Chichi to Ran (Japanese: 乳と卵, lit. 'Breasts and Eggs') is a short novel by Mieko Kawakami, published by Bungeishunjū in February 2008. It was awarded the 138th Akutagawa Prize.[1] It is part of a "loosely connected trilogy," including Heaven and All the Lovers in the Night.[2] It has not been translated into English.
.png) First edition cover (Bungeishunjū, 2008) of the original novel | |
| Author | Mieko Kawakami |
|---|---|
| Original title | Chichi to Ran (乳と卵) |
| Language | Japanese |
| Set in | Tokyo |
| Published | December 2007 in Bungakukai |
| Publisher | Bungeishunjū |
Publication date | 25 February 2008 (hardcover) 10 September 2010 (paperback) |
| Publication place | Japan |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| Pages | 138 (hardcover) 133 (paperback) |
| Awards | 138th Akutagawa Prize |
| ISBN | 978-4-16-327010-4 (hardcover) 978-4-16-779101-8 (paperback) |
| OCLC | 213298983 |
| LC Class | PL872.5.A89 C55 2008 |
In 2019, Kawakami published the novel Natsu Monogatari (夏物語). It features a completely rewritten version of the original 2008 novella, but uses the same characters and settings. An English translation of Natsu Monogatari was published in 2020, under the original title of Breasts and Eggs. It is a completely different work from the original 2008 novella.
Background and publication
editChichi to Ran (乳と卵) is Kawakami's second novel. Her debut novel, Watakushi Ritsuin Hā, Mata wa Sekai (わたくし率 イン 歯ー、または世界), was published in 2007 and was a candidate for the Akutagawa Prize.[3] Kawakami first found literary success as a blogger, with her blog later reaching 200,000 hits per day. Chichi to Ran was first written in blog form in the mid-2000s.[4] It was first published in the December 2007 issue of Bungakukai.[5] It won the 138th Akutagawa Prize for the second half of 2007, which was announced on 16 January 2008.[6][5] It was published as a hardcover book on 25 February 2008 by Bungeishunjū.[7] It is characterised by a writing style that is separated by commas and continues endlessly without line breaks.[8] It is written in the Kansai dialect of western Japan.[5] Specifically, it is typified by Kawakami's use of the regional dialect Osaka-ben.[9] It was reprinted in the March 2008 special issue of the Bungeishunjū magazine.[10] A paperback edition was published by Bungei Bunko on 10 September 2010.[11] The original 2008 novel has not been translated into English.[12]
Natsu Monogatari
editIn 2019, Kawakami published the two-part novel Natsu Monogatari (夏物語) 'Summer Stories'. The first half of Natsu Monogatari is a completely rewritten version of Chichi to Ran. The second half is a continuation of the narrative. It is considered a sequel to the original novella, using the same characters and settings.[13][14] Natsu Monogatari was translated into English by Sam Bett and David Boyd,[15] but kept the original title of Breasts and Eggs.[13]
Reception
editWriter and then-governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, who himself won the Akutagawa Prize in 1955 and was a sitting member of its selection committee, criticised the selection of Kawakami's novel for the prize. In Bungeishunjū he wrote, "The egocentric, self-absorbed rambling of the work is unpleasant and intolerable."[16]
References
edit- ^ "Akutagawa, Naoki prizes awarded". The Japan Times. 17 January 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ "Best Books 2022: Publishers Weekly". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ "作家・川上未映子のおかあちゃん 利江さん：１ 文学と無縁「芥川賞って何？」". The Asahi Shimbun. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ Canfield, David (13 April 2020). "A literary star in Japan, Mieko Kawakami is ready for her American debut". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b c Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. (1 March 2009). Britannica Book of the Year 2009. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. p. 269. ISBN 978-1-59339-232-1.
- ^ 酒井潤 (17 January 2008). "芥川賞に川上未映子さん 直木賞が桜庭一樹さん". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ "『乳と卵』川上未映子". books.bunshun.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ "（対談）多和田 葉子氏 x 川上 未映子氏「母語の内へ、外へ―表現としての言葉の可能性」". IHJ Programs (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ Kitamura, Katie (7 April 2020). "A Japanese Literary Star Joins Her Peers on Western Bookshelves". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ "新榮堂書店". www.shineido.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ "文春文庫『乳と卵』川上未映子". books.bunshun.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ^ "Breasts and Eggs by Kawakami Mieko". Complete Review. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Kawakami Mieko: Amplifying the Voices of Japanese Women Through Fiction". Nippon.com. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ ""このように書かれなければならない"ものを 書くために──作家 川上未映子". Lexus.jp (in Japanese). 12 July 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Braden, Allison (1 April 2020). "Translation as an Exercise in Letting Go: An Interview with Sam Bett and David Boyd on Translating Mieko Kawakami". Asymptote Journal. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ Kageyama, Yuri (25 March 2008). "Writer blogs her way to top literary prize". The Japan Times. Retrieved 19 October 2020.