Natsuko Imamura

"A bestselling, prizewinning novel of obsession and psychological intrigue about two enigmatic unmarried women, one of whom manipulates the other from afar, by one of Japan's most acclaimed young writers"--

A Novel

The Woman in the Purple Skirt

'You will be obsessed.' LEILA SLIMANI 'It will keep you firmly in its grips.' OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE The Woman in the Purple Skirt is being watched. Someone is following her, always perched just out of sight, monitoring which buses she takes; what she eats; whom she speaks to. But this invisible observer isn't a stalker - it's much more complicated than that. 'Disquieting and wryly funny, The Woman in the Purple Skirt is a taut and compelling depiction of loneliness and obsession.' PAULA HAWKINS 'Very powerful . . . Reading this book made me feel like I was in an unstable and strange world.' SAYAKA MURATA

Klara Hansen 

“The Woman in the Purple Skirt might fly into a rage, and then grab me and drag me off the bus. But I didn't care. That would allow me to tell her who I was, and to apologize to her, and beg her forgiveness. And then we could become friends.”

Linta

Lindy

There's a lot to appreciate here about surveillance, parasociality, and the stories we tell ourselves about others. Well-done unreliable narrator. If you liked The Woman in the Purple Skirt, give Little Eyes a try.

gülsu

“A taut and compelling depiction of loneliness and obsession.” --Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train “[It] will keep you firmly in its grip.” --Oyinkan Braithwaite, bestselling author of My Sister, the Serial Killer “The love child of Eugene Ionesco and Patricia Highsmith.” --Kelly Link, bestselling author of Get in Trouble A bestselling, prizewinning novel by one of Japan's most acclaimed young writers, for fans of Convenience Store Woman, the novels of Ottessa Moshfegh, and the movies Parasite and Rear Window I think what I'm trying to say is that I've been wanting to become friends with the Woman in the Purple Skirt for a very long time... Almost every afternoon, the Woman in the Purple Skirt sits on the same park bench, where she eats a cream bun while the local children make a game of trying to get her attention. Unbeknownst to her, she is being watched--by the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, who is always perched just out of sight, monitoring which buses she takes, what she eats, whom she speaks to. From a distance, the Woman in the Purple Skirt looks like a schoolgirl, but there are age spots on her face, and her hair is dry and stiff. She is single, she lives in a small apartment, and she is short on money--just like the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, who lures her to a job as a housekeeper at a hotel, where she too is a housekeeper. Soon, the Woman in the Purple Skirt is having an affair with the boss and all eyes are on her. But no one knows or cares about the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan. That's the difference between her and the Woman in the Purple Skirt. Studiously deadpan and chillingly voyeuristic, The Woman in the Purple Skirt explores envy, loneliness, power dynamics, and the vulnerability of unmarried women in a taut, suspenseful narrative about the sometimes desperate desire to be seen.

Nona Ana

The Woman in the Purple Skirt is a novel that explores the themes of loneliness, obsession, and manipulation through the eyes of an unnamed narrator who stalks a woman she calls the Woman in the Purple Skirt. The narrator, who wears a yellow cardigan, is fascinated by the woman's daily routine, her appearance, and her interactions with others. She secretly intervenes in the woman's life, sending her gifts, finding her a job, and even orchestrating an affair with the hotel manager where they both work as housekeepers. The narrator's motives are unclear, but she seems to have a twisted sense of admiration and envy for the woman, who is oblivious to her presence.

The novel is written in a simple and detached style, creating a sense of unease and suspense. The narrator's voice is unreliable and often contradictory, revealing her delusions and fantasies. The reader is left to wonder what is real and what is imagined, and what the narrator's ultimate goal is. The novel also offers a glimpse into the lives of unmarried women in Japan, who face social pressure, economic hardship, and sexual harassment. The novel portrays the power dynamics and the vulnerability of these women, who are often invisible and disposable in the eyes of others.

