Matsuda Aoko
Europa Editions
2 September 2025
160
eBook - EPUB
Short Stories
ARC via Edelweiss
A collection of fifty-two short stories and pieces of flash fiction, The Woman Dies takes as its impetus the various forms of discrimination entrenched within Japanese society, particularly the long, stubborn roots of sexism.
Matsuda approaches often-thorny subjects such as the normalizing effect of violence against women on screen, or the aesthetics associated with technology, with an inventiveness and quirky humor that keep the narrative on the cusp between seriousness and levity.
Wordplay evolves into something much more complex, inanimate objects are endowed with their own point of view, and hard-hitting feminist stances are conveyed with a dry, detached humor that makes them all the more uncompromising.
Not so much a rollercoaster ride, rather an entire theme park, The Woman Dies is an out-of-the ordinary space readers will step into with feelings of wonder and discombobulation in equal parts.
The Woman Dies was a delightful collection of tales. There was a lot of interesting material here, but if I had to pick a favourite piece that stuck with me the most it would be 'Bond', which was both humorous and thought-provoking. Some stories were more at the humorous end and some more serious, but all had a message to share, highlighting different aspects of society. I would definitely read more from this author in the future, and I recommend this book to fans of feminist writing and contemporary Japanese fiction. I am giving it 4.5 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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