendship, love, and an unusual he teaches her the trick of living inside her dreams. And so, each night, she sinks into another first as a high-ranking courtesan in the 17th century, and then as a serving lady to a princess in the late Middle Ages. As she experiences desire and heartbreak in the past, so Riko comes to reconsider her life as a 21st century woman, as a wife, as a mother, and as a lover, and to ask herself whether, after loving her husband and loving Mr Takaoka, she is now ready for her third great love.
Kindle Edition
First published September 23, 2020
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About the author
Hiromi Kawakami
121 books3,713 followersKawakami Hiromi (川上弘美 Kawakami Hiromi) born April 1, 1958, is a Japanese writer known for her off-beat fiction.
Born in Tokyo, Kawakami graduated from Ochanomizu Women's College in 1980. She made her debut as "Yamada Hiromi" in NW-SF No. 16, edited by Yamano Koichi and Yamada Kazuko, in 1980 with the story So-shimoku ("Diptera"), and also helped edit some early issues of NW-SF in the 1970s. She reinvented herself as a writer and wrote her first book, a collection of short stories entitled God (Kamisama) published in 1994. Her novel The Teacher's Briefcase (Sensei no kaban) is a love story between a woman in her thirties and a man in his sixties. She is also known as a literary critic and a provocative essayist.
(from Wikipedia)
Born in Tokyo, Kawakami graduated from Ochanomizu Women's College in 1980. She made her debut as "Yamada Hiromi" in NW-SF No. 16, edited by Yamano Koichi and Yamada Kazuko, in 1980 with the story So-shimoku ("Diptera"), and also helped edit some early issues of NW-SF in the 1970s. She reinvented herself as a writer and wrote her first book, a collection of short stories entitled God (Kamisama) published in 1994. Her novel The Teacher's Briefcase (Sensei no kaban) is a love story between a woman in her thirties and a man in his sixties. She is also known as a literary critic and a provocative essayist.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 513 reviews
June 5, 2024
Hiromi Kawakami’s ambitious take on the time slip novel centres on an exploration of ideas of love between men and women in Japan through the ages. Kawakami draws on historical characters from the classic Tales of Ise notably Narahiri Arawara, rewriting their stories to fit her central character Riko’s personal dilemmas. Now in her forties, Riko married her childhood sweetheart Naa-chan, ten years her senior. Riko’s is an isolated figure, bullied at school, her closest bond was with her elementary school janitor Takaoka, a failed Buddhist monk. Riko’s adult years have been overshadowed by her obsession with Naa-chan, her days taken up with housework while he pursues a series of other women. Years pass, Riko’s increasingly adrift, uncertain about her choices, her feelings for Naa-chan and her hopes for the future. Then a chance encounter with the mysterious Takaoka sets off a series of disturbingly-lucid dreams in which Riko becomes one with women from the past.
In Riko’s early dreams she’s able to observe a family living in the 1700s during the Edo period; eventually inhabiting this world through their daughter who’s sold to an establishment in the famous Yoshiwara pleasure district. There the girl’s trained as a woman of pleasure, her sole purpose to fulfil men’s sexual desires. In this past reality the girl, who is both Riko and not Riko, takes on a version of Takaoka as a client, then falls for him. The girl’s experiences lead Riko to question her own existence and contemplate the possibility of sex without love or emotional ties. Now a mother, her dreamscape then shifts further back in time taking Riko to the Heian period, where she is connected to a nyōbō lady-in-waiting to a young princess. The princess then becomes the wife of famous poet Narihara, so that books Riko’s read in the present start to unfold before her eyes. In this time period Riko’s struck by concepts of marriage as primarily political and contractual, an arrangement in which both men and women are free to take lovers. A situation that causes Riko to reflect on contemporary notions of monogamy and fidelity. A process aided by ongoing conversations with Takaoka - who also plays a part within her Heian fantasy.
Kawakami’s narrative’s partly inspired by her own experiences in Japan, the gender roles and expectations that shaped or hindered her ability to achieve independence. She’s particularly fascinated by the way ideas about the nature of love are inflected by historical, cultural frameworks. Kawakami discards any sense of linear progression, instead she wants to explore the ways in which models of love between men and women in different time periods might open up, or close down, different possibilities for women. It’s an intriguing idea, although I didn’t find the execution completely convincing, or entirely coherent. The episodes featuring different eras in Japanese history are meticulously researched and well-observed but Riko herself was quite a frustrating character. Her initial passivity in her dealings with her husband Naa-chan sometimes strained my credibility; and I found her dealings with Takaoka – part fatherly mentor, part companion, part lover – more than slightly unsettling. The contemporary aspects of the narrative were the weakest, perhaps because of the repetition of ideas – presumably linked to the book’s original appearance in serial form. Translated by Ted Goosen.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Granta Publications for an ARC
In Riko’s early dreams she’s able to observe a family living in the 1700s during the Edo period; eventually inhabiting this world through their daughter who’s sold to an establishment in the famous Yoshiwara pleasure district. There the girl’s trained as a woman of pleasure, her sole purpose to fulfil men’s sexual desires. In this past reality the girl, who is both Riko and not Riko, takes on a version of Takaoka as a client, then falls for him. The girl’s experiences lead Riko to question her own existence and contemplate the possibility of sex without love or emotional ties. Now a mother, her dreamscape then shifts further back in time taking Riko to the Heian period, where she is connected to a nyōbō lady-in-waiting to a young princess. The princess then becomes the wife of famous poet Narihara, so that books Riko’s read in the present start to unfold before her eyes. In this time period Riko’s struck by concepts of marriage as primarily political and contractual, an arrangement in which both men and women are free to take lovers. A situation that causes Riko to reflect on contemporary notions of monogamy and fidelity. A process aided by ongoing conversations with Takaoka - who also plays a part within her Heian fantasy.
Kawakami’s narrative’s partly inspired by her own experiences in Japan, the gender roles and expectations that shaped or hindered her ability to achieve independence. She’s particularly fascinated by the way ideas about the nature of love are inflected by historical, cultural frameworks. Kawakami discards any sense of linear progression, instead she wants to explore the ways in which models of love between men and women in different time periods might open up, or close down, different possibilities for women. It’s an intriguing idea, although I didn’t find the execution completely convincing, or entirely coherent. The episodes featuring different eras in Japanese history are meticulously researched and well-observed but Riko herself was quite a frustrating character. Her initial passivity in her dealings with her husband Naa-chan sometimes strained my credibility; and I found her dealings with Takaoka – part fatherly mentor, part companion, part lover – more than slightly unsettling. The contemporary aspects of the narrative were the weakest, perhaps because of the repetition of ideas – presumably linked to the book’s original appearance in serial form. Translated by Ted Goosen.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Granta Publications for an ARC
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Want to read
February 22, 2024Hiromi Kawakami is a "drop everything to read" author for me and I will be dropping everything for this in June. Can't wait.
