Diary of a Void
- Downloads：1554
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-08-20 06:52:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Emi Yagi
- ISBN：0143136879
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
A prizewinning， thrillingly subversive debut novel about a woman in Japan who avoids harassment at work by perpetuating， for nine months and beyond， the lie that she's pregnant
When thirty-four-year-old Ms。 Shibata gets a new job in Tokyo to escape sexual harassment at her old one， she finds that， as the only woman at her new workplace--a company that manufactures cardboard tubes--she is expected to do all the menial tasks。 One day she announces that she can't clear away her colleagues' dirty cups--because she's pregnant and the smell nauseates her。 The only thing is 。 。 。 Ms。 Shibata is not pregnant。
Pregnant Ms。 Shibata doesn't have to serve coffee to anyone。 Pregnant Ms。 Shibata isn't forced to work overtime。 Pregnant Ms。 Shibata rests， watches TV， takes long baths， and even joins an aerobics class for expectant mothers。 But pregnant Ms。 Shibata also has a nine-month ruse to keep up。 Helped along by towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app on which she can log every stage of her "pregnancy，" she feels prepared to play the game for the long haul。 Before long， though， the hoax becomes all-absorbing， and the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve。
A surreal and wryly humorous cultural critique， Diary of a Void is bound to become a landmark in feminist world literature。
When thirty-four-year-old Ms。 Shibata gets a new job in Tokyo to escape sexual harassment at her old one， she finds that， as the only woman at her new workplace--a company that manufactures cardboard tubes--she is expected to do all the menial tasks。 One day she announces that she can't clear away her colleagues' dirty cups--because she's pregnant and the smell nauseates her。 The only thing is 。 。 。 Ms。 Shibata is not pregnant。
Pregnant Ms。 Shibata doesn't have to serve coffee to anyone。 Pregnant Ms。 Shibata isn't forced to work overtime。 Pregnant Ms。 Shibata rests， watches TV， takes long baths， and even joins an aerobics class for expectant mothers。 But pregnant Ms。 Shibata also has a nine-month ruse to keep up。 Helped along by towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app on which she can log every stage of her "pregnancy，" she feels prepared to play the game for the long haul。 Before long， though， the hoax becomes all-absorbing， and the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve。
A surreal and wryly humorous cultural critique， Diary of a Void is bound to become a landmark in feminist world literature。
Reviews
Taffanie
，
A really intriguing premise but at some point it became a bit facetious and fell flat for me。 I did enjoy the ambiguity of not knowing whether or not she was having an awakening or a breakdown though。
Claerysa
，
I don’t know what to make of this book
【Ａｆｉ】 （WhatAfiReads）
，
"I'm so alone。 - I'm always so alone。 I guess I should be used to it by now。 We're all alone from the moment we come into this world， but I'm still not used to it - how alone we all are。" Such a telling tale and one that is unique :'） I could not for the life of me GET OVER WITH THAT PLOT TWIST 。 Lowkey still laughing thinking about it ， but I do understand why this book had won multiple awards in Japan， and that is why， I appreciate translated works， for they had made me be able to read un "I'm so alone。 - I'm always so alone。 I guess I should be used to it by now。 We're all alone from the moment we come into this world， but I'm still not used to it - how alone we all are。" Such a telling tale and one that is unique :'） I could not for the life of me GET OVER WITH THAT PLOT TWIST 。 Lowkey still laughing thinking about it ， but I do understand why this book had won multiple awards in Japan， and that is why， I appreciate translated works， for they had made me be able to read unique novels like this in my lifetime。 Personal Ratings : 4。25🌟 It started with a simple thought "Gosh I'm so tired of this place"， which had led Shibata to unexpectedly told her colleagues at work that she's pregnant。 Told in a Pregnancy Diary Format， where each chapters are of the progression of Shibata in the weeks of her "pregnancy"， we follow her life thru going the different emotions as a mother-to-be。 Handling a lot of social commentaries on workplace stress， mothers in pregnancies and loneliness， its a novel that will made you so amused but at the same time， you felt sorry for the characters as well。 Personal Thoughts At the very beginning， the novel had hooked me from the start。 I love how Yagi's writing somehow reminded me of Murata's eccentric wittiness mixed with Mieko Kawakami's dreamlike writing。 This book was HIGHKEY AMUSING 。 I was laughing so hard at certain parts， especially that Shibata is somehow a very straighforward person but also very honest。 I liked the social commentaries that the author had subtly wrote in the book。 The one thing that made Shibata lie in the first place was the misogyny that she had to face at her office。 Being the only woman did not make her job easier， as tasks that are "feminine" like making coffee was left to her。 