Mieko Kawakami

From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, comes a sharp and illuminating novel about a teenage boy subjected to relentless bullying.

Heaven

Hailed as a bold foray into new literary territory, Kawakami's novel is told in the voice of a 14-year-old student subjected to relentless torment for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, the boy chooses to suffer in complete resignation. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate who suffers similar treatment at the hands of her tormenters. These raw and realistic portrayals of bullying are counterbalanced by textured exposition of the philosophical and religious debates concerning violence to which the weak are subjected. Kawakami's simple yet profound new work stands as a dazzling testament to her literary talent. There can be little doubt that it has cemented her reputation as one of the most important young authors working to expand the boundaries of contemporary Japanese literature. "One of Japan's brightest stars is set to explode across the global skies of literature."--Japan Times

Empecé a llorar mucho por las noches. Más que un llanto consciente era algo parecido al sudor: las lágrimas me acudían a los ojos de forma espontánea e iban cayendo por las mejillas. El torrente de lágrimas era imparable. A veces me preguntaba si lloraba por tristeza, pero en aquellos momentos ya no sabía qué significaba estar triste.

Claro que, si uno estaba triste porque lloraba, seguro que yo estaba triste, sin duda. Pero no tenía claro cuál de las dos cosas iba primero. Solo que unas lágrimas sin razones me llenaban los ojos, que el pecho se me agitaba y las hacía caer por las mejillas y que yo, acostado en mi cama, inmóvil, iba contemplando día tras día cómo se acercaba el final de la noche.

Probablemente aquellas lágrimas se debieran a que nosotros no teníamos ningún lugar adonde ir y solo podíamos vivir en aquel mundo de aquella manera. Eran lágrimas causadas por el hecho real de que no había ningún otro mundo que elegir.

Eran lágrimas por todo, por absolutamente todo lo que existía.

“You, me, we’re all free to interpret the world however we want. We see the world differently. It’s that simple. That’s why you need to be strong. You have to overpower people so they can’t come at you with their thoughts or rules or values.” 

'Mieko Kawakami is a genius' Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami comes a sharp and illuminating novel about a fourteen-year-old boy subjected to relentless bullying. In Heaven, a fourteen-year-old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever. But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror? Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami's uncontainable talent. There can be little doubt that it has cemented her reputation as one of the most important young authors at work today. 'An expertly told, deeply unsettling tale of adolescent violence' Vogue Translated from the Japanese by David Boyd and Sam Bett.

mims

things never go the way we want them to. but your desires have no effect on what happens out there in the world. we’re all caught up in our own personal values, trying to get whatever we want.

none of this has meaning. everyone just does what they want. they have these urges, so they try to satisfy them. nothing’s good or bad. there was something they wanted to do, and they had the chance to do it. 

this guy probably never had a chance to think about anything that actually matters. when you think about it that way, it’s kinda sad. like maybe it’s not his fault. i started to think that maybe he’s sort of a victim, too. 

Marta

I started crying all night long. Not really consciously crying, so much as feeling tears drip from my eyes, like when you realize that you're sweating. I couldn't stop the tears. I asked myself if I was sad, but I'd lost touch with what sadness was supposed to be.  

"Sometimes you can't see the scars. But there's a lot of pain I think."  

"I don't really know how to say it, but it's like something's wrong, all the time, and I can't do anything to stop it. It's always there. When I'm at home, when I'm at school. But things can be good sometimes. Really good. Like when I'm talking to you or writing letters. Those things are really good for me. Then I start feeling like everything's okay. 

jules

“...it isn't just about memories. It's not just about remembering. What I mean is ... it's a beautiful weakness. That's what we're protecting, always, each in our own way. It's what we fight for.“

hits different after reading the whole book..

“When you feel like everything's falling apart, or feel like things are too good to be true,“ I said, “when things get that way, you can cut my hair. Instead of cutting up the junk mail or whatever when nobody else is home. Just let me know, and you can cut it, whenever you want.“

I like 6B pencils because they almost never snap. When I was writing, I realized something. Your voice reminds me of a 6B. I'm not sure if this is going to make sense, but it's like they're soft and rigid at the same time. Almost unbreakable.

elinabel hidalgo 

Ellos se asustan y tienen que machacarlo. Tienen que expulsarlo. Están muertos de miedo y lo único que hacen es disimular. Es su manera de sentirse seguros. 

juana de arco si estuviera cronicamente online

Does anything in the world happens for a reason? Pretty sure the answer’s no. Yeah, once it’s happened, you can come up with all kinds of explanations that look like they make perfect sense. But everything starts from nothing. Always. 

If we’re weak, our weakness has real meaning

At times like these, I tried hard to believe that just like summer had an end, the school year and every other year would have an end, and so would the bullying that was ruining my life. But I'd be lying if I told you that I felt any better.

