Dead-End Memories

by Banana Yoshimoto

Genres: Japan

Paperback

About the author

Banana Yoshimoto (よしもと ばなな or 吉本 ばなな) is the pen name of Mahoko Yoshimoto (吉本 真秀子), a Japanese contemporary writer. She writes her name in hiragana. (See also 吉本芭娜娜 (Chinese).)

Along with having a famous father, poet Takaaki Yoshimoto, Banana's sister, Haruno Yoiko, is a well-known cartoonist in Japan. Growing up in a liberal family, she learned the value of independence from a young age.

She graduated from Nihon University's Art College, majoring in Literature. During that time, she took the pseudonym "Banana" after her love of banana flowers, a name she recognizes as both "cute" and "purposefully androgynous."

Despite her success, Yoshimoto remains a down-to-earth and obscure figure. Whenever she appears in public she eschews make-up and dresses simply. She keeps her personal life guarded, and reveals little about her certified Rolfing practitioner, Hiroyoshi Tahata and son (born in 2003). Instead, she talks about her writing. Each day she takes half an hour to write at her computer, and she says, "I tend to feel guilty because I write these stories almost for fun."

Reviews

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely collection of short stories; i think the first one about the ghosts was really peaceful

her writing portrays complicated emotions simply (not as simple). all of these stories felt like different perspectives on the nature of relationships

[Qui · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have only read one work by banana yoshimoto before, and it was already a long time ago, so reading this now brought back faint memories of being fascinated by her gentle writing style, which makes her characters feel so human.

out of all the short stories in this book, my favorite is the one about near-death experience. it successfully captures the paradox of life being so grand and immense, yet also fragile enough to be snapped from out grasp within a second. it also showed how messy the way to recovery is, but again, as it is told with yoshimoto-like gentleness, it ultimately feels like a kindness for ourselves as complex human beings.

[Jenna Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

As others have said, Yoshimoto has such delicate softness in her writing, where it is clear that she is writing as an observer and lets the reader imagine what exact emotions or feelings the characters might have than the ones she portrays. In the last story, she seems to circle back to the the character’s first question to Nishiyama - what she thinks happiness is - through her line in “There was no past, no future, no words, nothing - just the light and the yellow and the scent of dry leaves in the sun. The entire time, I felt surrounded by happiness.”

[Loreley Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Banana Yoshimoto's writing style. Out of all the books I've read by her so far, though, this is the only one that didn't make my heart ache to the point of bringing me to tears.

My favorite story in this collection was definitely Dead-End Memories. I'll leave one of my favorite quotes from it:

"Happiness descends on you suddenly, regardless of circumstance, and so indifferently that it seems cruel. It doesn't care where you are, or who you're with."

[Bronwen Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quote on the back of the paperback, 'Strange, melancholy and beautiful' (Brandon Taylor) is very apt. There are five long stories here, and all are so human and gentle, and sensual too. I've read all of Yoshimoto's work (in translation) and always look forward to reading her beautiful, hopeful prose.

[Nnedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read around appreciating happiness, however briefly the moments come, and healing from past trauma or pain. I mainly found all the characters simply endearingly human, but not particularly memorable? I had the feels in the moment of reading, but nothings stayed with me after. This’d have been a 5 star review otherwise.

[Nabeel Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from her petite bourgeois lifestyle colouring this story, dead end memories shines bright with amazing surprisingly introspective stories that won't ever leave my memories.

Beautiful writing and aside from the tomo chan story, beautiful and reflective.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED the way she writes relationships and women specifically! felt very seen at times :)) and also! believing in love and romance :))

[Dominique Virgil · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Very light reading, enough to keep me refreshed from a long day of work :)