May 24, 2024
I've read several of Kawakami's previous novels and surprisingly this felt the most traditionally Japanese.
In Third Love the author uses classic novels such as Tale of Genji and Tales of Ise to provide an almost fairy tale quality to the story of Riko and her marriage to Naa-Chan.
Riko has been in love with Naa-Chan since she was a child and is delighted when her feelings are reciprocated but Naa-Chan's desire for other women continues and Riko finds herself restarting a friendship with the old caretaker from her school, Mr Takaoka, when Naa-Chan's affairs affect her love for him. Mr Takaoka teaches Riko about his magical ability to transport himself into other times giving Riko the escape she needs.
The book is split into three parts - a tale from long ago where Riko is transported into the body of an oiran (a high-ranking courtesan); a tale from long long ago when she finds herself in the body of a princess's handmaiden and then a tale of today where she is herself.
The stories all have echoes of each other, Riko's real life and the stories in Tales of Ise. I found it absolutely enchanting. It was completely different to any of her books I've read previously. She has a chameleon quality to her work and it continually surprises.
Highly recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Granta Publications for the advance review copy.
In Third Love the author uses classic novels such as Tale of Genji and Tales of Ise to provide an almost fairy tale quality to the story of Riko and her marriage to Naa-Chan.
Riko has been in love with Naa-Chan since she was a child and is delighted when her feelings are reciprocated but Naa-Chan's desire for other women continues and Riko finds herself restarting a friendship with the old caretaker from her school, Mr Takaoka, when Naa-Chan's affairs affect her love for him. Mr Takaoka teaches Riko about his magical ability to transport himself into other times giving Riko the escape she needs.
The book is split into three parts - a tale from long ago where Riko is transported into the body of an oiran (a high-ranking courtesan); a tale from long long ago when she finds herself in the body of a princess's handmaiden and then a tale of today where she is herself.
The stories all have echoes of each other, Riko's real life and the stories in Tales of Ise. I found it absolutely enchanting. It was completely different to any of her books I've read previously. She has a chameleon quality to her work and it continually surprises.
Highly recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Granta Publications for the advance review copy.
February 22, 2024
Nope. Sorry, not for me
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but what exactly was the main point, premise, or indeed “take-away” from this book -aside from women being ignorantly nonchalant about their partners numerous (yes NUMEROUS) infidelities, and A LOT (and I mean A LOT) of talk about sex, and (at least one non consensual) sexual encounter between -let’s face, questionable age gaps … and don’t even try to justify the latter under the guise of them being in a “parallel”, dreamlike state (of which I might add, was unbelievably confusing and tediously drawn out) so age doesn’t matter.
(Yet another -at least based on my recent reading stats) Beguilingly boring, and deeply unsatisfying read.
1.5 stars
PS- thanks to the publishers for sending me an early copy though :)
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but what exactly was the main point, premise, or indeed “take-away” from this book -aside from women being ignorantly nonchalant about their partners numerous (yes NUMEROUS) infidelities, and A LOT (and I mean A LOT) of talk about sex, and (at least one non consensual) sexual encounter between -let’s face, questionable age gaps … and don’t even try to justify the latter under the guise of them being in a “parallel”, dreamlike state (of which I might add, was unbelievably confusing and tediously drawn out) so age doesn’t matter.
(Yet another -at least based on my recent reading stats) Beguilingly boring, and deeply unsatisfying read.
1.5 stars
PS- thanks to the publishers for sending me an early copy though :)
May 18, 2024
52nd book of 2024.
1.5. I'm a fan of Meiko, but have never read Hiromi. Maybe she's as good, but this (her newest translated book, coming out next month sometime), was not the book to prove her worth to me. The idea far outweighed the execution, which is more painful to swallow than simply a bad book. The narrator is taught, by her old school janitor, to travel in her dreams. She travels to the Edo period, and the Heian. Though she is dreaming, it is written as if it is happening, so it feels more like a time-travel book. In the present, the narrator is dealing with her husband, her childhood sweetheart, who, despite having numerous affairs and being generally shitty to her, she loves. In her dreamscapes, she takes on several traditional Japanese women roles, one such role being something similar to a Handmaid from the Atwood novel - her only purpose is to entertain men with her body. Eventually, it turns into a bad version of Mishima's tetralogy, in that the janitor who taught her this gift also appears recurrently in these dreams. Feelings for him also begin to arise. The whole plot seemed to be centred around the narrator being used (at one point she is raped, too), and mistreated, in the dreams and in reality. She never seems overly bothered by this. The plot trudged along. The writing was childishly simple. I don't think I cared about any two pages of the whole novel. However, for established fans of Hiromi? Perhaps another enjoyable book.
Thanks to Granta for the advanced copy, anyway.
1.5. I'm a fan of Meiko, but have never read Hiromi. Maybe she's as good, but this (her newest translated book, coming out next month sometime), was not the book to prove her worth to me. The idea far outweighed the execution, which is more painful to swallow than simply a bad book. The narrator is taught, by her old school janitor, to travel in her dreams. She travels to the Edo period, and the Heian. Though she is dreaming, it is written as if it is happening, so it feels more like a time-travel book. In the present, the narrator is dealing with her husband, her childhood sweetheart, who, despite having numerous affairs and being generally shitty to her, she loves. In her dreamscapes, she takes on several traditional Japanese women roles, one such role being something similar to a Handmaid from the Atwood novel - her only purpose is to entertain men with her body. Eventually, it turns into a bad version of Mishima's tetralogy, in that the janitor who taught her this gift also appears recurrently in these dreams. Feelings for him also begin to arise. The whole plot seemed to be centred around the narrator being used (at one point she is raped, too), and mistreated, in the dreams and in reality. She never seems overly bothered by this. The plot trudged along. The writing was childishly simple. I don't think I cared about any two pages of the whole novel. However, for established fans of Hiromi? Perhaps another enjoyable book.
Thanks to Granta for the advanced copy, anyway.
May 25, 2024
The first half of this book is insanely strong, the dissection of Riko's desire and Naa-chen's infidelities are gorgeous, her slow realisation and the slow destruction of her perfect image of him are deft and tragically beautifully complex.
It becomes slightly convoluted and loses track with the inclusion of the Heian storyline. This is where the threads loosen too much for me and function of the past lives seems too obtuse. More than anything the storyline of the princess treads old ground, Riko has already accepted Naa-chen's dalliances.
