Butter by award winning Japanese writer, Asako Yuzuki– celebrated as a cult classic and named as Waterstones Book of the Year in 2024– is a unique and mesmerising novel, a perfect read if you’re looking for a slow, seductive, character driven story to get lost in during these longer winter nights.
Inspired by real events– the 2012 case of the 'Konkatsu Killer’– Butter takes us on a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance with our protagonist Rika, a journalist in her early thirties who, focused on her career, often overlooks other aspects of her life notably her relationship to food and her relationships with the people in her life. Once she begins interviewing Manako Kajii, a young woman and passionate cook convicted of serial murders, these relationships are questioned and as she develops a dangerously intimate bond with Kajii, hoping to discover more about the sensational case, Rika discovers more about herself than she anticipated.
There is a real blending of themes throughout Butter– identity, gender politics and feminism in modern day Japan, obsession, loneliness and the way that food can connect us back to our childhoods, to the communities surrounding us and to future generations too. Asako Yuzuki’s writing style, as straightforward as it can be at times, accentuates these themes through a deliciously descriptive and vivid language around food and a captivating portrait of her characters that draws you back into the narrative time and time again.
I found the way that feminism and its many complexities was explored throughout Butter to be really thought-provoking and beautifully nuanced. Generations of women have been fed a narrative on how we are expected to move through the world, from how to look and behave to the things we should like and dislike– and to such an extent that many women find themselves disconnected from their minds and bodies, their desires and needs. I really appreciated the way that this was so carefully considered throughout the book and through Rika’s own internal conflicts and her awareness of society around her.
As many other readers have pointed out, Butter is maybe less of a thriller, less focused on murder and mystery, than the way it was being marketed. It is instead more of a subtle, atmospheric story focused on delving into the minds of women– dynamic characters that are not easily categorised and are extremely interesting to read about. As is often the case with Japanese literature, it’s a slow burn but one that heightens the senses and is truly one to be savoured.
Words courtesy of Polly Florence.
