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Sunrise: Radiant Stories
"A knockout." — Publishers Weekly (Starred review)
"A remarkable collection." —Kirkus Reviews
A collection of contemplative, lyrical stories examining the visible and invisible consequences of atomic power on Japanese society
Sunrise is a collection of interconnected stories continuing Erika Kobayashi’s examination of the effects of nuclear power on generations of women. Connecting changes to everyday life to the development of the atomic bomb, Sunrise shows us how the discovery of radioactive power has shaped our history and continues to shape our future.
In the opening, eponymous story “Sunrise,” Yoko, born exactly two years and one day after Nagasaki was decimated, mirrors her life to the development of nuclear power in Japan. In “Precious Stones,” four daughters take their elderly mother to the restorative waters of a radium spring, exchanging tales of immortality. In “Hello My Baby, Hello My Honey,” a woman goes into labor during the final days of WWII. And finally, “The Forest of Wild Birds” shows Erika visiting the site of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster, touring grounds that were once covered in green.
Translator Brian Bergstrom returns in this collection, bringing to life Kobayashi’s unsettling, lasting, and striking prose. The stories in Sunrise force a reckoning with the lasting effects of known and unknown histories and asks how much of modern life is influenced by forces outside of our control.
"A remarkable collection." —Kirkus Reviews
A collection of contemplative, lyrical stories examining the visible and invisible consequences of atomic power on Japanese society
Sunrise is a collection of interconnected stories continuing Erika Kobayashi’s examination of the effects of nuclear power on generations of women. Connecting changes to everyday life to the development of the atomic bomb, Sunrise shows us how the discovery of radioactive power has shaped our history and continues to shape our future.
In the opening, eponymous story “Sunrise,” Yoko, born exactly two years and one day after Nagasaki was decimated, mirrors her life to the development of nuclear power in Japan. In “Precious Stones,” four daughters take their elderly mother to the restorative waters of a radium spring, exchanging tales of immortality. In “Hello My Baby, Hello My Honey,” a woman goes into labor during the final days of WWII. And finally, “The Forest of Wild Birds” shows Erika visiting the site of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster, touring grounds that were once covered in green.
Translator Brian Bergstrom returns in this collection, bringing to life Kobayashi’s unsettling, lasting, and striking prose. The stories in Sunrise force a reckoning with the lasting effects of known and unknown histories and asks how much of modern life is influenced by forces outside of our control.
240 pages, Paperback
Published June 11, 2023
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396 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 22, 2023
Thank you Net Galley for this ARC
In these interconnected stories, Kobayashi acquaints the reader to a feminist experience of the effects of nuclear power, its origin, its journey through history and its ramifications in modern-day society. Fires of symbolic and literal nature burn in the protagonists’ worlds igniting forth anger, and remorse, but also warmth and light never being able to put out of its radiance.
Sunrise dabbles with the horrors and effects of forces beyond our control. One such force deeply explored, is the effects of nuclear power specifically on women. Using elements such as fire and its offspring light and heat in its physical representations of all things that glitter and shine but also those that melt and burn, Kobayashi examines the birth of nuclear energy at the centre of the sun, and this naturally existing energy harnessed and weaponised through history, destroying humanity. These stories look at its everlasting effects on women who experienced Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings firsts-hand, the human experience of which inherited by their daughters, who in turn pass it down to the next generation, both knowingly and unknowingly.
Using ordinary lives of invisible Japanese women, and juxtaposing them with big historical facts and events, Kobayashi employs a unique technique in her storytelling giving visibility and attention to their invisibility.
Magical realism, folktales and myth are all interwoven giving ordinary women’s lives a bizarre and tragic twist. Time jumps back and forth between the past present and future creating a sense of restlessness and apprehension. Appearing calm and detached even, on the surface these women adroitly mask their fears, anger, and anxiety. Being on the receiving end of catastrophes engineered by men such as the war and its aftermath, their rights to sexuality, pregnancy, and birth are constantly endangered.
As the title suggests, these are radiant stories where the luminosity is represented as a consequence, as an aftermath, and thus doesn’t hold an entirely positive connotation other than giving visibility – something has to burn, destroy itself, in order to give light.
A note of appreciation to Brian Bergstrom for his brilliant translation without which these important stories would have not reached a wider audience. Bergstrom deftly captures the mood of the stories, and his afterword certainly adds to its weight as well as offers the reader in understanding the intent of the author and his own in translating her works.
In these interconnected stories, Kobayashi acquaints the reader to a feminist experience of the effects of nuclear power, its origin, its journey through history and its ramifications in modern-day society. Fires of symbolic and literal nature burn in the protagonists’ worlds igniting forth anger, and remorse, but also warmth and light never being able to put out of its radiance.
Sunrise dabbles with the horrors and effects of forces beyond our control. One such force deeply explored, is the effects of nuclear power specifically on women. Using elements such as fire and its offspring light and heat in its physical representations of all things that glitter and shine but also those that melt and burn, Kobayashi examines the birth of nuclear energy at the centre of the sun, and this naturally existing energy harnessed and weaponised through history, destroying humanity. These stories look at its everlasting effects on women who experienced Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings firsts-hand, the human experience of which inherited by their daughters, who in turn pass it down to the next generation, both knowingly and unknowingly.
Using ordinary lives of invisible Japanese women, and juxtaposing them with big historical facts and events, Kobayashi employs a unique technique in her storytelling giving visibility and attention to their invisibility.