The explorations of love are fantastic, the nuance is phenomenal and Riko's journey from wide-eyed devotion to pragmatic, yet unwavering, devotion feels so true in a way I rarely encounter in fiction. However, the story and its meanings do become muddled as more lives get lived and I don't think the conclusion ties them together neatly enough.
It becomes slightly convoluted and loses track with the inclusion of the Heian storyline. This is where the threads loosen too much for me and function of the past lives seems too obtuse. More than anything the storyline of the princess treads old ground, Riko has already accepted Naa-chen's dalliances.
The explorations of love are fantastic, the nuance is phenomenal and Riko's journey from wide-eyed devotion to pragmatic, yet unwavering, devotion feels so true in a way I rarely encounter in fiction. However, the story and its meanings do become muddled as more lives get lived and I don't think the conclusion ties them together neatly enough.
March 27, 2025
¿Qué son los sueños sino vidas que no hemos vivido o recuerdos de vidas pasadas?
Riko está enamorada de su marido que es infiel por naturaleza. Con ese amor casi absorbente no se resigna a separarse de él y aunque la relación entre ellos se ha enfriado, ella sigue a su lado. Sin embargo un día Riko se reencuentra con un hombre que la intrigaba cuando era niña y se escondía de sus compañeros de colegio. A partir de una conversación con el señor Takaoka que Riko comienza a soñar por las noches y a vivir vidas distintas a la que lleva cuando está despierta. Riko a través de los sueños, el amor por su marido y por el señor Takaoka, va explorándose a si misma y reconsiderando su vida como mujer.
Con “El tercer amor” y gracias a que la narradora utiliza sus sueños para evadirse de la realidad, Hiromi Kawakami realiza una interesantísima exploración del Japón de las mujeres. La estructura y la forma del relato no son excesivamente complejas, pero sí es un texto exhaustivamente completo ya que con tres tiempos completamente diferentes de la historia de Japón, los periodos Heian (794-1185) y Edo (1603-1868) en sueños y época actual en la “realidad”, todos ellos vistos de primera mano, consigue una idea bastante fidedigna de la evolución o del retroceso, de la sociedad nipona. El objetivo se consigue gracias a que Kawakami retrata estos tiempos sin seguir el orden cronológico. Primero comienza con la edad actual, para empezar soñando con el periodo Edo y finalmente con el periodo Heian. Todo ello con el característico uso sencillo del lenguaje y la cadencia propia de la narrativa Japonesa, salvo que la experiencia de leer a Kawakami es completamente inmersiva. El lector se convierte en el personaje protagonista, es decir Riko.
La Riko actual está enamorada de su marido Sâ-chan, aunque también del señor Takaoka de una manera más platónica pero no menos profunda. Riko en el periodo Edo es Shungetsu, una “oiran” del barrio del placer de Tokio, obligada a acostarse con diversos hombres, pero que sin embargo se enamora de otras versiones de los hombres de su realidad. En el periodo Heian es la sirvienta de una princesa cuyo marido es infiel, y nuevamente encuentra en él y en otro hombre, tanto a su marido real como al señor Takaoka. Resulta casi hasta cómico el punto en el que Riko hace comparaciones entre los hombres del pasado/sueños y los de la actualidad/realidad, sobre todo porque Sâ-chan queda muy mal parado, pasando de ser el primero al último en su vida.
Este libro es un regalo. No sólo tenemos la interesante historia de Riko, contada por ella misma. Sino que también es un estudio sobre dos periodos actualmente poco tratados de la historia de Japón. Tenemos muchísimos libros ilustrando magníficamente las eras modernas: Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, Heisei y la actual Reiwa gracias a la popularización de la literatura nipona desde el s. XIX a la actualidad. Sin embargo pocos libros se publican actualmente sobre los periodos más “medievales” (el medievo/feudalismo/shogunato fue más longevo en Japón que en el resto del mundo) y encontrarnos con este de Kawakami es, ciertamente, un regalo. Y la razón radica en las descripciones y sobre la gente corriente y las costumbres de esos periodos, los ambientes, las formas de conducta y de cortesía, los rangos sociales, los rangos intrínsecos dentro de las ocupaciones “profesionales” de cada individuo, las leyes, las prohibiciones y sobre todo los códigos morales y éticos de cada sociedad prestando especial atención a la vida y las costumbres de las mujeres y el comportamiento humano con respecto al amor y a las relaciones conyugales y extraconyugales.
Así pues Riko experimenta todo esto y gracias a ello relativiza sobre el amor y las relaciones, su situación como mujer y la esperanza de un tercer amor que aún no ha llegado. Llegado este punto en la reseña podría extenderme mucho más, pero concluiré diciendo que este es el mejor libro que he leído en lo que va de año y que no en vano Hiromi Kawakami es una de mis autoras actuales favoritas.
Riko está enamorada de su marido que es infiel por naturaleza. Con ese amor casi absorbente no se resigna a separarse de él y aunque la relación entre ellos se ha enfriado, ella sigue a su lado. Sin embargo un día Riko se reencuentra con un hombre que la intrigaba cuando era niña y se escondía de sus compañeros de colegio. A partir de una conversación con el señor Takaoka que Riko comienza a soñar por las noches y a vivir vidas distintas a la que lleva cuando está despierta. Riko a través de los sueños, el amor por su marido y por el señor Takaoka, va explorándose a si misma y reconsiderando su vida como mujer.
Con “El tercer amor” y gracias a que la narradora utiliza sus sueños para evadirse de la realidad, Hiromi Kawakami realiza una interesantísima exploración del Japón de las mujeres. La estructura y la forma del relato no son excesivamente complejas, pero sí es un texto exhaustivamente completo ya que con tres tiempos completamente diferentes de la historia de Japón, los periodos Heian (794-1185) y Edo (1603-1868) en sueños y época actual en la “realidad”, todos ellos vistos de primera mano, consigue una idea bastante fidedigna de la evolución o del retroceso, de la sociedad nipona. El objetivo se consigue gracias a que Kawakami retrata estos tiempos sin seguir el orden cronológico. Primero comienza con la edad actual, para empezar soñando con el periodo Edo y finalmente con el periodo Heian. Todo ello con el característico uso sencillo del lenguaje y la cadencia propia de la narrativa Japonesa, salvo que la experiencia de leer a Kawakami es completamente inmersiva. El lector se convierte en el personaje protagonista, es decir Riko.
