Name: Heaven
Rating: 3.830497382198953 (382 reviews)
ISBN: 9782330060749

Mieko Kawakami

À travers l'amitié de deux adolescents confrontés à l'exclusion, «Heaven» est un roman puissant sur la question de l'identité et du rapport de soi au monde extérieur. Thèmes d'une grande richesse portés ici par des valeurs japonaises qui déplacent fortement l'interprétation intellectuelle occidentale.

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

A Holder

Disturbing, encapsulates the experience of being bullied and trapped

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.

ikkychan

Bullying is a vile and reprehensible act that no one should ever have to endure. It violates the fundamental rights to safety and respect, inflicting profound emotional and psychological harm that can linger long after the incidents occur. Ironically, many cases of bullying happen in schools—the very institutions meant to provide a safe and supportive environment where students can learn, grow, and build meaningful connections. Such cases represent a betrayal of the institution’s core purpose, transforming classrooms into battlegrounds where relentless aggression erodes students' sense of security and well-being. The effects of bullying often extend far beyond the school walls, leaving lasting emotional and psychological scars. In Heaven, Mieko Kawakami poignantly explores the destructive impact of bullying on two vulnerable middle school students, shedding light on its devastating consequences on their fragile souls. For as long as the boy could remember, he had never experienced a peaceful moment at school. From his very first day, he was relentlessly picked on because of his lazy right eye. Not only did it impair his vision, but he also had to endure social punishment for something entirely beyond his control. Things grew worse in middle school, where a group led by Ninomiya—the most popular boy in class—subjected him to both verbal and physical abuse. Ninomiya mockingly called him “Eye” and singled him out as a target for degradation and humiliation. No one stood up for him; his classmates either admired Ninomiya and justified his actions or were too afraid to challenge him, fearing they would become his next victims. The boy dreaded waking up each morning, knowing he would have to face another tormenting school day. He developed a habit of arriving at class much earlier than his peers, savoring those fleeting moments of peace before the chaos began and enduring each day as best he could. One day, he discovered something unexpected under his desk—something that hadn’t been there the day before. It was a handwritten letter, short and without a sender’s name. The note was simple, asking him to be the writer’s friend. His heart raced as he quickly hid the letter, terrified someone might see it and take it from him. He cherished every word, reading it over and over again, finding solace in the thought that someone had noticed his struggle and was on his side. Even though a small part of him feared it might be another cruel trick orchestrated by Ninomiya, his heart yearned for a connection, desperate for a sliver of hope in the midst of his solitude. When the time came to meet his secret correspondent, he was stunned to see who it was. Standing before him was Kojima, another bullying target—this time, for the girls in their class. They called her “Hazmat” because of her unkempt and grubby appearance, subjecting her to the same cruelty that Ninomiya’s group inflicted on him. It was almost surreal, as if the bullies had created rigid gender roles even for their victims—he was the boys’ target, and she was the girls’. At first, he hesitated, suspicious of Kojima’s intentions. But as they spent more time together and exchanged countless secret letters, a strong sense of camaraderie began to grow between them. They shared the same burden, and even though they continued to pretend they didn’t know each other in class, an invisible, unbreakable bond formed. It was as if they had created an entire hidden world, a sanctuary only they could access, where a part of them remained safe—untouched by the cruel, violent hands of their tormentors. During the summer holiday, a three-month respite from the daily harassment he faced at school, the boy and Kojima planned an outing to a place she called her “Heaven.” They had to take the train to the next town, something that both of them particularly enjoyed as it allowed them to visit a place outside of the periscope of their usual trip from and to school, giving them a chance to momentarily escape the harsh realities of their lives. After arriving at the station, they headed to a museum hosting a painting exhibition. However, “Heaven” was not the museum itself but a particular painting hung on one of the walls, depicting “two lovers eating cake in a room with a red carpet and a table.” As the boy contemplated the meaning of the picture, Kojima shared her personal view. She believed the lovers had endured profound pain, yet despite “all the pain,” they could still “live in perfect harmony.” For her, the ordinary room where they shared their meal was “Heaven” itself, a testament to their unshakeable bond and resilience. We later learned that her attachment to the painting was deeply tied to her family’s circumstances and her view toward her parents’ divorce. Kojima loved her father deeply. She described him as a man of few words but “super nice” and “the sweetest guy ever.” However, when his workshop declared bankruptcy around the time she was still in elementary school, his financial situation had gone from bad to worse as he shouldered a lot of debt, which strained his relationship with Kojima’s mom. After nights of arguments and frustrating debate, they opted for separation, leaving Kojima in the care of her mother when she remarried to a wealthy man and moved to a different town. This broke Kojima’s heart as it severed the bond between her and her father and limited the time she could spend with him. The few times she was allowed to meet him, she tried to capture every aspect of her father every chance she got in an attempt to engrave him deeper in her heart and soul, fearing she would forget him if she did not do so. She took notice of the fact that he “was wearing the same work clothes every day” and that his shoes "were so worn out,” as if mentally cataloging these details she can later emulate to remember him by. Because of her unresolved grief of being separated from her father, she started to imitate her father’s lifestyle—wearing dirty shoes, not bathing—to feel closer to him. These actions symbolically bridge the physical and emotional distance between them, as well as a way to ease her acute sense of loss and helplessness. For Kojima, these behaviors were not just acts of rebellion but “signs” that kept her father’s presence alive in her life. Kojima saw a similar “sign” in the boy: his lazy right eye. She told him that this was why she liked him. Despite being a source of mockery and the reason for their classmates’ bullying, she reframed these physical traits as marks of uniqueness. She explained that even though it’s a “painful thing” and he has “gone through so much” because of his eyes, it’s also what made him who he is. By embracing weakness and reframing it as strength, Kojima rejects societal expectations that equate weakness with failure and uses this as their foundation to stand up to their bully amidst their relentless harassment and beatings. On the surface, it might seem like a delusion or an act of desperation—a way to cope with a reality where they lack actual power or influence. However, it’s important to consider the context and psychological function of such reinterpretations. For individuals who endure constant bullying, finding meaning in their suffering can be a vital survival mechanism. It allows them to maintain a sense of self-worth and dignity in an otherwise dehumanizing environment. Their reinterpretation of the struggle can be seen as an attempt to reclaim a sense of agency and a way to mentally rise above their tormentors. Both Kojima and the boy are powerless in their external environment, where they are subjected to nonstop bullying and ostracization. By assigning personal meaning to their “weaknesses” (e.g., dirty clothes, lazy eyes), they create a narrative that allows them to feel empowered in a situation where they otherwise lack control. This reframing serves as a form of psychological resistance—an assertion that their pain and suffering are not meaningless but rather components of their identity and strength. Kojima’s disdain for her mother is rooted in this philosophy. After the divorce, as she lived with her mother and her new husband, Kojima grew increasingly alienated. She observed her mother’s eagerness to move on and embrace her new life, which Kojima could not accept. This disconnection turned into anger when she noticed how her mother “started acting like everything that had happened up till then literally belonged to another life.” Kojima explicitly stated that her anger was not about her mother leaving her father or remarrying but about her inability to “keep feeling sorry for him.” In Kojima’s eyes, her mother’s decision to stop sympathizing with and supporting her father represented an act of abandonment—not just of her father, but of the struggle itself. Kojima also resented what she perceived as her mother’s superficial happiness. She believed her mother’s display of contentment was an effort to appease her wealthy new husband, given her “weak position at home.” This perception deepened Kojima’s view of her mother as weak and morally compromised. Her resentment underscores a generational divide in how hardship is approached. For Kojima, her mother’s decision symbolized a loss of integrity and strength—qualities Kojima clung to in her own fight against bullying. This contrast likely intensified Kojima’s anger, as she may have interpreted her mother’s actions as a rejection of the values Kojima held dear. At the same time, it is worth considering that Kojima may subconsciously project her experience of bullying onto her mother's struggles. Just as Kojima refused to give up or conform despite the relentless bullying, she may feel her mother should have persisted in her difficult marriage, no matter how painful it was. Kojima likely saw herself enduring immense hardship while remaining loyal to her values (her father’s memory, her identity), whereas her mother chose the easier path of walking away. This projection could explain why Kojima despises her mother for "giving up" while Kojima herself continues to endure the torment at school. Kojima’s refusal to "give up" might be a way of defying not only her bullies but also her mother’s perceived weakness. To Kojima, enduring hardship and remaining loyal to one's convictions—even in the face of suffering—appeared to be critical values, which was embodied in her fascination in the ‘Heaven’ painting. Despite the difficulty of discussing bullying, Mieko Kawakami managed to bring a powerful narrative that highlights the profound physical and emotional toll that bullying can impose on an individual. Kojima’s physical deterioration and the boy’s internal struggle illustrate how deeply such experiences can affect a person’s well-being, both mentally and physically. While they attempt to navigate a world that seeks to break them down, their bond and individual choices reflect a desperate search for control and self-empowerment, underscoring the enduring impact of bullying, shedding light on the painful process of reclaiming agency amidst an environment of abuse, and the emotional scars that linger even after the immediate danger has passed. This is by no means an easy read, but I had nothing but good things to say about this.