Magical realism, folktales and myth are all interwoven giving ordinary women’s lives a bizarre and tragic twist. Time jumps back and forth between the past present and future creating a sense of restlessness and apprehension. Appearing calm and detached even, on the surface these women adroitly mask their fears, anger, and anxiety. Being on the receiving end of catastrophes engineered by men such as the war and its aftermath, their rights to sexuality, pregnancy, and birth are constantly endangered.
As the title suggests, these are radiant stories where the luminosity is represented as a consequence, as an aftermath, and thus doesn’t hold an entirely positive connotation other than giving visibility – something has to burn, destroy itself, in order to give light.
A note of appreciation to Brian Bergstrom for his brilliant translation without which these important stories would have not reached a wider audience. Bergstrom deftly captures the mood of the stories, and his afterword certainly adds to its weight as well as offers the reader in understanding the intent of the author and his own in translating her works.
July 2, 2023
“This is ‘Welcome to New York,’ by Taylor Swift, from her album 1989.” 1989, the year Taylor Swift was born. The year the Showa Emperor died. The year I met Quartz.
Already twenty‑seven years ago.
Thank you, NetGalley and Astra Publishing House, for the chance to read and review Sunrise by Erika Kobayashi. Sunrise comes out on the 11th of July and is 242 pages long.
Sunrise is a series of interrelated narratives that explores the impact of nuclear power on women across generations. The stories include phenomena such as people growing wings, the burning of last books, radioactive springs, and a degenerative illness that affects the mind initially.
Kobayashi blends magical realism, folklore, and science fiction to create stories that cannot be found elsewhere. Each story bleeds into the other, with stories with a story, a style that I really appreciated.
I understand for the first time that to die is to lose the ability to meet another’s gaze.
Already twenty‑seven years ago.
Thank you, NetGalley and Astra Publishing House, for the chance to read and review Sunrise by Erika Kobayashi. Sunrise comes out on the 11th of July and is 242 pages long.
Sunrise is a series of interrelated narratives that explores the impact of nuclear power on women across generations. The stories include phenomena such as people growing wings, the burning of last books, radioactive springs, and a degenerative illness that affects the mind initially.
Kobayashi blends magical realism, folklore, and science fiction to create stories that cannot be found elsewhere. Each story bleeds into the other, with stories with a story, a style that I really appreciated.
I understand for the first time that to die is to lose the ability to meet another’s gaze.
January 16, 2025
My brain is a little scrambled and scattered so I'll write a shitty review for this one.
I appreciate Erika Kobayashi's efforts to write fiction that highlights the impact of radiation on human lives. She does so in humane and mundane ways that feel like what she's writing about isn't political or equally heartbreaking/horrifying.
Part of me feels Sunrise: Radiant Stories was more effective than her full-length novel dealing with the same issue, Trinity, Trinity, Trinity. However, I liked the novel more because I could connect with the characters better (and the wacky stuff worked for me).
I wasn't going to read this, and while I'm glad I read it, I think I'll forget about it quickly.
I appreciate Erika Kobayashi's efforts to write fiction that highlights the impact of radiation on human lives. She does so in humane and mundane ways that feel like what she's writing about isn't political or equally heartbreaking/horrifying.
Part of me feels Sunrise: Radiant Stories was more effective than her full-length novel dealing with the same issue, Trinity, Trinity, Trinity. However, I liked the novel more because I could connect with the characters better (and the wacky stuff worked for me).
I wasn't going to read this, and while I'm glad I read it, I think I'll forget about it quickly.
August 7, 2023
Wow!! Erika Kobayashi works magic. What a powerful voice and an incredible collection of short stories!
These 11 stories explore the impact of atomic power on Japanese society, specifically on women through the generations. And I was blown away by the depth and layers in each story! Kobayashi effortlessly mixes and moves through genres and uses powerful metaphors. There’s the history, science and social commentary you’d expect, but there’s also elements of magical realism, folklore and sci-fi. And it’s all incredibly atmospheric. Through it all, you never lose touch with the subject matter.
Sure, I learned about the nuclear age in school. But it honestly felt so far removed from my life, something that never personally touched me. Kobayashi brought that all to the forefront for me. She makes it real and close to home, giving these invisible things visibility (as she has said herself). I started asking questions and looking things up. How are there so much details I’m unaware of? I really couldn’t believe it.
‘Shedding’ was my favorite in the collection. People begin to catch a mysterious virus that takes away their ability to use and understand language. I could feel the tension, anticipation, panic and terror in my soul. I saw so many of my own fears, struggles and insecurities in ‘Shedding.’ It made me cry.
But really, there’s nothing I could possibly say about Kobayashi’s mastery that translator Brian Bergstrom hasn’t already said. His note at the end of the book is perfect. He has such a deep understanding of Kobayashi’s art and it shows on every page.
Absolutely in awe of both Kobayashi and Bergstrom! This is a book that needs to live on your shelf because these stories are meant to be re-read. I have no doubt they will reveal something new each time.
These 11 stories explore the impact of atomic power on Japanese society, specifically on women through the generations. And I was blown away by the depth and layers in each story! Kobayashi effortlessly mixes and moves through genres and uses powerful metaphors. There’s the history, science and social commentary you’d expect, but there’s also elements of magical realism, folklore and sci-fi. And it’s all incredibly atmospheric. Through it all, you never lose touch with the subject matter.
