죽는 게 뭐라고

by Yoko Sano, 사노 요코

<100만 번 산 고양이>, <사는 게 뭐라고>의 작가 사노 요코. 삶에 관한 시크함을 보여준 그녀가 암 재발 이후 세상을 뜨기 두 해 전까지의 기록을 남겼다. <죽는 게 뭐라고>는 사노 요코가 "돈과 목숨을 아끼지 말거라"라는 신념을 지키며 죽음을 당연한 수순이자 삶의 일부로 겸허히 받아들이는 모습을 담고 있다.

이 책을 이루는 산문들과 대담, 작가 세키카와 나쓰오의 회고록에도 이러한 태도가 고스란히 녹아 있다. 사노 요코는 시종일관 "죽는 건 아무렇지도 않다"라고 초연한 목소리로 말한다.

200 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2013

Reviews

[kg · Rating 4 out of 5]

本の後半、医師との対談の後に出てくる話が面白かった。どこも悪くないのに副作用で？体のあちこちをひどい痛みに襲われて、我慢できずに闘病仲間から聞いた男前の医者のところへ行き即入院させてもらった（そこはホスピスだった）。そこで出会った末期の患者たちの様子。印象に残ったのは二人; 不仲の夫の悪口を会う人ごとに語り続ける女（うちの母そっくり）、宗教だとは思ってなかったのに、子供の頃祖母に連れられて通った読経の会のおかげで知らぬ間に悟り救われていた女性。…信じるものがある人は強い（前者は53年間結婚生活で辛抱を強いられた恨みに駆られて離婚せずに耐え続けるという強さ、後者は信仰のために解き放たれた強さ）。

[Polly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
When talking about Yoko Sano, many people might come up with her picture book The Cat That Lived a Million Times, but I have to say, her essays are equally compelling! I believe Sano’s essays can be quite polarizing: some readers will absolutely love her boldness, unapologetic nature, and her sharp, often cynical perspective on life, like me, while others might simply see her as a stubborn old woman.
In this book and another one 役にたたない日々, when she was diagnosed with cancer, she embraced her father's philosophy of "not being stingy with money or life." On the very day she received the diagnosis, she walked out of the hospital and immediately bought herself a Jaguar, even though she had previously refused to buy imported cars.
In both of the essay collections, you can clearly see Sano’s bold approach to life. She loves and hates passionately, lives loudly, and embraces both illness and death with a calm, unflinching attitude. In this book, she continues to reflect deeply on life, dignity in dying, and what it truly means to "live well." It’s a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking read.