Nadine MacDonald

another review said it best: “so much emotion in such a short story” super sad, did cry a lot at one point. bullying is horrible

«Mieko Kawakami es un genio.» Naoise Dolan «Una historia profundamente inquietante y magistralmente narrada sobre la violencia adolescente.» Vogue «Desgarradora.» TIME «Nunca podré olvidar la sensación de puro asombro que sentí cuando leí por primera vez a Mieko Kawakami. Impresionante. Es una autora que está creciendo y evolucionando sin cesar.» Haruki Murakami El narrador sin nombre de esta novela es un chico de catorce años que sufre constantes burlas por tener su estrabismo. Incapaz de enfrentarse a los matones del instituto, intenta, sin éxito, pasar desapercibido. La única persona que entiende lo que está viviendo es una compañera de clase, Kojima, víctima también de todo tipo de humillaciones a manos del resto. Dándose mutuamente consuelo en el momento de sus vidas que más lo necesitan, los dos jóvenes se acercan más que nunca. Pero, ¿cuál es, en última instancia, la naturaleza de una amistad cuando el vínculo que comparten es el miedo? Tan dura como tierna, escrita con la sensibilidad necesaria como para ofrecer un agudo retrato de la vida en el instituto y una mirada íntima a la adolescencia, Heaven es una novela de múltiples capas que se erige como otro testimonio deslumbrante del talento de Mieko Kawakami, considerada una de las autoras jóvenes más importantes de la actualidad, apadrinada por Haruki Murakami.

Neznam dal je do prijevoda, dal bi mi bila bolja da sam na engleskom čitala, ali nekako mi je baš neuvjerljiva.

Eva Cace

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

meeting these two characters that had so much to say, and share, i feel like it’s not about whose view was correct, it was understanding that they had their own stand, in order to survive their world. 

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

ayoni

'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.

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

mims

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.

Marta

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.





Heaven

Reviews

Highlights