Sure, I learned about the nuclear age in school. But it honestly felt so far removed from my life, something that never personally touched me. Kobayashi brought that all to the forefront for me. She makes it real and close to home, giving these invisible things visibility (as she has said herself). I started asking questions and looking things up. How are there so much details I’m unaware of? I really couldn’t believe it.
‘Shedding’ was my favorite in the collection. People begin to catch a mysterious virus that takes away their ability to use and understand language. I could feel the tension, anticipation, panic and terror in my soul. I saw so many of my own fears, struggles and insecurities in ‘Shedding.’ It made me cry.
But really, there’s nothing I could possibly say about Kobayashi’s mastery that translator Brian Bergstrom hasn’t already said. His note at the end of the book is perfect. He has such a deep understanding of Kobayashi’s art and it shows on every page.
Absolutely in awe of both Kobayashi and Bergstrom! This is a book that needs to live on your shelf because these stories are meant to be re-read. I have no doubt they will reveal something new each time.
January 5, 2023
This short story collection presents an interesting, if slightly repetitive, meditation on nuclear power, Japanese society pre- and post-World War Two, familial relations, and the forces which impact the way we live our lives. I would categorise these stories to all be speculative fiction, as some stories are magical realism, some are sci-fi, and I think some verge on horror. Some of the stories in this collection are stronger than others, and my favourite is ‘Shedding’, a dystopian story which covers themes of isolation, fear, loss, and the polarisation of society (you can tell that it was written in the early days of the pandemic).
Kobayashi is clearly an eloquent and talented author, but I’m just not sure if her writing style is for me. I found the topics covered to be compelling, and some of the prose was truly beautiful, but unfortunately I found that Kobayashi’s use of repetition as a literary device became draining by the midway point of the book and stopped me enjoying this book as much as I could’ve done. I also found that these stories were written in a very detached manner, one which is typical of much of the contemporary Japanese literature I’ve read, but I found it bothered me here more than it has in other books. I was desperate to feel like the characters were real people but I felt that I couldn’t really connect with any of them as the writing didn’t allow me to.
That being said, this is still an interesting collection of stories which some people will definitely love, it just wasn’t perfect for me. I also want to give credit to the translator, Brian Bergstrom, who did a great job. His translator’s note at the end was illuminating to me as someone who hadn’t heard of Erika Kobayashi before now.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Kobayashi is clearly an eloquent and talented author, but I’m just not sure if her writing style is for me. I found the topics covered to be compelling, and some of the prose was truly beautiful, but unfortunately I found that Kobayashi’s use of repetition as a literary device became draining by the midway point of the book and stopped me enjoying this book as much as I could’ve done. I also found that these stories were written in a very detached manner, one which is typical of much of the contemporary Japanese literature I’ve read, but I found it bothered me here more than it has in other books. I was desperate to feel like the characters were real people but I felt that I couldn’t really connect with any of them as the writing didn’t allow me to.
That being said, this is still an interesting collection of stories which some people will definitely love, it just wasn’t perfect for me. I also want to give credit to the translator, Brian Bergstrom, who did a great job. His translator’s note at the end was illuminating to me as someone who hadn’t heard of Erika Kobayashi before now.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley, Astra House, and the author for an eARC of this anthology.
Sunrise is a collection of short stories with a focus on nuclear energy and it's effect on generations of Japanese women. Each of them is wonderful in itself, but I really appreciated the small connecting elements. Some of them are realistic, some magical, the writing style made to fit each individual one, from strictly factual to poetic.
Overall, a wonderful read. I really enjoyed reading the translator's note as well - I'm the type of reader who will have an existential crisis about not understanding what the author truly meant because I don't speak their language and ideas are hard to translate, so notes like this make me a little more trusting towards the translation.
Sunrise is a collection of short stories with a focus on nuclear energy and it's effect on generations of Japanese women. Each of them is wonderful in itself, but I really appreciated the small connecting elements. Some of them are realistic, some magical, the writing style made to fit each individual one, from strictly factual to poetic.
Overall, a wonderful read. I really enjoyed reading the translator's note as well - I'm the type of reader who will have an existential crisis about not understanding what the author truly meant because I don't speak their language and ideas are hard to translate, so notes like this make me a little more trusting towards the translation.
August 16, 2023
I took my time reading those short stories, but I'm absolutely in love with Kobayashi Erika's works. She mixes the history of radioactivity with feminism and the view of the life of women throughout generations in Japan. She brings in metaphers from different countries myths (e.g. Prometheus, Icarus) to symbolize radioactivity and it's history also in Japan. She integrates fertility (issues) and the period into her works, which I also do not often see in Japanese works. I would call this book feministic and I am happy to have stumbled across it, since I feel like feministic books from Japanese authors are quite seldom still.
My favourite stories are probably 'Sunrise', 'See' and 'The flying Tobita sisters'.
Overall: 4/5
My favourite stories are probably 'Sunrise', 'See' and 'The flying Tobita sisters'.
Overall: 4/5
Read
May 20, 2025DNF at 20%. There is just no real emotion or heart in this, and that might be the translator's fault who knows. I'm still not remotely interested in anything happening, maybe it's because I'm already familiar with Japanese history? Regardless, it's stilted and uninteresting to me.
I'm calling it quits at this cringe-worthy sex scene. I can't do it, serious books shouldn't have worse sex scenes than bad romance novels. Ugh.