The Woman in the Purple Skirt is a short but impactful novel that challenges the reader's perception and empathy. It is a psychological thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the end, when a shocking twist is revealed. The novel is a compelling and original work by one of Japan's most acclaimed young writers, Natsuko Imamura, who won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for this novel in 2019. The novel is translated by Lucy North, who captures the tone and the nuance of the original text. The novel is a must-read for fans of Japanese literature and contemporary fiction.

Kate

Okay.... let me compose myself first.....

Bettina Amarandos 

No. It's not worth reading, even if it's short.

Jeremy Wang

Told from an interesting narrative perspective; somehow mundane events are made suspenseful and you care as much as the narrator about how a stranger’s life turns out; a story of desperation… wish the ending was a little different though.

Grace Mekkes-Nyboer

dija

This book follows a story about a woman in a purple skirt told by our narrator who is her stalker and she just obsesses over her for no obvious reason. There is no romantic nor killing intent behind her stalking. She just wants to be friends with the boring woman. 

Up to 95% nothing ever happened in the book, I didn't care enough for the narrator nor the woman in purple skirt and then in the last 5% of the book it got interesting mainly because something actually happens but that's not enough. 

I guess that's the point of the book despite that woman being so mundane, boring and leading such an uneventful life she still has someone who watches her but I am not pretentious enough to say that it got to me.

nothing too grandiose about the plot or the end. it was quite mundane and i had better expectations but alas, the end was quite weird.

Simple and dead pan take on isolation, loneliness and stalking in Japanese culture. I liked that Imamura shone a light on the working class and I think this reality played really well against the fabricated celebrity status that the narrator attributes to the woman in the purple skirt. I also had no idea where this story was going to go. Imamura nailed the ability to hold tension from start to end. 

I think this book will stay in my mind for some time and I’d like to physically read it. I found the audiobook narration a bit grating at points, particularly when quoting more emotive character lines. 

Nicholas Laurie

Audiobook: 

Simple and dead pan take on isolation, loneliness and stalking in Japanese culture. I liked that Imamura shone a light on the working class and I think this reality played really well against the fabricated celebrity status that the narrator attributes to the woman in the purple skirt. I also had no idea where this story was going to go. Imamura nailed the ability to hold tension from start to end. 

I think this book will stay in my mind for some time and I’d like to physically read it. I found the audiobook narration a bit grating at points, particularly when quoting more emotive character lines. 

Kath Lau

This was a strange and unique read, both qualities I love with Japanese literature. The narrator in this book, who is called the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, wants to be friends with the Woman in the Purple Skirt but doesn't know how to approach her. It seems harmless at first how the narrator cares so much about the woman especially because the woman is an outcast. The woman in the purple skirt is often teased for being different and people are often gossiping about her. The narrator looks after her which is sweet until it gets creepy and disturbing. There wasn't a lot about the narrator but I felt like I still got to know her on a very different level. As the story progresses, I became more curious about the narrator's character than the woman in the purple skirt. I enjoyed the mystery and humor in this book. It's an unsettling story about obsession, manipulation, loneliness, and workplace politics. It's a very quick and fascinating read.

Kendall

Jemima Scott

I knew absolutely nothing about this book but found myself completely fascinated by The Woman in the Purple Skirt

Alizée Euphrosine

How to summarize this book (for me) in a word? Uncomfortable!

This book is short and quick to read, but we follow the main character obsessed with someone in her neighbourhood. This book is literary a journal of a stalker. I was surprised by it initially as I didn't know that and the reason for it isn't the best, and there is no need to achieve her objective to do that. You also have little to no information about who she is, just that she is the woman in the yellow cardigan and struggles with her finances.

The other characters aren't the best as they have their purpose, but they do not add a lot to the story. It's like colleagues but exaggerates, and their discussions are only gossips. Sometimes it was too much, and I was fed up with it. 

To tell the truth, you have something intriguing in this book. That's why I finished it, and the audiobook was fast to listen to (I was on 1.4 speed), but if it were a little longer, I would have DNFed it.

I love to read translated books, but sadly, this one wasn't for me.

The Woman in the Purple Skirt A Novel

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