La Riko actual está enamorada de su marido Sâ-chan, aunque también del señor Takaoka de una manera más platónica pero no menos profunda. Riko en el periodo Edo es Shungetsu, una “oiran” del barrio del placer de Tokio, obligada a acostarse con diversos hombres, pero que sin embargo se enamora de otras versiones de los hombres de su realidad. En el periodo Heian es la sirvienta de una princesa cuyo marido es infiel, y nuevamente encuentra en él y en otro hombre, tanto a su marido real como al señor Takaoka. Resulta casi hasta cómico el punto en el que Riko hace comparaciones entre los hombres del pasado/sueños y los de la actualidad/realidad, sobre todo porque Sâ-chan queda muy mal parado, pasando de ser el primero al último en su vida.
Este libro es un regalo. No sólo tenemos la interesante historia de Riko, contada por ella misma. Sino que también es un estudio sobre dos periodos actualmente poco tratados de la historia de Japón. Tenemos muchísimos libros ilustrando magníficamente las eras modernas: Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, Heisei y la actual Reiwa gracias a la popularización de la literatura nipona desde el s. XIX a la actualidad. Sin embargo pocos libros se publican actualmente sobre los periodos más “medievales” (el medievo/feudalismo/shogunato fue más longevo en Japón que en el resto del mundo) y encontrarnos con este de Kawakami es, ciertamente, un regalo. Y la razón radica en las descripciones y sobre la gente corriente y las costumbres de esos periodos, los ambientes, las formas de conducta y de cortesía, los rangos sociales, los rangos intrínsecos dentro de las ocupaciones “profesionales” de cada individuo, las leyes, las prohibiciones y sobre todo los códigos morales y éticos de cada sociedad prestando especial atención a la vida y las costumbres de las mujeres y el comportamiento humano con respecto al amor y a las relaciones conyugales y extraconyugales.
Así pues Riko experimenta todo esto y gracias a ello relativiza sobre el amor y las relaciones, su situación como mujer y la esperanza de un tercer amor que aún no ha llegado. Llegado este punto en la reseña podría extenderme mucho más, pero concluiré diciendo que este es el mejor libro que he leído en lo que va de año y que no en vano Hiromi Kawakami es una de mis autoras actuales favoritas.
March 14, 2026
The audiobook experience felt very calm yet the story it self feel tragic. Its about love and longing but in no way a happy kind of love and the age gap and cheating made me uncomfortable. But it was effective and I was so invested in both the real time story as well as the dreamlike time jumps.
May 17, 2025
“Ser de ayuda a otra persona. Sentir eso es una de las grandes alegrías del amor.”
Una lectura tremendamente japonesa. Digo esto porque he notado que destila mucha cultura del país nipón, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta los viajes entre las épocas Edo, Heian y actual que va haciendo la protagonista a lo largo de sus sueños.
Creo que es un libro bastante interesante, diría que de ritmo lento, con constantes reflexiones sobre el amor, el sexo, la situación de la mujer en la sociedad, el trabajo y la vida en si misma.
Me ha gustado que de vez en cuando la autora vaya soltando pullitas a esa sociedad japonesa de ahora haciendo comparaciones con las situaciones que va viviendo la protagonista en sus aventuras oníricas.
June 7, 2024
Written in a dreamlike way, this book is about Riko, a young woman narrating her life and loves. From a young age(an actual toddler! )she considers herself in love with Naachan and when she grows up she marries him, knowing he’s had other relationships with women and he continues to have affairs after their marriage. An important man in Riko’s life from childhood is Mr Takada, her schools janitor, that she spent a lot of time talking to. When they meet up again after her marriage he talks about magic and then she starts dreaming. The dreams take her to historical periods in Japan’s history, firstly two hundred years ago in Edo and the second around 1000 in the Heian period. In both cases the dreams lives have the feeling of real lives. Exploring the lives of women, (especially in regards to love and sex), in these other time periods allows Riko to find her own independence in the modern world.
It’s a bit of a slow read and at times repetitive, as Riko goes over her thoughts but I enjoyed the dreamy flavour of the story. There’s many links to classic Japanese literature (eg. The Tales of Ise) that I’m not really familiar with. An interesting read. (I also really love the cover!)
It’s a bit of a slow read and at times repetitive, as Riko goes over her thoughts but I enjoyed the dreamy flavour of the story. There’s many links to classic Japanese literature (eg. The Tales of Ise) that I’m not really familiar with. An interesting read. (I also really love the cover!)
March 10, 2025
"Solo la cama era el territorio para que dos seres distintos se mostrasen al fin un poco de respeto y ternura sin llegar a perder nunca del todo la distancia".
Leer algo nuevo de una autora que te gusta siempre tiene un punto injusto. Las expectativas pueden jugar en su contra, la nueva obra la estarás comparando continuamente con las anteriores. En este caso, lo que propone Hiromi Kawakami es tan distinto, tan moderno, tan valiente, que ha sido como leer una voz nueva.
Una novela donde los sueños se vuelven recuerdos de vidas pasadas, donde desde el presente reinterpretamos el pasado y aprendemos que quizás somos más "antiguos" ahora que entonces. Una exploración original sobre el amor y el deseo, sobre los modelos de relación y de vida.
Me ha fascinado el triple salto mortal de la autora para insertar tramas ambientadas en Edo y Heian, períodos fascinantes de la Historia japonesa que los autores contemporáneos han tratado poco.
En resumen, ha superado todas mis expectativas, me ha hecho pensar, viajar, soñar y anhelar.
Leer algo nuevo de una autora que te gusta siempre tiene un punto injusto. Las expectativas pueden jugar en su contra, la nueva obra la estarás comparando continuamente con las anteriores. En este caso, lo que propone Hiromi Kawakami es tan distinto, tan moderno, tan valiente, que ha sido como leer una voz nueva.
Una novela donde los sueños se vuelven recuerdos de vidas pasadas, donde desde el presente reinterpretamos el pasado y aprendemos que quizás somos más "antiguos" ahora que entonces. Una exploración original sobre el amor y el deseo, sobre los modelos de relación y de vida.
Me ha fascinado el triple salto mortal de la autora para insertar tramas ambientadas en Edo y Heian, períodos fascinantes de la Historia japonesa que los autores contemporáneos han tratado poco.
En resumen, ha superado todas mis expectativas, me ha hecho pensar, viajar, soñar y anhelar.
December 13, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for providing me with an ALC.
This had an interesting format with alternating present and dream personas. This felt less like fiction and more like a book on love and marriage in Japanese aristocracies. It was interesting to read about but I wasn't as invested in it. Sometimes the whining really got to me, especially when she was the princess's handmaid. The romance or sort of romance with Mr. Takaoka was really weird given that he was her elementary school janitor (so, an adult she knew when she was just a kid). At their current ages, it's okay but just makes me feel iffy given their circumstances. It would have been better if Riko had just thought about him as a nice uncle or so. The book felt well researched and the writing/translation was nice enough. I would recommend this to someone looking for a well researched book about the evolution of romance and relationships throughout different Japanese dynasties.