I liked how human psychology works with pregnant women， where they are deemed as "weak" so all of the work are tasked to the youngest male worker in the office。 The realities of women at work， especially to those who are pregnant are often so frustratingly annoying that I somehow support what Shibata is doing， even if it started with a lie。 The Format of the book was one that I also found interesting。 I liked that we get glimpses of Shibata's life in a the number of Weeks of Pregnancies。 We're somehow going through like a Pregnancy-Journal， and the process that it takes for pregnant women to experience。 Paired with Yagi's writing style， it made this book an easy one to read and Shibata is such a witty character， that you can't help going "IS THIS WOMAN FOR REAL HAHAHAHAH almost half of the book。 You'll always looking at the book in disbelief :'） The author had also explored the strengths and happiness in pregnancies， but also the downsides after childbirth。 The roles of husbands and men at home， and how postpartum depression creeps up on the new mothers that its painful to read one of Shibata's colleagues outburst while holding her newborn child。 The realities of childbirth is not as easy as its written and explained and it also comes with your own loneliness。 The loneliness of being not understood， the loneliness of having to bear a burden of your own， and the loneliness of solitude。 For the most parts， you will laugh out loud reading this book （lord please the chapter where she signed up for Aerobics for Pregnant Women BAHAH ）， but I love the subtlety in Yagi's writing in inserting and talking about issues， with the hints of magical realism as well。 Highly recommended and def a read that I will remember forever。Biggest thank you to @definitelybooks ， Pansing Distribution for this gorgeous gorgeous ARC！ 。。。more
Wiebke （1book1review）
，
This was a pure title buy and I went into it fully blind。 So imagine my surprise reading a pregnancy diary by someone who pretended to be pregnant to not clear away dirty coffee cups at work。 And then being completely sucked into her life， her descriptions of her work situation and loneliness。 I really loved this。 Highly recommend to anyone who doesn't need a plot driven story but enjoys a closer view of everyday life。 This was a pure title buy and I went into it fully blind。 So imagine my surprise reading a pregnancy diary by someone who pretended to be pregnant to not clear away dirty coffee cups at work。 And then being completely sucked into her life， her descriptions of her work situation and loneliness。 I really loved this。 Highly recommend to anyone who doesn't need a plot driven story but enjoys a closer view of everyday life。 。。。more
Rodrigo
，
:/ this was a bit of a dud for me。 It was interesting reading Emi Yagi’s Diary of a Void in the same month as Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman which， together almost feel like quirky parallel tales of women who are disconnected and struggling with constantly bumping up against the social constructs and mores of Japanese society。 In ``Convenience Store Woman” no one in the narrator’s life can wrap their heads around her career choices and her decision to deviate from what a “typical” Japan :/ this was a bit of a dud for me。 It was interesting reading Emi Yagi’s Diary of a Void in the same month as Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman which， together almost feel like quirky parallel tales of women who are disconnected and struggling with constantly bumping up against the social constructs and mores of Japanese society。 In ``Convenience Store Woman” no one in the narrator’s life can wrap their heads around her career choices and her decision to deviate from what a “typical” Japanese woman should want; contrast that with Diary of a Void which centers on Shibata who in an effort to get everyone in her office to pitch in more and not leave all the menial undesired tasks to her， hatches a plan to fake a pregnancy。 Not only do her co-workers seemingly pull a 180 in terms of showing her kindness， respect and assistance but she also finds that her life fills in， in ways that she could not have seen coming。 By the end what is “real” and what is invented is hard to distinguish for both Shibata and definitely for the reader。 It feels a bit easy to reach for the “this should have just been a short story” criticism but I do think the premise this book is reliant on wears out its welcome within the first 75 pages and even if it only clocks in at less than 225 pages in total， I’m not gonna lie， it began to feel like a total slog as it sort of meandered meaninglessly to its conclusion。 I think part of the issue （at least hindering MY enjoyment of the book） is that Shibata is another sort of colorless robotic narrator and I just didn’t find anything at all to connect in with her。 I would have loved to have understood a bit more about what all was underneath her decision to fake （and continue to keep up） her pregnancy which…I suppose the book is trying to answer but I felt there were never any concrete conclusions so it just left me fairly cold and （honestly？） bored。 It was interesting reading some of the positive reviews for the book， I would go over this excellently worded and pitched summaries and themes covered in the book and just scratch my head like “I think that’s what the book wants to be but that was so so far away from anything it delivered on” 。。。more