I'm calling it quits at this cringe-worthy sex scene. I can't do it, serious books shouldn't have worse sex scenes than bad romance novels. Ugh.
Read
July 17, 2023was totally fascinated by TRINITY, TRINITY, TRINITY so thank you to NetGalley + Astra House for my e-ARC. SUNRISE is once again an antidote to the v imperialist way we are taught about WWII and nuclear power, and it was refreshing to read this ahead of sitting in a theater and watching Oppenheimer for 3 hours
September 22, 2023
"Invisible light penetrates human flesh. Bodies are incinerated in an instant, their shadows burned into concrete."
SUNRISE is a contemplative and lyrical collection of short stories examining nuclear power's visible and invisible effects on generations of women in Japan.
Kobayashi's background as a novelist and visual artist is apparent in this novel. She is a fascinating writer with an impressive mind. She blends magical realism, history, and science together; providing a social commentary on the long-lasting consequences of nuclear power. The stories were compelling and unique—covering a wide range of themes of loss, intergenerational trauma, womanhood, isolation and more.
However, this was a collection that was hard for me to grasp and enjoy. I kept waiting for that one moment within each story that would click in my brain and I would understand how the stories were interconnected. Instead, I was left even more confused—questioning the direction it was headed and whether I missed something while reading. I did enjoy the latter half of the book more; specifically "Shedding." It was dark and disturbing and there was a certain level of depth it had that the other stories lacked. I think the writing style was too experimental for me to fully appreciate. Perhaps, if you enjoy speculative fiction, this might be more up your alley than it was mine.
The translator's note at the end definitely helped me better understand this collection of short stories and Kobayashi's works in general. While I don't think these short stories are memorable for me (with the exception of 1-2), I'm grateful to have been introduced to Kobayashi's work.
Thank you to Astra House for my gifted copy.
SUNRISE is a contemplative and lyrical collection of short stories examining nuclear power's visible and invisible effects on generations of women in Japan.
Kobayashi's background as a novelist and visual artist is apparent in this novel. She is a fascinating writer with an impressive mind. She blends magical realism, history, and science together; providing a social commentary on the long-lasting consequences of nuclear power. The stories were compelling and unique—covering a wide range of themes of loss, intergenerational trauma, womanhood, isolation and more.
However, this was a collection that was hard for me to grasp and enjoy. I kept waiting for that one moment within each story that would click in my brain and I would understand how the stories were interconnected. Instead, I was left even more confused—questioning the direction it was headed and whether I missed something while reading. I did enjoy the latter half of the book more; specifically "Shedding." It was dark and disturbing and there was a certain level of depth it had that the other stories lacked. I think the writing style was too experimental for me to fully appreciate. Perhaps, if you enjoy speculative fiction, this might be more up your alley than it was mine.
The translator's note at the end definitely helped me better understand this collection of short stories and Kobayashi's works in general. While I don't think these short stories are memorable for me (with the exception of 1-2), I'm grateful to have been introduced to Kobayashi's work.
Thank you to Astra House for my gifted copy.
Want to read
May 15, 2023With Erika Kobayashi, you never really know what to expect; the world she builds and the unraveling of her stories are always ones that keep me on my toes. Saying that it must also be said that you can either love it or be confused by it.
This collection of short stories focuses on intergenerational Japanese women in connection to nuclear power, themes that have been present in other works by this author. The feminist lens Kobayashi uses is important in detailing the ramifications of nuclear power on women in Japan.
Using real-world themes as well as magical realism, the story crafted is one that spans decades, crossing years to explore the aftermath of a world left to crumble under the weight of patriarchy.
Always a good time, interesting and timeless, if not sometimes uncanny.
Thank you Netgalley an Astra House for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
This collection of short stories focuses on intergenerational Japanese women in connection to nuclear power, themes that have been present in other works by this author. The feminist lens Kobayashi uses is important in detailing the ramifications of nuclear power on women in Japan.
Using real-world themes as well as magical realism, the story crafted is one that spans decades, crossing years to explore the aftermath of a world left to crumble under the weight of patriarchy.
Always a good time, interesting and timeless, if not sometimes uncanny.
Thank you Netgalley an Astra House for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2023
A unique collection of stories on a rather horrifying topic that should always see the light of the day. I appreciated the diversity of content; while readers may not always enjoy each piece or relate to each piece, it is very likely that any reader will find at least one piece that resonates, sparks, impresses, and pleases. A writer to watch!
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's unusual and I'm glad it is out there in the world.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's unusual and I'm glad it is out there in the world.
September 8, 2023
Dreamlike and haunting. Really liked these!
January 4, 2025
"Kobayashi creates works that are inspired by matters invisible to the eye: time and history, family and memory, and the traces often left behind in places."
In "Sunrise: Radiant Stories," she explores Japan's historical relationship with nuclear power, in particular its effect on women and how those women carry its markers into the next generations. Each story is poetic and mythical. The earth itself becomes a character, its elements as much an object of agency as each person or political force. At times the narrative can be hard to track as it jumps across time and consciousness (each dimension occasionally blending into the other), yet it maintains a groundedness with an intuition that all is connected.
Additionally, this is the first time I've been conscious of a translator's work. I've really been enjoying works by Japanese women but began to notice that they've all been translated by white men. However, I am impressed with the attention that Bergstrom pays to the layers of Kobayashi's narratives and the exigence that he brings to his work. I'm as compelled to read more of his translations as I am to read more of Kobayashi's works.
