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Butter by Asako Yuzuki brings a fresh and delicate descriptive tone to food. Beyond the story, the book captivates you within the first few pages just by the quality of the writing. Although most of my own experience with food has had to do with consuming it, this book brings in a satisfactory element from a different angle. The read itself is very enjoyable. The quality of the writing ennvelops you into the pages right away, and whether or not you love a murder mystery, if you love quality writing, then this work will captivate you regardless.
For readers that are looking to immerse themselves visually into a story, this book is a fantastic option to look into. The book is highly recommended online and for good reason. This is a classic case of, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” moment, becasue has I not read up on the awards that it had received, I probably wouldn’t have picke up this book myself. Reading “Butter,” I came to realise how intersected food is very much still within our cultural narrative. Especially in the way in which women are depicted for either enjoying food, or perhaps when they’re perceived as overweight.
This story is audacious, provocative, and breaks barriers on how women are meant to behave. Whether set in Japan, or in other parts of the world, the themes of this book touch on a global cultural narrative that is rooted in prejudice. Particularly how women are generalised and perceived through that lens. Although the topics are more directly correlated to food much of the time, the writer has also included inspiring and poetic slivers of thought-provoking messages that, for me, are the heart of what makes this book worthwhile.
In this email we’ll cover:
What’s New
Reflections
Insights
Closing Remarks
“…The dishes had a vitality to them which came from using only the freshest ingredients, and though the seasoning was unobtrusive, all the flavours had pleasing depth.”
What’s New?
Book of the Week:
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
Personal Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre:
Inspired by true events
Synopsis:
When a journalist sets out to investigate a woman accused of seducing and swindling men through extravagant home-cooked meals, she expects to uncover a simple tale of deception. Instead, she finds herself drawn into a deeper, more unsettling truth—one that challenges everything she believes about power, desire, and the roles women are expected to play.
Why We Love It:
Firstly, this book is beautifully written. Yuzuki is such a phenominal writer, that I believe she can write in any genre and it would still be a fantastic read. If you’re someone that enjoys a fictional read that’s both thought-provoking and enhances your language skills, then this book is one for you. She layers in information seamlessly, which is an absolute delight for me as a reader.
Secondly, the themes ring true. Although we’re actively working against prejudice on many forefronts, there is still work to be done. Perception shapes the narrative, and that concept is present in this book. Kajii’s case is shaped by the perception that she holds in society. Whether she is guilty or not, socially it’s already been decided simply because she doesn’t conform to social parameters of what makes a woman. It comments not only on a mass lack of critical thinking skills, but also how non-conformity can have lasting and devastating results under the wrong circumstances.
Lastly, the book challenges us as readers to shift our perspective, just as our protagonist Rika does. By taking the time to experience the world through another person’s eyes, we can come to a conclusion that may be fully our own, rather than simply accepting something we have unconsciously adopted through our environment. This book showcases to us how empathy, willingness to learn, and awareness of our environment can shift the narratives we hold within ourselves.
My Thoughts:
Tackling the case of Manako Kajii, a woman demonized by the media for using food as both a weapon and a form of seduction, reporter Rika Machida begins by asking: how could a woman wield such control over men simply by feeding them? But as Rika is pulled into Manako’s world, she is forced to confront the contradictions of her own life—the sacrifices she has made for independence, the pressures of conformity, and the hunger for something more.
Blurring the line between criminality and survival, manipulation and self-assertion, Butter is a provocative exploration of how women’s appetites—literal and metaphorical—are policed, suppressed, and, when unleashed, feared. Through a rich tapestry of food, power, and defiance, Asako Yuzuki serves up a sharp and subversive story about the price of stepping beyond the boundaries set for women, and the radical act of indulging in one’s own desires.
Women are hungry. We are just as much human beings as men are with desires and capacity for life, and so we have the ability to create a life that’s ours. However, those abilities become hindered when something as necessary such as nourishment through food becomes limited. This concept especially landed with me as I read, becasue it’s not about overindulgence, but it’s about challenging the cultural narrative that suppresses the desire for nourishment that feeds us and propels us forward, in order to fit what society has determined to be ann acceptable weight. When culture determines that women are to fit certain parameters that go against our nature, there’s naturally going to be friction. That’s where the conflict in this story lies.
Reflections
Quote of the Week:
“What you need above all is strength . . . A fighting spirit that can withstand the tedium of everyday life without getting blunted by it.”
- Asako Yuzuki, Butter
Reflection Questions:
How does the main character’s journey resonate with your own life experiences?
What decisions did the character make that you found empowering or thought-provoking?
How can you apply the lessons from this story to your own life?
Article:
The Original Writer’s Group Discusses the book more here ✨
Waterstones Book of the Year: 2024
Insights
Author Spotlight:
Asako Yuzuki
Background:
Asako Yuzuki is a Japanese writer, with “Butter” being her first translated work. She actually spent much of her time reacdinng translated works herself, having studied French Literature at Rikkyo University. Although there isn’t too much information about her personally online, the quality of her work speaks for itself.
Living on your own terms comes with drawbacks. It always has. It’s a reason why conformity is a more straightforward path; there’s less friction, less social consequence and the path is more clear when you have a blueprinnt to follow. But curiosity and opening up to possibilities can lead us to experiencing life with more intention. That’s also a form of living on your terms; asking the right questions so that you cna make your own decisions.
Reading books such as this can show us what might happen when we embrace that cultural friction. Where might life take us if we insisted that we found a way that works for us? Kajii, whether she was guilty or not, found a way to approach life in a different way that worked for her. She did not fit the accepted physical measurements, but instead indulged in food, for example. Although she was held to a certain social perception as a result of it, Rika, coming in with a level of curiousity, was led down a path that she wouldn’t have discovered if not for Kajii.
Rika’s perception of her lifestyle, her relationship, and her self-perception shifted immensely once she had been exposed to a different perspective, and whether it cann be seen as ‘better’ or not, she started to make conscious choices. It opened her mind to possibilities that existed outside of the cultural standard, and once explored, led her to being more intentional with her decisions. Being curious gave her the keys to unlock life with intention. Which in a way, is also living your life on your own terms.
Until Next Time!
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