Alex
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book was really good。 The concept caught my attention。 A woman having to fake a pregnancy in order for her to no longer do the trivial office tasks that she has to do because she is the only woman in the office， it was great。 There were moments where I thought her and her nice coworker might spark a relationship， which I wouldn’t hate。 But it turns out he had a wife and his backstory was heartbreaking。 As the time goes on， cause it’s separated in pregnancy weeks， which I loved， you get more This book was really good。 The concept caught my attention。 A woman having to fake a pregnancy in order for her to no longer do the trivial office tasks that she has to do because she is the only woman in the office， it was great。 There were moments where I thought her and her nice coworker might spark a relationship， which I wouldn’t hate。 But it turns out he had a wife and his backstory was heartbreaking。 As the time goes on， cause it’s separated in pregnancy weeks， which I loved， you get more into the MC’s head and her thoughts and feelings， especially when interacting with strangers that think she’s pregnant。 I definitely thought she was actually pregnant， when she went to get the ultrasound。 But I think she was repeating the lie so much and for so long that she was starting to believe it。 （view spoiler）[ I could not predict where this book was going and I liked where it went。 I originally thought that the truth was going to come out and she was going to be regretful and apologize and the ppl will learn why she lied and they’d change。 But no。 She wasn’t caught and I didn’t hate that。 There have been movies with fake pregnancies that end the way that I was thinking so I liked that this didn’t follow those paths。 Overall it’s a good read。 I also read this when I had Covid and my symptoms started to subdue， that’s why I enjoyed the length of the book。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Sami Helgeson
，
I picked up this book because I liked the cover and I’ve been loving translations from female Japanese authors lately。 I had the same feeling as when I finished Convenience Store Woman， where I am not exactly sure what happened and I was left with questions， but in an intriguing way。 The writing was great。
Auggy
，
What a weird book。 Not exactly engrossing but a nice exploration of sexism and related issues in the Japanese workspace， done through a strange and curious story。
Jola
，
So quirky， so weirdly absorbing。。。 While reading Diary of a Void I kept obsessively thinking how much this novel reminds me of The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura and thanks to a note at the end I realized it was translated by the same person， Lucy North， accompanied by David Boyd here。 She did an impressive job again and I think it is great when translators， who usually tend to be transparent like cellophane， find a way to speak with their own voices， respecting the individuali So quirky， so weirdly absorbing。。。 While reading Diary of a Void I kept obsessively thinking how much this novel reminds me of The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura and thanks to a note at the end I realized it was translated by the same person， Lucy North， accompanied by David Boyd here。 She did an impressive job again and I think it is great when translators， who usually tend to be transparent like cellophane， find a way to speak with their own voices， respecting the individuality of the book at the same time。 And as for literary associations， I often recalled Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb too。It is best to go totally blind into Diary of a Void。 Having a baby isn’t easy。 Damned if you do， damned if you don’t。 — this passage summarizes the theme of this novel。 I liked the feminist message of Emi Yagi's book although I wish the rhetoric was not so straightforward。 Shibata's story is interspersed with acute social observations。 To my mind， the portrayal of her workplace is intended as a bleak caricature not only of a Japanese company but of modern society in general。 The conclusions are far from optimistic: The office was a swamp。 Not a deep one。 But one that let off a weird-smelling gas all year round。I liked being subtly manipulated by Emi Yagi — the author blends the borderline between reality and Shibata's dreams truly deftly。 I found interesting the way the symbol of the void was used in the novel。 To my mind， it refers not only to the emptiness of the protagonist's uterus but also to the emotional vacuum in which she is floating， seemingly being perfectly fine。 Emi Yagi's depiction of Shibata's loneliness is devastating despite the calm， down-to-earth， sometimes eerily hilarious tone of her narration。Image by Laura Steerman， an Irish artist， who creates paintings using ultrasound images。 [Source。] 。。。more
Cherlynn （cherreading）
，