This is one of those books that I read on Libby and then immediately went to buy. I don't reread often, but there are books that I want to keep close regardless, perhaps to one day shove into the hands of a friend in an attempt to make them read it. It's one I want so many to read.
In "Sunrise: Radiant Stories," she explores Japan's historical relationship with nuclear power, in particular its effect on women and how those women carry its markers into the next generations. Each story is poetic and mythical. The earth itself becomes a character, its elements as much an object of agency as each person or political force. At times the narrative can be hard to track as it jumps across time and consciousness (each dimension occasionally blending into the other), yet it maintains a groundedness with an intuition that all is connected.
Additionally, this is the first time I've been conscious of a translator's work. I've really been enjoying works by Japanese women but began to notice that they've all been translated by white men. However, I am impressed with the attention that Bergstrom pays to the layers of Kobayashi's narratives and the exigence that he brings to his work. I'm as compelled to read more of his translations as I am to read more of Kobayashi's works.
This is one of those books that I read on Libby and then immediately went to buy. I don't reread often, but there are books that I want to keep close regardless, perhaps to one day shove into the hands of a friend in an attempt to make them read it. It's one I want so many to read.
June 18, 2023
For me, Erika Kobayashi emerges as the most interesting Japanese writer currently being translated into English.
October 8, 2023
Thank you to Astrahouse for the gifted copy
SUNRISE is a collection of stories set in Japan that examines the visible and invisible forces and their effects on generations of women. I love the focus on the inner workings of Japanese women's lives that traverse time. Most of the stories are short and have a slice-of-life feel.
A couple that stands out to me are Book Burning—I'm pretty sure the last book burned mentioned in this one is Norwegian Wood, Precious Stones—a feverish exploration of our family connection, and Shedding—a mysterious disease that causes people to lose their speech and different women's reactions to their symptoms.
The blurb mentioned interconnected stories, but I couldn't quite figure out the connections between the chapters 😅 It might be helpful to view this collection as separate stories and read the translator's notes first ✌️
SUNRISE is a collection of stories set in Japan that examines the visible and invisible forces and their effects on generations of women. I love the focus on the inner workings of Japanese women's lives that traverse time. Most of the stories are short and have a slice-of-life feel.
A couple that stands out to me are Book Burning—I'm pretty sure the last book burned mentioned in this one is Norwegian Wood, Precious Stones—a feverish exploration of our family connection, and Shedding—a mysterious disease that causes people to lose their speech and different women's reactions to their symptoms.
The blurb mentioned interconnected stories, but I couldn't quite figure out the connections between the chapters 😅 It might be helpful to view this collection as separate stories and read the translator's notes first ✌️
November 12, 2024
a tale of burning books (one story out of the collection): 5/5 stars
okay so i'm marking this as read but yeah actually i only read one short story from the collection so i'm not gonna rate the book as a whole. i read "a tale of burning books". for my contemporary jpn fiction class. it was really good. insane world building in the first paragraph. short stories are really cool and powerful! about so many things... dystopian society, change, the future, coming of age, family, society, youth, death, grief, resilience, survival, perseverance... i hope to read the rest of the collection at some point! the story mentions pocky and our professor brought us pocky. isn't that so cute.
edit oct 24 2024:
we read 3 more stories from this collection: his last bow, coco’s century, and his last bow. i am absolutely blown away by kobayashi’s writing. i have really
grown to love her work. she does such an amazing job with concise and emotionally packed writing in such a short amount of time. the way she told personal microscopic stories of a family and its generations and traditions through the lens and backdrop of the history of the atomic bombs was just incredible
okay so i'm marking this as read but yeah actually i only read one short story from the collection so i'm not gonna rate the book as a whole. i read "a tale of burning books". for my contemporary jpn fiction class. it was really good. insane world building in the first paragraph. short stories are really cool and powerful! about so many things... dystopian society, change, the future, coming of age, family, society, youth, death, grief, resilience, survival, perseverance... i hope to read the rest of the collection at some point! the story mentions pocky and our professor brought us pocky. isn't that so cute.
edit oct 24 2024:
we read 3 more stories from this collection: his last bow, coco’s century, and his last bow. i am absolutely blown away by kobayashi’s writing. i have really
grown to love her work. she does such an amazing job with concise and emotionally packed writing in such a short amount of time. the way she told personal microscopic stories of a family and its generations and traditions through the lens and backdrop of the history of the atomic bombs was just incredible
June 26, 2024
really cool meditations on history & genealogy & nature... the translator's note and acknowledgments at the end really wrap up all the themes nicely, but still glad i started reading without any real context beyond a little bookstore blurb. huge fan of her perspective and kind of languid sense of resolution in all these stories
June 2, 2023
‘In the background, the Glenn Miller Orchestra played ‘Moonlight Serenade.’ I later learned that the song on the original record’s B-side was called ‘Sunrise Serenade.’ I also learned that as the world’s first nuclear bomb went off at the Trinity Site in New Mexico, the radio played that very song.’
The style of writing is very similar to Kobayashi’s other book, Trinity, Trinity, Trinity. I am not particularly excited when it comes to her ‘dialogues’ (and/or the ways in which the characters interact with one another in general) which really ‘challenged’ my attention span like it did in her other book. Actually, some parts do remind me of Mieko Kawakami’s narrative style, so if you’re into that, you might be into this. And despite not being able to appreciate this book the way it probably deserves to be, I do actually like it considerably more than her other work.