The narrator did a great job. Listening to the audiobook definitely improved my experience, especially since I now know the pronunciation of many of the Japanese names/terms.
This had an interesting format with alternating present and dream personas. This felt less like fiction and more like a book on love and marriage in Japanese aristocracies. It was interesting to read about but I wasn't as invested in it. Sometimes the whining really got to me, especially when she was the princess's handmaid. The romance or sort of romance with Mr. Takaoka was really weird given that he was her elementary school janitor (so, an adult she knew when she was just a kid). At their current ages, it's okay but just makes me feel iffy given their circumstances. It would have been better if Riko had just thought about him as a nice uncle or so. The book felt well researched and the writing/translation was nice enough. I would recommend this to someone looking for a well researched book about the evolution of romance and relationships throughout different Japanese dynasties.
The narrator did a great job. Listening to the audiobook definitely improved my experience, especially since I now know the pronunciation of many of the Japanese names/terms.
September 1, 2024
Kawakami masterfully plot a story on love that transcends the era, the debate between love in modern era & in the past especially during Edo period & Heian era. Through the lucid dream experienced by Riko as she navigated her lives in this dreamscape as oiran in Yoshiwara infatuated with Takada, a samurai and as the princess's lady-in waiting in Heian era besotted by the poet Narihira. Riko herself married her husband, Naa-chan 10 years her senior, her love for him was pure & full of naivety as she loved him since she was small but then Naa-chan himself is the kind of man that get easily swayed by women & had multiple illicit affairs. Its both frustrating to read through Riko's pain & the betrayal she suffered from her husband's affairs, as she fled into her dreams to escape the painful reality.
A story that told first hand from Riko's perspective, we get glimpses into her own love & desire for her childhood sweetheart, Naa-chan to the loves she experienced in these vivid dreams of hers after her fateful encounter with Mr Takaoka, the older janitor from her middle school days now that she is married. Riko escaped her betrayal & depression of how her husband kept getting involved with other women in these dreams of her as a high ranking courtesan or oiran named Shungetsu & another as the handmaiden to the princess in the Tale of Ise. Third Love rooted in old Japanese classics, at its core its spoken in true Japanese culture & critique on the society of love interpretation. There are parts of the story based on real life story of the Yoshiwara's establishment as the pleasure district & the role of these oiran which reminded me of Kiyoko Murata's Women of Pleasure. The second lucid dream she experienced right after her son, Toji was born is more of her falling into the dream not to escape reality but as a space for her own enjoyment & understanding of her current relationship with her husband.
This was so unique & interesting to read with many implications & commentary on marriages, love, desires & gender inequality which I enjoyed but the pacing can be slow and dull at times. Also, I'm a bit sceptical when it comes to age gap & questionable relationships in this book which rendered how our perspectives differed in terms of these relationship can be problematic in other cultures standpoint.
Thank you to Pansing and Definitely books for the review copy.
A story that told first hand from Riko's perspective, we get glimpses into her own love & desire for her childhood sweetheart, Naa-chan to the loves she experienced in these vivid dreams of hers after her fateful encounter with Mr Takaoka, the older janitor from her middle school days now that she is married. Riko escaped her betrayal & depression of how her husband kept getting involved with other women in these dreams of her as a high ranking courtesan or oiran named Shungetsu & another as the handmaiden to the princess in the Tale of Ise. Third Love rooted in old Japanese classics, at its core its spoken in true Japanese culture & critique on the society of love interpretation. There are parts of the story based on real life story of the Yoshiwara's establishment as the pleasure district & the role of these oiran which reminded me of Kiyoko Murata's Women of Pleasure. The second lucid dream she experienced right after her son, Toji was born is more of her falling into the dream not to escape reality but as a space for her own enjoyment & understanding of her current relationship with her husband.
This was so unique & interesting to read with many implications & commentary on marriages, love, desires & gender inequality which I enjoyed but the pacing can be slow and dull at times. Also, I'm a bit sceptical when it comes to age gap & questionable relationships in this book which rendered how our perspectives differed in terms of these relationship can be problematic in other cultures standpoint.
Thank you to Pansing and Definitely books for the review copy.
March 1, 2025
“Mi nuevo amor no tiene por qué ser demasiado ancho ni demasiado estrecho. Me bastaría con que fuese como esa luz brumosa de la primavera. Ni siquiera hace falta que me ilumine a mí. Basta con que ilumine algo que he amado. Entonces podré contemplarlo con una mirada de profunda ternura. Eso es. Con dulzura, calidez, nada más. Así durante el resto de mis días.”
Una novela sobre las distintas formas de amar enfocada desde distintos tipos de relaciones, distintos momentos temporales y distintos protagonistas.
Una novela sobre una mujer que se casó enamorada pero que pronto se llevará una decepción y en sus sueños habitará los cuerpos y las vidas de otras mujeres en otros periodos de la historia de Japón mientras reflexiona sobre las relaciones entre mujeres y hombres y su propia relación con su marido.
Escrito con delicadeza, elegancia y cierta melancolía, sentimos el dolor, la decepción, la resignación pero también la esperanza y la semilla del cambio en la protagonista, sin olvidar que a pesar de la universalidad del amor ella lo analiza desde la perspectiva de la mujer en la sociedad japonesa.
Y es que a pesar de las experiencias, las decepciones y demás, siempre podemos estar abiertos al tercer amor.
(3,5/5)⭐️⭐️⭐️ ¡me ha gustado mucho aunque no es mi favorito de la autora!
Una novela sobre las distintas formas de amar enfocada desde distintos tipos de relaciones, distintos momentos temporales y distintos protagonistas.
Una novela sobre una mujer que se casó enamorada pero que pronto se llevará una decepción y en sus sueños habitará los cuerpos y las vidas de otras mujeres en otros periodos de la historia de Japón mientras reflexiona sobre las relaciones entre mujeres y hombres y su propia relación con su marido.
Escrito con delicadeza, elegancia y cierta melancolía, sentimos el dolor, la decepción, la resignación pero también la esperanza y la semilla del cambio en la protagonista, sin olvidar que a pesar de la universalidad del amor ella lo analiza desde la perspectiva de la mujer en la sociedad japonesa.
Y es que a pesar de las experiencias, las decepciones y demás, siempre podemos estar abiertos al tercer amor.