4。5⭐I knew this would probably be good based on the synopsis， but I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I loved it。 And now you're telling me this razor-sharp and witty novel is a debut？ Wow！Shibata's voice and the book being written as a diary of her psuedo-pregnancy journey made this such an enjoyable read that pulled me right in。 I was so invested in the story and Shibata's life that I couldn't help but keep turning the pages to see how everything would play out。 Watching Shibata trying 4。5⭐I knew this would probably be good based on the synopsis， but I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I loved it。 And now you're telling me this razor-sharp and witty novel is a debut？ Wow！Shibata's voice and the book being written as a diary of her psuedo-pregnancy journey made this such an enjoyable read that pulled me right in。 I was so invested in the story and Shibata's life that I couldn't help but keep turning the pages to see how everything would play out。 Watching Shibata trying to keep up with her lie and how everyone， even herself， bought into it was nothing short of fascinating。I also really enjoyed how the author explores themes of workplace discrimination， gender inequality and motherhood， particularly in a patriarchal and conservative society like Japan's， with nuance， wit and dark humour。This is an outstanding and captivating novel that will stay with me for a long time。 I highly recommend everyone to pick it up pronto！Thank you Viking Press， Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an ARC of this book。Favourite quotes:✨ "That's the way it is from the moment we come into this world， but I'm still not used to it — how alone we all are。"✨ "Having a baby isn't easy。 Damned if you do， damned if you don't。 It's been two thousand years， and it's the same old story， right？" 。。。more
BEE
，
[No spoilers] Overall: 4。5， rounded upImagine buying a toy wand at a garage sale and， after a few waving around， discover that it does *real* magic。 That's the feeling I got several pages and chapters into Yagi-sensei's book。 It definitely carried a lot more than the *simple* story of Shibata pretending she's pregnant。The structure is pretty straightforward--we're taken into a week-by-week journey of her 'pregnancy'。 Surprisingly， the book doesn't hinge on the chance of someone discovering Shiba [No spoilers] Overall: 4。5， rounded upImagine buying a toy wand at a garage sale and， after a few waving around， discover that it does *real* magic。 That's the feeling I got several pages and chapters into Yagi-sensei's book。 It definitely carried a lot more than the *simple* story of Shibata pretending she's pregnant。The structure is pretty straightforward--we're taken into a week-by-week journey of her 'pregnancy'。 Surprisingly， the book doesn't hinge on the chance of someone discovering Shibata's lie。 No。 It goes deeper and beyond anything I ever expected when I read the summary。Countless themes surrounding something seemingly simple as pregnancy were identified， laid out， and revealed in their intricate connection with each one。 Societal prejudice， gender-role expectations， salary-people culture （the so-called， Overwork Culture）， and of course the complexities of pregnancy are just some of the many Yagi-sensei weaved into this book。Their writing， also， deserves some highlight--it's magical。 Enchanting。 Hypnotic and all the words in between。 Even before the 'twist' is introduced， the setup easily ushers the reader to accept the additional layer of magic realism here。I won't say anymore--just read it。 Doesn't matter if you're unfamilar with Japanese culture or a man。 Yagi-sensei's writing makes that matter and not matter in one sentence。 。。。more
Farah Firdaus
，
“Having a baby isn’t easy。 Damned if you do， damned if you don’t。 It’s been two thousand years， and it’s the same old story， right？”
David Roman
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Esta historia empieza narrando la situación de una mujer que es sometida a una presión injusta en su puesto del trabajo。 Un día empieza a fingir que está embarazada y llega al extremo de ir a clases de gimnasia especiales para el parto， al médico y sigue la vida que tendría una mujer embarazada。 Pero ella está embarazado de su propio vació， de su seca sensación de soledad。 A mi forma de ver este libro podría ser una respuesta a la pregunta que Amazarashi hace en su canción titulada "karappo"。 Cu Esta historia empieza narrando la situación de una mujer que es sometida a una presión injusta en su puesto del trabajo。 Un día empieza a fingir que está embarazada y llega al extremo de ir a clases de gimnasia especiales para el parto， al médico y sigue la vida que tendría una mujer embarazada。 Pero ella está embarazado de su propio vació， de su seca sensación de soledad。 A mi forma de ver este libro podría ser una respuesta a la pregunta que Amazarashi hace en su canción titulada "karappo"。 Cuando estamos felices reímos， cuando nos sentimos tristes lloramos， pero， que hacemos cuando nos sentimos vacíos？ La protagonista decide crear una vida falsa， una vida falsa pero que engendra todo unas experiencias verdaderas。 Consigue socializar con gente que le es afín， consigue volver a tener aficiones， a ver películas， a tener una vida que ella misma creía perdida。El final parece indicar que Shibata （la protagonista） ha conseguido rehacer su vida y salir de ese vació， o más bien ha conseguido abrazar su vació y crear una nueva vida con la que ser feliz 。。。more