‘If I’m going to die from a bomb dropped on me, I’d like to at least not have it be during my period!’
‘All that spent money, all that shed blood – dark blood smeared on sanitary napkins, on toilet bowls, on silver forceps, on absorbent cotton – her heart beat fast at the thought of it all. At any rate, she needed to calm down.’
‘Every woman wants to stay young and beautiful, no matter how old she is. You’re too young to know now, but you’ll find out.’
This is the kind of book that I’m afraid I’ll be too cocky and impulsive to attempt to read in Japanese just because I know I am only but slightly acquainted with the language. Kobayashi’s book is not even easy to digest in English. Not to say that the translation work is questionable by any means, on the contrary – I think it’s impressive how the translator was able to translate her work so brilliantly. From the ‘afterword’, I can tell that the translator greatly admires and respects Kobayashi’s work, which only makes me more certain that this is a ‘me problem’ – I’m not reading this well enough.
‘The white towers of Hikarigaoka waste processing plant rose into the sky before us. A song started playing on the radio. “This is ‘Welcome to New York,’ by Taylor Swift from her album 1989.’’ 1989, the year Taylor Swift was born. The year the Showa Emperor died. The year I met Quartz.’
I feel like I need to talk about ‘Quartz’. This allegedly ‘ageless’ pretty boy who goes around kissing girls and telling them that every time he ‘blesses’ them with one of his kisses, their ‘lifespan’ is extended by one extra year (which doesn’t make any sense to me, but magical realism or whatever I guess), telling them they’ll remain young and beautiful if they fucked. Either worst character ever, or best character ever, I don’t know. I am not ‘getting’ what he symbolises. It’s just perverse/kinky absurdism to me, but not in a particularly interesting or exciting way. Don Juan, with a fucking stick of immortality. Maybe again I’m just not ‘getting’ what Kobayashi is trying to convey/express with such a character.
Admittedly, I wanted to like this book more than I was able to. Perhaps because I received the review copy around the same time as the G7 summit thing happened. And I thought this must be some kind of cheeky coincidence. But unfortunately, the writing did not really resonate with me. And I even wondered if it’s too demanding of me as a reader to be annoyed at Kobayashi for referencing Virginia Woolf in her book? Because the only thing she mentioned of Woolf was of her suicide note, which really, is kind of disappointing to say the least. It’s the same when other writers/artists talk about Sylvia Plath and utilise hers for their art. Am I just being overly sensitive about this because Woolf happens to be one of my favourite writers, and her death is literally the least interesting thing about her.
Although I seem to harbour only lukewarm feelings for the book, I still think I wouldn’t mind reading Kobayahi’s future writing/work if given the chance to do so. The setting and descriptions – the general presentation/structure of the writing is quite pretty though, but something about it lacks a sense of cohesion (to me). Everything is just a little too subtle for me to fully appreciate. Maybe it’s really a ‘me problem’. The concluding chapter describing a visit to ‘Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant’ was a particularly interesting one (for me at least – especially the bit where the narrator makes a list of the names of the surviving/thriving plants and trees in the area). But I don’t know if I feel this way only because of my previous readings about the ‘real-life events’ which had obviously left an impression on me that I still can’t quite begin to describe properly.
‘Men working at the nuclear plant passed through a checkpoint that was a radiation dosimeter as they came and went. It was so clean and brightly lit, it reminded me of a convenience store – and in fact, there was a convenience store in it. A Lawson.’
January 9, 2024
I enjoyed the last few short stories but overall I didn’t have any strong feelings or reactions to the writing. Maybe if I read this again in a few years I’ll appreciate them more.
January 18, 2024
Ledakan besar, cahaya terang, kelainan-kelainan.
Membayangkan Jepang dalam 11 cerpen yang jahit-menjahit dengan premis bencana nuklir, baik dari 2 bom di Nagasaki dan Hiroshima maupun dari tragedi PLN Fukushima 2011 silam.
Tiga cerpen yang paling membuat saya teringat-ingat bahkan setelah tuntas membaca. Pertama, A Tale of Burning Books. Banyak mengingatkan pada distopianya Ray Bradburry. Buku jadi artefak (dan juga Pocky!) yang cuma bisa dilihat di museum itupun tersisa dua eksemplar Norwegian Woods–yah, pilihan yang menarik wkwk. Orang-orang semakin steril dan 'canggih'.
Masyarakat dalam cerpen ini bukan hanya dibuat steril dengan pilihan makanan, contohnya Pocky yang tampak amat kotor dan buruk atau bisa dikatakan menjijikkan. Kata steril juga berlaku pada ingatan-ingatan mereka. Beberapa pengetahuan awam hari ini tidak relevan lagi. Salah satu penyebab tak langsung dari kondisi itu ialah dikarenakan oleh punahnya buku yang membuat raibnya kesadaran kognitif. Seperti saat Si Nenek berbicara soal 'membakar orang' pada Bellflower, konsep itu sama sekali asing.
Bellflower heard Grandma’s concerns and responded, “But there are no more books left in the world how could I end up imitating it?”
“It’s like Heine said,” explained Grandma. “Where books are burned, in the end, people will also be burned."
