Latest news with #FumioYamamoto
Japan Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
'The Dilemmas of Working Women' depicts the inner struggles of women in Japan
This cover image released by HarperOne shows "The Dilemmas of Working Women" by Fumio Yamamoto. (HarperOne via AP) book review By AUDREY McAVOY Japan is infamous for its gender inequality. Few women occupy positions of political and corporate leadership. They overwhelmingly shoulder the burden of housework and child care. This year, the World Economic Forum ranked Japan 118 out of 148 nations for gender parity. The short-story collection 'The Dilemmas of Working Women' by the late novelist Fumio Yamamoto tells about the people inhabiting this reality. Released on Tuesday, it's being published in English for the first time. The original was a best seller in Japan and won the country's prestigious Naoki literary prize in 2001. After the author's death in 2021, the novelist Yu Nagira wrote in the Asahi newspaper that Yamamoto quietly and realistically depicted the inner lives that women hid so they could live in peace. This book brings those lives to the page in five raw, emotionally candid tales about men and women who often aren't sure what they want and are frequently squeezed by societal and family expectations. The title story is about an employee of a major corporation who doesn't know what to do about her boyfriend who is itching to propose marriage. Another is about a woman in her 20s with breast cancer who has had a mastectomy. She tells her friends she wants to be reincarnated as a type of flatworm because they regenerate when cut in pieces. Readers will observe women — and men — trampled by their partners and then stand up for themselves. And a character who can't seem to figure out whether she values professional success foremost and whether she should spend her life with an underachiever who cares for her. Brian Bergstrom deserves credit for bringing these stories to English speakers with his able translation. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Book Review: ‘The Dilemmas of Working Women' depicts the inner struggles of women in Japan
This cover image released by HarperOne shows 'The Dilemmas of Working Women' by Fumio Yamamoto. (HarperOne via AP) flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Book Review: ‘The Dilemmas of Working Women' depicts the inner struggles of women in Japan
Japan is infamous for its gender inequality. Few women occupy positions of political and corporate leadership. They overwhelmingly shoulder the burden of housework and child care. This year, the World Economic Forum ranked Japan 118 out of 148 nations for gender parity. The short-story collection 'The Dilemmas of Working Women' by the late novelist Fumio Yamamoto tells about the people inhabiting this reality. Released on Tuesday, it's being published in English for the first time. The original was a best seller in Japan and won the country's prestigious Naoki literary prize in 2001. After the author's death in 2021, the novelist Yu Nagira wrote in the Asahi newspaper that Yamamoto quietly and realistically depicted the inner lives that women hid so they could live in peace. This book brings those lives to the page in five raw, emotionally candid tales about men and women who often aren't sure what they want and are frequently squeezed by societal and family expectations. The title story is about an employee of a major corporation who doesn't know what to do about her boyfriend who is itching to propose marriage. Another is about a woman in her 20s with breast cancer who has had a mastectomy. She tells her friends she wants to be reincarnated as a type of flatworm because they regenerate when cut in pieces. Readers will observe women — and men — trampled by their partners and then stand up for themselves. And a character who can't seem to figure out whether she values professional success foremost and whether she should spend her life with an underachiever who cares for her. Brian Bergstrom deserves credit for bringing these stories to English speakers with his able translation. ___ AP book reviews:
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Book Review: 'The Dilemmas of Working Women' depicts the inner struggles of women in Japan
Japan is infamous for its gender inequality. Few women occupy positions of political and corporate leadership. They overwhelmingly shoulder the burden of housework and child care. Book Review: 'The Dilemmas of Working Women' depicts the inner struggles of women in Japan This year, the World Economic Forum ranked Japan 118 out of 148 nations for gender parity. The short-story collection 'The Dilemmas of Working Women' by the late novelist Fumio Yamamoto tells about the people inhabiting this reality. Released on Tuesday, it's being published in English for the first time. The original was a best seller in Japan and won the country's prestigious Naoki literary prize in 2001. After the author's death in 2021, the novelist Yu Nagira wrote in the Asahi newspaper that Yamamoto quietly and realistically depicted the inner lives that women hid so they could live in peace. This book brings those lives to the page in five raw, emotionally candid tales about men and women who often aren't sure what they want and are frequently squeezed by societal and family expectations. The title story is about an employee of a major corporation who doesn't know what to do about her boyfriend who is itching to propose marriage. Another is about a woman in her 20s with breast cancer who has had a mastectomy. She tells her friends she wants to be reincarnated as a type of flatworm because they regenerate when cut in pieces. Readers will observe women — and men — trampled by their partners and then stand up for themselves. And a character who can't seem to figure out whether she values professional success foremost and whether she should spend her life with an underachiever who cares for her. Brian Bergstrom deserves credit for bringing these stories to English speakers with his able translation. book reviews: /hub/book-reviews This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Gulf Weekly
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Weekly
Conundrum!
The English translation of the late author Fumio Yamamoto's short stories collection The Dilemmas of Working Women has hit the shelves. Translated by Brian Bergstrom, the book tackles the relatable lives of women in modern Japan through five tales. Divorced and unemployed, Izumi wonders if the alternative is really better; the people around cancer survivor Haruka think now that she has recovered she should just forget about it; Kato feels invisible to her husband and children; Mito is cheating on her boyfriend and can't decide whether or not to accept his marriage proposal and Sumie is searching for a place to live. Brian admires Fumio and in a social media post, expressed his joy of getting to deliver her work to an English-speaking audience. The post reads: 'This is a dream come true as I've been a big fan of her for years, and I had almost lost hope of her work getting translated (not just by me, but by anyone!) after her untimely death (at 58 due to pancreatic cancer) in 2021. But in the end, I found people who responded warmly to her unique voice and vision and were willing to do what it takes to bring her to a whole new set of readers. I couldn't be happier.'