(3,5/5)⭐️⭐️⭐️ ¡me ha gustado mucho aunque no es mi favorito de la autora!
June 17, 2025
Hiromi Kawakami acaba de recuperar la motivación de existir en plena época contemporánea y nadie más juega.
Este libro fue simplemente perfecto. Desde su contenido narrativo, completamente entrañable, hasta su elegancia en la exposición de problemáticas modernas y profundas.
La protagonista se encuentra en un mundo fragmentado, donde no se siente comoda prácticamente en ningún espacio ni con ningún ser humano. Ella misma parte diciendo lo extraño que se hace rememorar el tiempo. Hay una dualidad en eso, porque por un lado se evidencia que funcionó en automático tanto tiempo, y por otro, al momento de narrarnos su historia, parece recién comprenderse a sí misma y su historia.
A través de la magia que solo pueden contener los sueños, experimenta dos épocas del Japón antiguo. Solo a través de estas experiencias recupera el amor, la autocomprensión y, por extensión, la vida.
Cada página y cada fragmento que va pasando se siente como poco a poco Kawakami va tomando retazos de la experiencia moderna, contrastando con la narración perdida y logra recomponer un terreno esponjoso en donde se puede vivir. Se suma de cajón a uno de mis libros favoritos y más actuales en la discusión de la vida moderna.
Este libro fue simplemente perfecto. Desde su contenido narrativo, completamente entrañable, hasta su elegancia en la exposición de problemáticas modernas y profundas.
La protagonista se encuentra en un mundo fragmentado, donde no se siente comoda prácticamente en ningún espacio ni con ningún ser humano. Ella misma parte diciendo lo extraño que se hace rememorar el tiempo. Hay una dualidad en eso, porque por un lado se evidencia que funcionó en automático tanto tiempo, y por otro, al momento de narrarnos su historia, parece recién comprenderse a sí misma y su historia.
A través de la magia que solo pueden contener los sueños, experimenta dos épocas del Japón antiguo. Solo a través de estas experiencias recupera el amor, la autocomprensión y, por extensión, la vida.
Cada página y cada fragmento que va pasando se siente como poco a poco Kawakami va tomando retazos de la experiencia moderna, contrastando con la narración perdida y logra recomponer un terreno esponjoso en donde se puede vivir. Se suma de cajón a uno de mis libros favoritos y más actuales en la discusión de la vida moderna.
December 15, 2024
weird age gap. loving someone even when they are openly cheating. do i need to say more.
so disappointed as the starting was so good with descriptions of her feelings but as it went on it was just....i was staring at my screen in disbelief at what i was reading
so disappointed as the starting was so good with descriptions of her feelings but as it went on it was just....i was staring at my screen in disbelief at what i was reading
September 15, 2024
A surreal historical and culture related premise told in a modern-day perspective of a woman who found herself to be trapped in a relationship that was soured by infidelity. Having to marry her childhood sweetheart, Riko now struggles to understand the meaning of love and the beauty of marriage due to her husband’s affairs which disheartening her role as a wife and a woman. A mess of emotional drama grasped Riko to find comfort in Mr Takaoka, an old friend who offers friendship, love and unusual escape to live inside her dreams where Riko gets to travel and sinking into another life; first as a high-ranking courtesan during the historic Edo and later as a serving lady to a princess in Heian period.
An enthralling lifestyle narrative at first that enticed me with Riko’s backstory; from a picky full of anxieties little girl to her coming-of-age and later a new chapter to her marriage and familial life. Through Takaoka, Riko drowned in an engrossing timeslip adventure that tangled her reality to the past exploring the intricacies of her concern; on womanhood, solitude and one’s devotion with a gaze on patriarchal and societal’s perception that has triggered her emotional conflict as a woman. It relates a lot to the Tales of Ise and Takaoka’s Travels esp on the progress and its characterization (almost like an adaptation?), quite dense, bit explicit and emotionally driven that at times the execution can be a bit draggy to follow.
The plot so often changing in its setting and randomly traversed in between paragraphs making it a bit wearisome for me and frankly, it felt so impossible for a dream to be that vivid and too believable in nature; was it because Takaoka was an ex-monk(?). Nevertheless, despite the lingering underwhelming execution from her adventure, I enjoyed the last part the most and truly loved how Riko chose to end her tale.
(Thank you Pansing Distribution for the gifted review copy!)
An enthralling lifestyle narrative at first that enticed me with Riko’s backstory; from a picky full of anxieties little girl to her coming-of-age and later a new chapter to her marriage and familial life. Through Takaoka, Riko drowned in an engrossing timeslip adventure that tangled her reality to the past exploring the intricacies of her concern; on womanhood, solitude and one’s devotion with a gaze on patriarchal and societal’s perception that has triggered her emotional conflict as a woman. It relates a lot to the Tales of Ise and Takaoka’s Travels esp on the progress and its characterization (almost like an adaptation?), quite dense, bit explicit and emotionally driven that at times the execution can be a bit draggy to follow.
The plot so often changing in its setting and randomly traversed in between paragraphs making it a bit wearisome for me and frankly, it felt so impossible for a dream to be that vivid and too believable in nature; was it because Takaoka was an ex-monk(?). Nevertheless, despite the lingering underwhelming execution from her adventure, I enjoyed the last part the most and truly loved how Riko chose to end her tale.
(Thank you Pansing Distribution for the gifted review copy!)
April 14, 2025
Aun estoy procesando este libro 🤔
Habían cosas que me incomodaron un poquito, pero en otros aspectos me pareció una genialidad. Ciertamente había una crítica social y cultural, por otro lado tenía algo de fantasioso e imaginario.
No s�� si la estructura de la novela era lo que esperaba para una historia así de compleja, pero en el fondo me quedan dando vueltas ciertos puntos que no me terminaron de encajar, por eso la puntuación de termino medio.
Habían cosas que me incomodaron un poquito, pero en otros aspectos me pareció una genialidad. Ciertamente había una crítica social y cultural, por otro lado tenía algo de fantasioso e imaginario.
No s�� si la estructura de la novela era lo que esperaba para una historia así de compleja, pero en el fondo me quedan dando vueltas ciertos puntos que no me terminaron de encajar, por eso la puntuación de termino medio.
July 18, 2024
A good book- but the structure makes it hard to enjoy fully. Also-the blurb literally gave away the whole story.
October 2, 2025
Me costó poner esta nota porque quería que este libro me gustara más. Hubiera querido que fuera más largo y lograra desarrollar mejor la idea, que me gustó tanto. Un libro que no queda entre mis favoritos, pero de una de mis escritoras favoritas.