Cerpen kedua, The Flying Tobita Sisters. Koleksi cerita post-apokalip yang saya maknai demikian: bencana nuklir membuat orang mengalami kelainan yang ganjil. Suatu hari tumbuh sayap dari bahu orang-orang. Pertumbuhan yang tidak bisa dihentikan, seperti epidemi tapi tidak ada yang berpikir untuk membuat vaksin dsb. Dan begitu saja mereka menyerah. Beberapa generasi berikutnya malah semua orang memiliki sayap dan tiba-tiba manusia berhenti berjalan. Kaki cuma jadi pajangan. Cukup menggelitik.
Sampai dua Tobita bersaudari menghebohkan seisi kota. Mereka berlari! Dari dua bersaudari itu, si aku dalam cerita ini mulai mempertanyakan eksistensinya. Bagus sekali untuk dibuat melamun seandainya kita benar-benar tumbuh sayap, ilusi macam apa yang akan kita kenakan saat melihat dunia? Kemudahan untuk berpindah tempat membuat orang jadi malas dan seperti yang ada dalam kutipan:
" [...] resulting a world that our ancestors felt was getting smaller and more crowded, trapping them in the feeling that everything there was to know and everywhere there was to go had already been discovered."
Terakhir, cerpen paling kontemporer berjudul His Last Bow. Tentang keluarga dokter yang nasab profesinya putus di keturunan ke-12. Sejarah keluarga ini bertalian dekat dengan penemuan X-Ray, perkembangan studi nuklir, dan kemudian bencana dari nuklir. Sangat, sangat menarik bagaimana penulis menyusun lini masa keluarga Shigeru.
Apa yang menarik dari keseluruhan buku?
Formula plot. Bintang 3.5 sepenuhnya saya berikan untuk cara penulis menyusun alur cerita. Kalau dari segi gaya bercerita, saya tidak menemukan keistimewaan yang mencolok. Beberapa cerpen yang cenderung panjang seperti Precious Stones punya potensi tapi bagi saya, kesannya kalah dengan cerpen yang lebih pendek misalnya The Forest of Wild Birds.
Yang menyalak kencang dari Sunrise: Radiant Stories benar-benar datang dari kekuatan kontemplasinya. Bagus.
Membayangkan Jepang dalam 11 cerpen yang jahit-menjahit dengan premis bencana nuklir, baik dari 2 bom di Nagasaki dan Hiroshima maupun dari tragedi PLN Fukushima 2011 silam.
Tiga cerpen yang paling membuat saya teringat-ingat bahkan setelah tuntas membaca. Pertama, A Tale of Burning Books. Banyak mengingatkan pada distopianya Ray Bradburry. Buku jadi artefak (dan juga Pocky!) yang cuma bisa dilihat di museum itupun tersisa dua eksemplar Norwegian Woods–yah, pilihan yang menarik wkwk. Orang-orang semakin steril dan 'canggih'.
Masyarakat dalam cerpen ini bukan hanya dibuat steril dengan pilihan makanan, contohnya Pocky yang tampak amat kotor dan buruk atau bisa dikatakan menjijikkan. Kata steril juga berlaku pada ingatan-ingatan mereka. Beberapa pengetahuan awam hari ini tidak relevan lagi. Salah satu penyebab tak langsung dari kondisi itu ialah dikarenakan oleh punahnya buku yang membuat raibnya kesadaran kognitif. Seperti saat Si Nenek berbicara soal 'membakar orang' pada Bellflower, konsep itu sama sekali asing.
Bellflower heard Grandma’s concerns and responded, “But there are no more books left in the world how could I end up imitating it?”
“It’s like Heine said,” explained Grandma. “Where books are burned, in the end, people will also be burned."
Cerpen kedua, The Flying Tobita Sisters. Koleksi cerita post-apokalip yang saya maknai demikian: bencana nuklir membuat orang mengalami kelainan yang ganjil. Suatu hari tumbuh sayap dari bahu orang-orang. Pertumbuhan yang tidak bisa dihentikan, seperti epidemi tapi tidak ada yang berpikir untuk membuat vaksin dsb. Dan begitu saja mereka menyerah. Beberapa generasi berikutnya malah semua orang memiliki sayap dan tiba-tiba manusia berhenti berjalan. Kaki cuma jadi pajangan. Cukup menggelitik.
Sampai dua Tobita bersaudari menghebohkan seisi kota. Mereka berlari! Dari dua bersaudari itu, si aku dalam cerita ini mulai mempertanyakan eksistensinya. Bagus sekali untuk dibuat melamun seandainya kita benar-benar tumbuh sayap, ilusi macam apa yang akan kita kenakan saat melihat dunia? Kemudahan untuk berpindah tempat membuat orang jadi malas dan seperti yang ada dalam kutipan:
" [...] resulting a world that our ancestors felt was getting smaller and more crowded, trapping them in the feeling that everything there was to know and everywhere there was to go had already been discovered."
Terakhir, cerpen paling kontemporer berjudul His Last Bow. Tentang keluarga dokter yang nasab profesinya putus di keturunan ke-12. Sejarah keluarga ini bertalian dekat dengan penemuan X-Ray, perkembangan studi nuklir, dan kemudian bencana dari nuklir. Sangat, sangat menarik bagaimana penulis menyusun lini masa keluarga Shigeru.
Apa yang menarik dari keseluruhan buku?
Formula plot. Bintang 3.5 sepenuhnya saya berikan untuk cara penulis menyusun alur cerita. Kalau dari segi gaya bercerita, saya tidak menemukan keistimewaan yang mencolok. Beberapa cerpen yang cenderung panjang seperti Precious Stones punya potensi tapi bagi saya, kesannya kalah dengan cerpen yang lebih pendek misalnya The Forest of Wild Birds.
