Some books are just… interesting. There is often no other word for it than ‘interesting’, because they pique our interest. One novel that I can only use the descriptor ‘interesting’ for is Butter by Asako Yuzuki — especially because it is loosely based on a true story.
Butter follows a serial killer, and gourmet cook, who is convicted of killing several lonely businessmen by luring them in with her excellent cooking. Immediately, it has not only the flair of a murder-mystery-thriller arrangement, but also an air of that quirky and over the top Japanese black humour.
However, based on the blurb, the real twist is that a journalist who writes to our convicted killer gradually seems to find herself relating more and more to the murderous cook. It seems to pertain to the cooking, as the journalist gradually finds herself becoming more aligned with the serial killer as she makes, then dines on, the recipes provided to her.
Although it sounds simple, I don’t make any effort to hide my enjoyment for the refreshing and humorous way in which some Japanese novels pan out. Butter, although a bit expensive for the time being, is definitely on my radar for must-read Japanese fiction.
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