If I turned off the TV, the news would go away, but life as I knew it wouldn't change. There was no way for me to make my life go away.

I asked myself if I was sad, but I'd lost touch with what sadness was supposed to be.

I knew that it was cruel to be so optimistic, but, in my solitude, I couldn't resist the urge and fantasies, sometimes verging on prayer.

There are all kinds of things in the world I don't understand, but I really wanted to understand you.

It must have been some kind of flower that only grows in fall. But captivated as I was, I realized this was just another marvel from a world that would never accept me.

I felt like I had fallen, with my eyes shut, deep into mud that was not hot or cold. A place unreachable by the solace I absorbed like light when I read Kojima's letters, or met up with her, or even thought of her.

moira

I asked myself if I was sad, but I’d lost touch with what sadness was supposed to be

god it’s so crazy to me that these things actually happen irl (long overdue review)

this book make me feel something idk, like that hollow feeling when you finished a good books or good movie just makes you think you know that feeling, yeah

𓃠

this book made me feel so many things i think it broke me 

ayoni

when i finished heaven, i just stared at the ceiling for about an hour. the last few chapters left me feeling heart-wrenched in a way i wasn't prepared for. this book felt so personal—i highlighted so many passages that shifted the way i think. mieko kawakami is a brilliant writer who gives meaning to her stories in such a subtle way, letting us absorb it without directly spelling it out. for me, heaven is a masterpiece. i want to read it again, but i don't know if i can—it left me feeling hollow, a reminder of how cruel people can be.

one of my favorite passages (and i have many) is this:

“Coincidence is all there is. That’s how the world works. I’m not just talking about you getting bullied. Does anything in the world ever happen for a reason? Pretty sure the answer’s no. Yeah, once it’s happened, you can come up with all kinds of explanations that look like they make perfect sense. But everything starts from nothing. Always. You were born for no reason, and the same for me. There’s no reason for us to be here. But there are these, I don’t know, tendencies. Sometimes you just want to do something. You get these, like, urges. Like you want to punch someone, or kick someone, whoever happens to be there. The only reason those things happened to you is that you were around when someone was looking for someone to punch. That’s all.”

that line broke me. this is definitely one of my favorite books—it made me feel emotions i didn’t even know i was capable of feeling.

when i finished heaven, i just stared at the ceiling for about an hour. the last few chapters left me feeling heart-wrenched in a way i wasn't prepared for. this book felt so personal—i highlighted so many passages that shifted the way i think. mieko kawakami is a brilliant writer who gives meaning to her stories in such a subtle way, letting us absorb it without directly spelling it out. for me, heaven is a masterpiece. i want to read it again, but i don't know if i can—it left me feeling hollow, a reminder of how cruel people can be.

one of my favorite passages (and i have many) is this:

“Coincidence is all there is. That’s how the world works. I’m not just talking about you getting bullied. Does anything in the world ever happen for a reason? Pretty sure the answer’s no. Yeah, once it’s happened, you can come up with all kinds of explanations that look like they make perfect sense. But everything starts from nothing. Always. You were born for no reason, and the same for me. There’s no reason for us to be here. But there are these, I don’t know, tendencies. Sometimes you just want to do something. You get these, like, urges. Like you want to punch someone, or kick someone, whoever happens to be there. The only reason those things happened to you is that you were around when someone was looking for someone to punch. That’s all.”

that line broke me. this is definitely one of my favorite books—it made me feel emotions i didn’t even know i was capable of feeling.

fara

insane. i had fun reading it, it completely blew my mind, though. the narrations and scenes are quite shocking. this is tragic, to be very honest, and it makes us think deeply. overall, it isn't a story about “everything will be fine" or whatever but about how humans find meaning or lack of meaning in suffering. so yeah, absolute cinema. 

rip kierkegaard u would’ve loved the theme of this novel 

my first book EVER (like novel-wise) it left me empty and its so emotional, this book made me fell in love with reading, Mieko Kawakami’s writing style is beautiful. its also fairly relateable as a teenager trying to understand myself

I really enjoyed this book, especially as someone who was bullied in middle school- differently than the two characters in the book but a lot of the feelings were so similar. It hit hard. 

Katie Berges 

Can hardly recall how many times I said “Kasian banget” and “Gak kuat bacanya ya Allah” while reading.

gitsa

I don't know how to feel about this book. It had its good parts and bad parts. I feel like I need to digest it a little bit and reorganise my thoughts. But here's a first impression:

It started really well and I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of it. 

What left me confused is that I am not quite sure where this book was trying to go in some passages. It felt like it was pulling us to something but then led us nowhere. Maybe that is simply a way to symbolize the harsh bullying these kids endured and their jumbled headspaces. 

