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Diary of a Void
- Author
- Emi Yagi
- Narrator
- Nancy Wu
- Publisher
- Random House
- Publish Date
- 11 August 2022
- Run Time
- 4 hours 38 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Fiction in translation, Humorous fiction, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Narrative theme: social issues / social problems, Satirical fiction and parodies, Feminism and feminist theory
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
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What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
A prizewinning, thrillingly subversive debut novel about a woman in Japan who avoids harassment at work by perpetuating, for nine months and beyond, the lie that she's pregnant
When thirty-four-year-old Ms Shibata gets a new job in Tokyo to escape sexual harassment at her old one, she finds that, as the only woman at her new workplace - a company that manufactures cardboard tubes - she is expected to do all the menial tasks. One day she announces that she can't clear away her colleagues' dirty cups - because she's pregnant and the smell nauseates her. The only thing is . . . Ms Shibata is not pregnant.
Pregnant Ms Shibata doesn't have to serve coffee to anyone. Pregnant Ms Shibata isn't forced to work overtime. Pregnant Ms Shibata rests, watches TV, takes long baths, and even joins an aerobics class for expectant mothers. But pregnant Ms Shibata also has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Helped along by towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app on which she can log every stage of her 'pregnancy', she feels prepared to play the game for the long haul. Before long, though, the hoax becomes all-absorbing, and the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.
A surreal and wryly humorous cultural critique, Diary of a Void is bound to become a landmark in feminist world literature.
© Emi Yagi 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022
Critics Review
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If you're in the mood for a matter-of-fact and incredibly thought-provoking read, you'll love Yagi's writing.
Stylist
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The tension grows along with the comedic details. . . . Diary of a Void starts as stylish satire... but it becomes something even more profound. Always expect the unexpected when you're not expecting.
Departures
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A subversive, surreal read that will strike a cord.
Red Magazine
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One of the most passionate cases I've ever read for female interiority, for women's creative pulse and rich inner life.
The New Yorker
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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Endlessly strange, funny and meaningful... This book is a powerful exploration of what it means to be single and childless, and of the impact of work on our bodies and mental health
Good Housekeeping, *Books of the Year*
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Yagi has a light touch for the endless ironies made possible by her premise. There is humor, but also the realization that the alienation of pregnancy and motherhood is no reprieve from the oppressive office culture that inspires Shibata's experiment.
New York Times Book Review
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Delightful . . . Yagi's focus is on how acting pregnant reshapes Shibata's relationship to herself... Yet the book never idealizes pregnancy...We see the difficulty of being a woman with or without a child, and Yagi emphasizes how society makes both roles harder... If you've ever wanted to bite back at a nosy boss, a rude co-worker, an unfair assignment, or the endless list of shoulds we face, then maybe you'll find something to enjoy in Shibata's audacity too.
The Atlantic
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One of the most intriguing new novels of the summer.
Independent
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Shibata is a modern-day Bartleby.
The Baffler
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Darkly funny and surprisingly tender.
Kirsty Logan, author of THINGS WE SAY IN THE DARK
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
- No written reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Emi Yagi
- Narrator
- Nancy Wu
- Duration
- 4 hours 38 minutes
- Release Date
- 11 August 2022
- ISBN
- 9781529194814
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Random House
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Fiction in translation, Humorous fiction, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Narrative theme: social issues / social problems, Satirical fiction and parodies, Feminism and feminist theory
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.A prizewinning, thrillingly subversive debut novel about a woman in Japan who avoids harassment at work by perpetuating, for nine months and beyond, the lie that she's pregnantWhen thirty-four-year-old Ms Shibata gets a new job in Tokyo to escape sexual harassment at her old one, she finds that, as the only woman at her new workplace - a company that manufactures cardboard tubes - she is expected to do all the menial tasks. One day she announces that she can't clear away her colleagues' dirty cups - because she's pregnant and the smell nauseates her. The only thing is . . . Ms Shibata is not pregnant.Pregnant Ms Shibata doesn't have to serve coffee to anyone. Pregnant Ms Shibata isn't forced to work overtime. Pregnant Ms Shibata rests, watches TV, takes long baths, and even joins an aerobics class for expectant mothers. But pregnant Ms Shibata also has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Helped along by towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app on which she can log every stage of her 'pregnancy', she feels prepared to play the game for the long haul. Before long, though, the hoax becomes all-absorbing, and the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.A surreal and wryly humorous cultural critique, Diary of a Void is bound to become a landmark in feminist world literature.© Emi Yagi 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022
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