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Title: Butter
Author: Asako Yuzuki, Polly Barton (translator)
Pages: 448
Publisher: Fourth Estate
Release Date: 29th February 2024
Blurb from Goodreads:
There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and
margarine.
Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo
Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely
businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home
cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii
refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is,
until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe
for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.
Rika,
the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely
cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the
steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than
journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help
her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing.
With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might
she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?
Inspired
by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The
Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid,
unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the
transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.
Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop
My Review:
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate*
Journalist Rika Machida writes for a men's magazine and dreams of getting a job in the editorial team.
Rika has the idea of interviewing Manako Kajii, a woman in Tokyo Detention Centre who was convicted of the deaths of several men she was in relationships with.
Until then, Kajii has refused all visitors and requests for interviews, but when Rika sends her a letter about a recipe, Kajii - who is a known food lover and cook - agrees to meet Rika.
Rika's visits to Kajii will change how Rika sees food, and she finds herself wondering if she's more similar to Kajii than she could ever have thought.
The concept of a Japanese female serial killer intrigued me, and with all the hype around the novel, I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, I ended up disappointed.
Rika was a likeable and relatable protagonist. I liked the relationships she built with secondary characters.
It was interesting to find out more about Kajii and why she was the way she was.
The setting of Japan was interesting, and I enjoyed finding out about the way things are viewed compared to the West.
The plot was okay, but the book could easily have been cut in half as not much really happened. If I hadn't been able to dip in and out of the audiobook version alongside the Kindle version I originally started, I'm not sure I would have finished this. While I wasn't excited to continue reading after putting the book down, I did want to know how it ended.
My favourite part of the book was the exploration of friendship, beauty standards and misogyny.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, and I'm not sure if I will try another book by the author.
Overall, this was a mixed read.