Ella Dixon
，
This quick little novel was a really solid read！ I got it the week it came out because I loved the cover but didn't know much about it。 The protagonist， Shibata， tells her coworkers that she's pregnant in order to get out of having to do the menial cleaning tasks around the office that somehow became part of her job responsibilities。 I don't blame her for making an excuse to get out of cleaning up for someone else， but I also think there are more productive ways to have a conversation about chan This quick little novel was a really solid read！ I got it the week it came out because I loved the cover but didn't know much about it。 The protagonist， Shibata， tells her coworkers that she's pregnant in order to get out of having to do the menial cleaning tasks around the office that somehow became part of her job responsibilities。 I don't blame her for making an excuse to get out of cleaning up for someone else， but I also think there are more productive ways to have a conversation about changing the toxic office culture that women have to endure （frequently cleaning up after men or forced responsibility for the errors of others）。 I was willing to put aside my personal feelings about her methods for improving her life because the men in her office were so annoying about her personal life。 Coworkers kept instructing her on how she should feel at various stages in her pregnancy and one even came up with a list of names for boys that he wanted her to consider。 At the same time， they don't question her lies at work and go along with whatever she says she needs out of fear of seeming discriminatory against pregnant women。 Everyone treats Shibata like any other "woman in an office" -- someone who， despite job title， is assumed to occupy a low-ranking position with domestic responsibilities relocated to an office setting。 It's sort of like they took the idea of a housewife and gave her numerous husbands who just wanted to loaf around and act like a baby。 She gives them her mediocre "best" and I don't blame her。 She shouldn't have to try hard when people will never take her seriously。The problem is that she does take herself seriously。 She begins believing her own lie and using an app to track her progress， joins a pregnant women's aerobics class， and befriends other expectant mothers。 Near the end of her pregnancy， she even gets an ultrasound and the doctor points out all the parts of her baby。 It's not that she becomes a virgin mother--there's no immaculate conception or conception of any kind--but the void she created in herself becomes something real。 There's some discussion among the mothers of postpartum depression and what will happen after they all give birth。 Shibata sees of the women in the class， Hosono， outside in the middle of the night just after she gave birth。 She's clearly struggling with motherhood and the unfair division of labor between herself and her husband。 Even though there's nothing inside Shibata， she begins to understand that whether you start out full or empty， you can still have a void inside of you。 They're both empty inside。The company that Shibata works for makes paper cores。 I imagine this means that they make the insides of toilet paper or paper towels， those temporarily stable inserts for disposable products。 Shibata built her whole story on a flimsy base， one that somehow survives。 When she visits the factory where these paper cores are made， Shibata realizes that the cores are made of never-ending ribbons， "And inside the core a void。 Ready for whatever story was going to fill it" （p。 160）。 I guess we can build our lives and lies around an impermanent base， but the stories we construct on top of them will always be hollow in the end。 。。。more
Youssra Elmagboul
，
I love Japanese fiction and was excited by the premise of this book。 It was a pretty easy read and maybe good if you are stuck in a bit of a reading rut。I didn't enjoy the book hugely - the loneliness of the protagonist is palpable and as a reader you question why she is so lonely given that there is not much holding her back from living the life she wants to。I am unsure if the issue is the translation or the style of writing but I found the continued uses of short sentences irritating as they s I love Japanese fiction and was excited by the premise of this book。 It was a pretty easy read and maybe good if you are stuck in a bit of a reading rut。I didn't enjoy the book hugely - the loneliness of the protagonist is palpable and as a reader you question why she is so lonely given that there is not much holding her back from living the life she wants to。I am unsure if the issue is the translation or the style of writing but I found the continued uses of short sentences irritating as they seemed to be conveying that things were 'deeper' than they are。 At times the timelines were confusing as well。 I felt like I just wasn't 'getting' the heavy handed imagery/meanings throughout。 。。。more
Nicole Zavagnin
，
