A Japanese writer has committed suicide after finishing a collection of stories written in English. All the translators that attempt to translate the stories into Japanese, commit suicide during their work on them. The last one is the boyfriend of the book's main character, Kazami. She tells the story of how she is drawn to the writer's children and their obsession with his book. Over the course of one summer she tries to find out the truth behind the last story in the book.A friend of mine is into Asian writers and loves Yoshimoto, but I don't get it. For me this book is just a succession of pointless conversations between the 4 main characters in the book. Nothing happens, none of the conversations lead anywhere, they just yak and yak and yak. And I am glad to know now what fashionable young Japanese wear in summer, that was really essential... Sorry, not for me. I guess I am more a Tom Clancy kind of girl. Shoot at me with a rocket launcher and I get the plot point. This is way to subtle for me...
