Saturday, November 1, 2014

Gritty Japanese Lit (Book Review)

Snakes and Earrings - Hitomi Kanehara A-
Published: 2003 in Japan (2005 U.S.)

Japanese novelist Hitomi Kanehara wrote Snakes and Earrings when she was just twenty one years old. The novella sold over a million copies, won the Akutagawa Prize in 2003, and was adapted to film in 2008. Snakes and Earrings is gritty, unflinching and raw. The parts about body modification are cringeworthy, but affective. Kanehara does a masterful job capturing the essences of self-destructive, sadistic youths engulfed in a world of darkness. The protagonist, a nineteen year old named Lui, is especially convincing as a nihilistic young woman spiraling out of control. Snakes and Earrings is definitely not for everyone; however, it is an intriguing trip into another state of mind.

Snakes and Earrings Trailer --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9onKczFG5M

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