The Cutmouth Lady

by Romy Ashby

fiction "cool, pungent perverse gaijin schoolgirl"

Genres: Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Rrisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

My roommate recommended this little gem, and given my love of young adult, coming of age, and strange fiction that disorients while it enchants, she was definitely correct in her guess that I would love this book. I would read this one again and within a year, just to relax into the dream-like scenarios and stories that are surreal and visceral. Each chapter could be its own short story, and there is no definite chronology as it jumps around and follows the thought train of the protagonist, a young girl, part Japanese and part white, who rubs herself against a culture that is hers and that makes a strange fetish of her mixed heritage. It's more of a coming-of-age tale than it is young adult fiction, her experiences are erotic and strange, and make for a beautiful portrait of Japanese teens in a private Catholic school. It's a beautiful mixture of Western and Eastern and worth some of the confusion as you land in each chapter wondering where you've woken up.

[Dnice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare find. I didn't know what to expect - but it was raw, eye-opening and a delicate walk through life in Japan as a half American/half Japanese teenager. I identified most with the underlying struggle of having to grow up quicker than others and figure things out alone - asking what life and pain and happiness is all about as your heart and daily life absorbs more than you think you can handle. Good book.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

a tender depiction of the awkwardness and excitement of teenage independence, lust, and female friendship that blurs into something different. "the cutmouth lady" is a series of interconnected stories about its protagonist, hiromi, a quarter japanese high schooler living and attending school in japan. she drinks too much, reads lesbian comics, works an illicit job at a coffeehouse, and fumbles in and out of love with a variety of characters. among the most endearing are her friendships with mari, the daughter of two doctors, with whom she goes to luxury bars and falls asleep in the woods, and mikayo, an older student who she bonds with after a drastic physical injury. but all the stories are wonderful- bittersweet, confused, glimmering with unexpressed desire. in few of the stories does any desire come to fruition; hiromi watches her friends with fascination and sometimes longing, and while the explicitly sexually moments are rare, "the cutmouth lady" is strongest when its desire remains internal.

[J. Gonzalez- Blitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tales of an American teenager attending a Catholic school in Japan, while adjusting to a foreign culture and the coming awareness of her own lesbian preferences. Though I'm sure the premises of "lesbian" "schoolgirls" and "Japan" just wet the pant-flaps on any American otaku reading this, these stories are told with the reminiscence and awkwardness of adolescence rather than to titillate guys a la Katy Perry. Hiromi (as she's called here) experiences as many setbacks as victories in her adventures, which include puppy love crushes on friends, regrettable encounters, uncertainty, and all the usual teen angst, all while drinking too much and involving herself in various aspects of the subculture and nightlife of the town she's in.

[Ekf · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite books of all time. apparently 1995 was a good year for me in terms of reading (probably since i had the time). But this book still stands out. I saw Ashby give a reading at my college then sought out this book of short stories. The stories are about girlhood, teen culture, Japan, and otherness. Chekov meets Sassy magazine? The book is hard to find, but worth seeking out.

[Loreehyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely short stories about a naughty american girl in catholic school in japan in the 70's. find it online at: http://goodie.org/shop.html

[Zelda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book rocks!!
READ IT.