- There was something interesting about Momose's character revelation. We knew that he was a bystander throughout the entire torture sessions but in the beginning, it seemed there was a deeper reason to it. The dialogue that he has with the main character left me speechless. I was like "wow... what a psycho". The fact that in this world there are so many people like him, that have no regard/ sympathy towards what they deem as strangers and see everything in such a black and white way. Scary, sad and revolting.

I don't know how to feel about this book. It had its good parts and bad parts. I feel like I need to digest it a little bit and reorganise my thoughts. But here's a first impression:

It started really well and I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of it. 
What left me confused is that I am not quite sure where this book was trying to go in some passages. It felt like it was pulling us to something but then led us nowhere. Maybe that is simply a way to symbolize the harsh bullying these kids endured and their jumbled headspaces. 

Scattered thoughts: 

- There was something interesting about Momose's character revelation. We knew that he was a bystander throughout the entire torture sessions but in the beginning, it seemed there was a deeper reason to it. The dialogue that he has with the main character left me speechless. I was like "wow... what a psycho". The fact that in this world there are so many people like him, that have no regard/ sympathy towards what they deem as strangers and see everything in such a black and white way. Scary, sad and revolting.

- The bullying scenes are quite graphic and really break your heart. Makes you feel almost helpless, wanting to desperately help these characters. 

- Kojima's free spirit. 

- The masturbation scenes were some of the scenes that I personally saw as extremely unexpected and borderline unnecessary. I think I can understand where they come from but I just felt uncomfortable reading that and left me wondering "why?". I get it but she writes graphically so it can be quite jarring.





hana

Millie 💌

makes you think how much you loathe this world 

Looking back at this book, I did not like it as much as I used to. Maybe it’s because of translation? I can’t exactly put my finger on it. Personally I no longer understand the point of this novel because the ending was hard to interpret. One could say that it’s about the combination of psychological and physical bullying which is known  in Japan, but the ending gave me more questions and left bad taste. You could maybe say it’s open to interpretation on purpose to keep you thinking, but i’ve done the thinking, and I’m not sure I like this book anymore. It’s like a sandwich with like good middle but super flimsy, bitter, old bread.

angel abad cesa 

Absolutely loved this book. The story felt so real, as if I was right next to him throughout the whole book. The writing was top tier, really pulled me in. AND the ending was different than what I had in mind, but it fit perfectly.

"We'll understand some things while we're alive and some after we die. But it doesn't really matter when it happens. What matters is that all the pain and all the sadness have meaning.”

Absolutely loved this book. The story felt so real, as if I was right next to him throughout the whole book. The writing was top tier, really pulled me in. AND the ending was different than what I had in mind, but it fit perfectly.

—

"We'll understand some things while we're alive and some after we die. But it doesn't really matter when it happens. What matters is that all the pain and all the sadness have meaning.”

pls check mieko kawakami’s hard drive wtf

Zoilo Comia

firmly believe mieko kawakami may be my favorite japanese author

kate 

Haley

** spoiler alert **
           "It must have been some kind of flower that only grows in fall. But captivated as I was, I realized this was just another marvel from a world that would never accept me. The only feeling that was truly mine was the pain lingering in my nose."

**

"For people to actually live by some golden rule, we'd have to be living in a world with no contradictions. But we don't live in a world like that. No one does. People do what works for them, whatever makes them feel good."

**

"When our worlds come into contact, it might look like they're connected, but they're not. It's like you said before. You thought you get bullied because of your eyes. To me, though, that doesn't make any sense. I don't care if things are so bad that you can't sleep. That's got nothing to do with me. It doesn't make me feel anything. Nothing."

**

I found the dialogue between "Eyes" and Momose to be the most momentous scene in the entire novel, but also the most eye-opening for Eyes (in the harshest way possible). To confront one of your tormentors in hopes of finally understanding how someone can harm another in such a cruel way, only to learn that they 1) don't feel guilt in the first place and 2) never even considered it to be bullying, is devastating because, is there really any use in changing the mind of a nihilist?

I loved it. This was a great introduction to Kawakami. Not sure what to rate this book but it was a great read.

choe

what stays will stay, and what won’t, won’t. hard read, but liked it. 

Whitley

Camilla

jannah

Sohini Roy

** spoiler alert **
           Not sure how to form a coherent opinion on this book- I thought it started off really strong when the protagonist and Kojima first became friends. I was really endeared by their bond, but I think this was just one of those books that you go through passively without really understanding the point of it. I didn't know how to feel about Kojima disapproving of him wanting to fix his lazy eye? Like I get it but it was also ridiculous. A lot of symbolism bordering on pretentiousness here.

Heaven

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