Yang menyalak kencang dari Sunrise: Radiant Stories benar-benar datang dari kekuatan kontemplasinya. Bagus.
September 21, 2023
Sunrise was a fascinating yet unnerving connected collection of stories examining the impact of atomic power on generations of Japanese women.
I never knew what to expect next. The stories ranged from sweet family moments to unsettling surrealism to speculative sci-fi-esque worlds.
The writing was beautiful but also quite eclectic, and sometimes the transitions from one story to the next were a bit jarring. I could see some of the linking threads, but I didn’t quite understand why all of the pieces came together in this order.
Some of these ideas were absolutely fascinating (a mysterious pandemic that causes people to lose their ability to communicate; a futuristic time without trees or paper books; a world in which everyone has wings) and all of the stories contained so much depth, symbolism, and ideas that will definitely simmer and expand in my brain. Threads of fire, bugs, and birth/rebirth all popped up again and again.
The simpler stories were enchanting, too, following moments between siblings and mothers and daughters.
It’s a collection that asks us how we engage with our past & how much of our lives are truly within our control. What do we pass down to our children? What happens when we make hidden fears very, very visible?
CW: death, war, murder, epidemic, ableism, terminal illness, grief, infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, mental illness, suicidal ideation, suicide, mental illness
Follow me on TikTok for book recommendations!
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
I never knew what to expect next. The stories ranged from sweet family moments to unsettling surrealism to speculative sci-fi-esque worlds.
The writing was beautiful but also quite eclectic, and sometimes the transitions from one story to the next were a bit jarring. I could see some of the linking threads, but I didn’t quite understand why all of the pieces came together in this order.
Some of these ideas were absolutely fascinating (a mysterious pandemic that causes people to lose their ability to communicate; a futuristic time without trees or paper books; a world in which everyone has wings) and all of the stories contained so much depth, symbolism, and ideas that will definitely simmer and expand in my brain. Threads of fire, bugs, and birth/rebirth all popped up again and again.
The simpler stories were enchanting, too, following moments between siblings and mothers and daughters.
It’s a collection that asks us how we engage with our past & how much of our lives are truly within our control. What do we pass down to our children? What happens when we make hidden fears very, very visible?
CW: death, war, murder, epidemic, ableism, terminal illness, grief, infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, mental illness, suicidal ideation, suicide, mental illness
Follow me on TikTok for book recommendations!
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
August 14, 2023
A brilliant collection of stories that explore different effects of nuclear power on generations of women. Yet it was quite confusing and compliacted to read for me. Personally, i found some stories are hard to understand while others are really really good and unique.
Thank you to Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review
For me who loves short stories collection, i will say this had some unique and interesting collection with themes of aftereffects of nuclear was the tie to the stories in here. With constant theme of war aftereffects and how it affects the generation of women was both saddening and intriguing to read. There are some stories that I felt very clever as it tackles more on the generations and then there are elements of folk tale, horror and contemporary feels to them. There is one story that left me a bit confused bcus the style of writing was harder to read.
Overall, it was a fascinating collection that challenges my perspective of storytelling and one that will requires a reread from me to fully embrace the uniqueness.
Thank you to Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review
For me who loves short stories collection, i will say this had some unique and interesting collection with themes of aftereffects of nuclear was the tie to the stories in here. With constant theme of war aftereffects and how it affects the generation of women was both saddening and intriguing to read. There are some stories that I felt very clever as it tackles more on the generations and then there are elements of folk tale, horror and contemporary feels to them. There is one story that left me a bit confused bcus the style of writing was harder to read.
Overall, it was a fascinating collection that challenges my perspective of storytelling and one that will requires a reread from me to fully embrace the uniqueness.
August 23, 2025
0.5
literally this book has no redeeming qualities. the stories all blend together and characters have no personality. 100% believe people are praising it because of the "important topics" are blinding to the fact that these stories are just not good. "Shedding" was my final straw. like we get it! she sacrificed herself for other and doesn't know how to accept care! how many times do you have to say it??
literally this book has no redeeming qualities. the stories all blend together and characters have no personality. 100% believe people are praising it because of the "important topics" are blinding to the fact that these stories are just not good. "Shedding" was my final straw. like we get it! she sacrificed herself for other and doesn't know how to accept care! how many times do you have to say it??
June 2, 2024
Read these in the space of a few nights. Kobayashi has some really fascinating focuses on women's pain and existence, nuclear power in Japan, and the little intergenerational hurts we can pile on each other. Unsure if there's any more writing from her at this time beyond Trinity Trinity Trinity and this, but I'm definitely at least interested in more from her if she has more in her.
August 22, 2023
These felt kind of half-baked compared to Kobayashi's first novel to be translated into English, Trinity, Trinity, Trinity, but I still appreciated reading them and thought a few were standouts. I hope that "Breakfast with Madame Curie" gets an English release as well.
October 6, 2023
Interesting thematic choices, radiant as in radioactive as in radium. The translator's afterward was helpful for understanding context of the stories but I don't think I would have gotten that depth without it.
I liked Flying Tobita Sisters best.
I liked Flying Tobita Sisters best.
June 10, 2024
Unique, some great lines in there. 3.5, rounded down to 3.
November 17, 2025
I really wanted to like it, I just don't think I was in a good place for this kind of formatted book.
December 1, 2023
‘She waited’ muah
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