August 24, 2025
I liked it
July 9, 2024
I’m confused by this one. Some scenes were beautiful, but I don’t entirely understand the conclusions made.
I can’t help but wonder if the author has been hurt by an older man? It seems to be a common theme
I can’t help but wonder if the author has been hurt by an older man? It seems to be a common theme
December 30, 2023
One of the greatest pieces of artistry I’ve seen in a very long time
March 26, 2025
1.5
Start was good.
Then, it was a constant history lesson.
No character development.
Start was good.
Then, it was a constant history lesson.
No character development.
May 25, 2024
To mogła być tak dobra i wciągająca książka, a jest infantylnym gniotem, który musi co 3 strony tłumaczyć, że świat nie wygląda tak jak kilkaset lat temu
January 13, 2026
idk why but so many books i've read translated from japanese read in the same stilted style (shoutout sayaka murata for not being like that)
June 16, 2024
I still can’t put into words exactly how this book made me feel. It was a raw-kind-of-read, in a good way and painfully honest. Married to her Childhood sweetheart, Riko embarks on a life she was not prepared for. In love with Na-chaan since she was a child, when she becomes older she is relieved his feelings for her are reciprocated. The love that she has for Na-chaan, however, does feel like an all-consuming love. Riko has dreamed since a young age that she would become the one he loves the most, that she would be everything to Na-chaan in the same way. However, the love they have for each other, we learn, is very different.
Their love is not all that straight forward and as the story develops we learn that between his work and his other connections, Na-chaan is well known for being desired by other women, and a whole host of things happen for poor Riko. As elements of their marriage begin to sour, despite her unwavering love for Na-chaan, Riko craves for an escape and a hope that her marriage can somehow be saved. She reconnects with her high school Janitor who was her only friend growing up one afternoon out of the blue. This rejuvenates Riko, feeling that intellectually, to an extent he the only person who understands her. He tells her about how he lives different lives, and she jumps at the opportunity to experience different lives in her dreams which are in fact very real. They continue to meet up away from the dream world at several different points during the story.
I found the lucid dreaming aspect of the story intriguing. The book is split into these three parts - A Tale from long ago, a tale from long long ago and a tale from today where she exists as herself. Finding an escape from her daily life she sinks into another life in her sleep - in 17th century Japan she is a high-ranking courtesan, and in the Middle Ages she is a serving lady to a Princess. She experiences both heart break and love in her dream life and her real life. She learns, also about the many different types of love that exist. She also meets Mr Takaoka in her dreamscape, where they themselves experience a different form of love together.
The best way to describe these timelines in the book are them being ‘echos’ of eachother.
There is a lot of nuance in this book. It looks at gender roles, misogyny, age-gap relationships, and different models of love between time jumps. Parts of it were unsettling at times which I think was to be expected from the Historic spin of a whole host of Japanese literature references that exist within the book (a lot of reviews talk about Takaoka (the janitor) being problematic but I personally didn’t think he was, but then again this was a book that felt the MOST traditionally Japanese in the way of literature in my opinion. For some readers who haven’t read much Japanese literature or history it explains the disconnect in some of the reviews - this was a really intellectually interesting book overall)
Thank you again Netgalley for this early access, I throughly enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more Hiromi Kawakami books in the future.
Their love is not all that straight forward and as the story develops we learn that between his work and his other connections, Na-chaan is well known for being desired by other women, and a whole host of things happen for poor Riko. As elements of their marriage begin to sour, despite her unwavering love for Na-chaan, Riko craves for an escape and a hope that her marriage can somehow be saved. She reconnects with her high school Janitor who was her only friend growing up one afternoon out of the blue. This rejuvenates Riko, feeling that intellectually, to an extent he the only person who understands her. He tells her about how he lives different lives, and she jumps at the opportunity to experience different lives in her dreams which are in fact very real. They continue to meet up away from the dream world at several different points during the story.
I found the lucid dreaming aspect of the story intriguing. The book is split into these three parts - A Tale from long ago, a tale from long long ago and a tale from today where she exists as herself. Finding an escape from her daily life she sinks into another life in her sleep - in 17th century Japan she is a high-ranking courtesan, and in the Middle Ages she is a serving lady to a Princess. She experiences both heart break and love in her dream life and her real life. She learns, also about the many different types of love that exist. She also meets Mr Takaoka in her dreamscape, where they themselves experience a different form of love together.
The best way to describe these timelines in the book are them being ‘echos’ of eachother.
There is a lot of nuance in this book. It looks at gender roles, misogyny, age-gap relationships, and different models of love between time jumps. Parts of it were unsettling at times which I think was to be expected from the Historic spin of a whole host of Japanese literature references that exist within the book (a lot of reviews talk about Takaoka (the janitor) being problematic but I personally didn’t think he was, but then again this was a book that felt the MOST traditionally Japanese in the way of literature in my opinion. For some readers who haven’t read much Japanese literature or history it explains the disconnect in some of the reviews - this was a really intellectually interesting book overall)
Thank you again Netgalley for this early access, I throughly enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more Hiromi Kawakami books in the future.
February 14, 2025
Alright where do I even start with this one? The Third Love by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Ted Goossen, tells a story of a woman named Riko who has been in love with her childhood friend Naa-Chan, since she was a little child and he is much older. Her dream finally comes true and she marries her childhood sweetheart, however the marriage doesn't turn out as picture perfect as she thought it would be. She is left with the feelings of confusion, sadness, heartbreak and a form of betrayal. An old friend from long ago, offers her love, companionship and an escape from her sombre reality through dreams.
Hiromi Kawakami writes an interesting and enchanting story in the perspective of our main character Riko. The book contains only 3 chapters the first being: "A Tale From Long Ago", which covers Riko's youth and her growth into adulthood. Later we jump to the dream world set in the Edo Period Japan, here Hiromi writes about life in Yoshiwara Japan as an "Oiran". Which is essentially a high-ranking prostitute within the famous red light-district, also known in that period as a high-class courtesan. I enjoyed reading this chapter I found it insightful because it touched on some historical aspects and traditional Japan. You also get to see how Riko's character develop as she jumps from reality the dream world, the questions she asks herself constantly surrounding her marriage, comparisons with the women of that period and the modern world, and her own marriage life.
The second chapter is: " A Tale From Long, Long Ago", this time it's set in the Heian Era, here Riko plays the role of an aid to a Princess. Although the story gets a bit slow and dull here for me, I enjoyed reading the comparisons Riko makes on the men of that era to the men of the modern world. Finally the last chapter: "A Tale Of Today", focuses on Riko's life in the present time and where does she go from here? Who or what will be her third love? After everything she's seen and experienced? The question on Love? How much of it do you give? How do you interpret it exactly?
At its core The Third Love is rooted in Japanese folklore, Culture, Traditions, and love interpretation. It has some enchanting elements to it as well, this was a unique and interesting read for me, my huge take away would be the historical/traditional parts. Other than that the book overall didn't really hit for me, due to some parts being slow, lacking and bizzare in terms of the age gap between Riko and the two characters she loves. However this is a unique book and I don't regret reading it. If you have interests in Japanese culture, classics and love interpretation, marriage, desire, gender inequality. Then I recommend giving this book a read, I believe there parts that are really well written, that you'll find insightful.
Hiromi Kawakami writes an interesting and enchanting story in the perspective of our main character Riko. The book contains only 3 chapters the first being: "A Tale From Long Ago", which covers Riko's youth and her growth into adulthood. Later we jump to the dream world set in the Edo Period Japan, here Hiromi writes about life in Yoshiwara Japan as an "Oiran". Which is essentially a high-ranking prostitute within the famous red light-district, also known in that period as a high-class courtesan. I enjoyed reading this chapter I found it insightful because it touched on some historical aspects and traditional Japan. You also get to see how Riko's character develop as she jumps from reality the dream world, the questions she asks herself constantly surrounding her marriage, comparisons with the women of that period and the modern world, and her own marriage life.
The second chapter is: " A Tale From Long, Long Ago", this time it's set in the Heian Era, here Riko plays the role of an aid to a Princess. Although the story gets a bit slow and dull here for me, I enjoyed reading the comparisons Riko makes on the men of that era to the men of the modern world. Finally the last chapter: "A Tale Of Today", focuses on Riko's life in the present time and where does she go from here? Who or what will be her third love? After everything she's seen and experienced? The question on Love? How much of it do you give? How do you interpret it exactly?
At its core The Third Love is rooted in Japanese folklore, Culture, Traditions, and love interpretation. It has some enchanting elements to it as well, this was a unique and interesting read for me, my huge take away would be the historical/traditional parts. Other than that the book overall didn't really hit for me, due to some parts being slow, lacking and bizzare in terms of the age gap between Riko and the two characters she loves. However this is a unique book and I don't regret reading it. If you have interests in Japanese culture, classics and love interpretation, marriage, desire, gender inequality. Then I recommend giving this book a read, I believe there parts that are really well written, that you'll find insightful.
June 23, 2025
Lo que más me atrajo de El tercer amor fue la forma en que Hiromi Kawakami entrelaza distintas épocas para mostrarnos cómo se vivían el amor, el deseo y los vínculos en Japón. La autora nos lleva por un paisaje emocional que atraviesa generaciones, y lo hace a través de un recurso curioso: los sueños de la protagonista. En ellos, viaja a otras vidas, a otros tiempos, y se sumerge en costumbres que ya no existen o que han cambiado de forma. Es un artificio que permite ese recorrido, aunque en mi lectura no terminó de convencerme del todo; lo sentí algo forzado, como si la estructura necesitara sostenerse en algo más sólido que el azar del mundo onírico.
Lo que me pareció más revelador fue la aparente libertad con la que las mujeres, en una de esas épocas pasadas, expresaban su amor. Pero esa libertad, como bien señala la narradora —quizás sin del todo cuestionarla—, estaba limitada por lo que los hombres permitían. Me hizo pensar en cuántas veces a lo largo de la historia la autonomía femenina ha sido una ilusión, una concesión disfrazada de elección. Kawakami no insiste en ello, no lo subraya, pero deja que lo intuyamos entre líneas, como quien deja caer una flor seca en una página para que el lector la descubra tiempo después.
Incluso en el presente de la narración, las dinámicas desiguales persisten. Rioko mantiene una relación con Taraoka, un hombre bastante mayor que fue maestro en su escuela cuando ella era una niña. Si no me equivoco, él se fue cuando ella tenía nueve años. Esa diferencia no es solo de edad, sino también de rol y jerarquía: él era la figura adulta, con poder, y ella apenas una niña. Por mucho que ahora se encuentren como adultos, el vínculo arrastra una raíz asimétrica que no puede ignorarse. La supuesta libertad de la protagonista sigue estando atravesada por estructuras de poder masculino que comienzan incluso en la infancia.
Más que hacerme reflexionar, el libro me ilustró. Me permitió asomarme, con la delicadeza característica de la literatura japonesa, a la intimidad de otras eras, a gestos y códigos que quizá solo pueden comprenderse desde dentro. Y, aun con sus imperfecciones, la lectura me dejó la sensación de haber recorrido un mapa antiguo de sentimientos que, en el fondo, no nos son tan ajenos.
Lo que me pareció más revelador fue la aparente libertad con la que las mujeres, en una de esas épocas pasadas, expresaban su amor. Pero esa libertad, como bien señala la narradora —quizás sin del todo cuestionarla—, estaba limitada por lo que los hombres permitían. Me hizo pensar en cuántas veces a lo largo de la historia la autonomía femenina ha sido una ilusión, una concesión disfrazada de elección. Kawakami no insiste en ello, no lo subraya, pero deja que lo intuyamos entre líneas, como quien deja caer una flor seca en una página para que el lector la descubra tiempo después.
Incluso en el presente de la narración, las dinámicas desiguales persisten. Rioko mantiene una relación con Taraoka, un hombre bastante mayor que fue maestro en su escuela cuando ella era una niña. Si no me equivoco, él se fue cuando ella tenía nueve años. Esa diferencia no es solo de edad, sino también de rol y jerarquía: él era la figura adulta, con poder, y ella apenas una niña. Por mucho que ahora se encuentren como adultos, el vínculo arrastra una raíz asimétrica que no puede ignorarse. La supuesta libertad de la protagonista sigue estando atravesada por estructuras de poder masculino que comienzan incluso en la infancia.
Más que hacerme reflexionar, el libro me ilustró. Me permitió asomarme, con la delicadeza característica de la literatura japonesa, a la intimidad de otras eras, a gestos y códigos que quizá solo pueden comprenderse desde dentro. Y, aun con sus imperfecciones, la lectura me dejó la sensación de haber recorrido un mapa antiguo de sentimientos que, en el fondo, no nos son tan ajenos.
August 19, 2024
I did dnf at 55% to premise ~ I felt the character narration to be incredibly self-centered and slightly narcissistic, but the struggles of women in Japanense culture were very palpable. In addition to the isolation of motherhood and self discovery.
I liked the dream/ past life / realm shift going on but felt it hard to relate to her reasons for staying with her partner.
I liked the dream/ past life / realm shift going on but felt it hard to relate to her reasons for staying with her partner.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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