Le premesse sono geniali e per tre quarti mi è piaciuto molto。 Ma succede qualcosa che confonde， e che non mi è chiaro anche una volta finito。 Ho apprezzato molto lo spaccato， per quanto breve e con il punto di vista della protagonista， sulla società giapponese e sulle situazioni lavorative， e sul tempo dedicato al lavoro， su cui ci si può identificare anche da qui。
Irina
，
Finished this short novel in a couple of days。 A 34y。o。 Japanese woman gets fed up with her office colleagues expecting her to act like a maid and one day fakes pregnancy。 This forces the men around her to step up and （the horror！） make their own tea 🧐Shiba， the protagonist， goes on acting like a pregnant woman - she takes vitamins， signs up for mommyrobis class， and leaves work early to buy good produce at the still empty grocery shop。There are no major events or surprises， but I enjoy books th Finished this short novel in a couple of days。 A 34y。o。 Japanese woman gets fed up with her office colleagues expecting her to act like a maid and one day fakes pregnancy。 This forces the men around her to step up and （the horror！） make their own tea 🧐Shiba， the protagonist， goes on acting like a pregnant woman - she takes vitamins， signs up for mommyrobis class， and leaves work early to buy good produce at the still empty grocery shop。There are no major events or surprises， but I enjoy books that let you in on the daily lives of women in other countries。 There was a beautiful and thought provoking passage of Shiba reflecting on the fate of another woman， a virgin who one day wakes up pregnant & so changes the world。 “What was it like for her to go through it？” Shiba asks。Since I read a couple of books by another Japanese author M。Kawakami who also writes candidly about the lives of modern women， the comparison was inevitable。 I thought about how Yagi’s main character would probably seem familiar to the Western readers who imagine most Japanese to be well off if not rich。 Shiba is a solidly middle class， college educated woman， who traveled the world and can afford living on her own。 Unlike Kawakami’s characters， she doesn’t reflect much on the misogyny that permeates her immediate world。 It irritates her to be treated like a maid because of her gender， but she in doesn’t question it per ce。 Instead， she deals with it the way 99% women do on daily basis: by faking being weak and/or clueless。 Pregnant in this case。 Her rebellion is sneaky。 It’s the kind of passive aggression women employ that not a lot of men are aware of because they are so used to living as the beneficiaries of the patriarchy， they are blind。 So， when women occasionally come on top， men feel betrayed & blindsided 😆。I found it funny how blasé Shiba is about faking her pregnancy。 Not once does she worry about having to keep up with the lie。 She finds a way to take care of things as the need occurs。 It’s a great satire on the realities of the modern world， the expectations that societies place on women and the ways women deal with it。 。。。more
Lisa
，
This novel was a fantastic observation of societal attitudes towards workplace culture， traditional gender roles， and motherhood in Japan。 The premise was creative and the social commentary was executed without a soapbox。 I like that the protagonist took power back from her male colleagues and created a slightly more egalitarian workplace on her terms。
Inge
，
3。5 stars。 This is basically a commentary about women’s bodies and their part in the workplace。 It has a slight surrealistic twist; Shibata’s pregnancy eventually feels real to both herself and the reader。 I was waiting for a twist or big reveal in the end， because the way this was written lead me to believe everything was building up to something， but unfortunately that didn’t happen。
Gresi e i suoi Sogni d'inchiostro
，
Potrei farmi coinvolgere da tante cose。 Potrei farmi sedurre da tante distrazioni， in progetti che inizierei ma non so se porterò a termine， per così dire， ma quello del perseguire una strada e non volgere le spalle per niente al mondo， se non quando giungo alla fine， è uno degli assetti del mio carattere che， da che ho memoria， mi ha sempre portata lontano。 Dinanzi questo periodo scordo me stessa; sono così presa che non do peso all’idea di poter realizzarmi in tante altre cose…。 Una cosa per v Potrei farmi coinvolgere da tante cose。 Potrei farmi sedurre da tante distrazioni， in progetti che inizierei ma non so se porterò a termine， per così dire， ma quello del perseguire una strada e non volgere le spalle per niente al mondo， se non quando giungo alla fine， è uno degli assetti del mio carattere che， da che ho memoria， mi ha sempre portata lontano。 Dinanzi questo periodo scordo me stessa; sono così presa che non do peso all’idea di poter realizzarmi in tante altre cose…。 Una cosa per volta！ Perciò quando decisi di partecipare all’ennesima sfida di lettura， quella cioè di leggere 7 libri in 7 giorni， non ebbi alcun dubbio che non avrei potuto dedicarmi a nient’altro。 Non c’è storia， non c’è niente da dire …。 Sono piuttosto testarda， ambiziosa e se decido di imbarcarmi in qualcosa devo portarla al termine。 Come sarebbero andate le cose， questo non so dirlo。 Ma cosa fare， quando si sceglie qualcosa a tentoni？ Voglio dire， per giudicare un romanzo bisogna prima leggerlo。 E fortunatamente le letture scelte mi hanno quasi tutte stampato un sorriso。In quanto a questa lettura， l’ennesima， la sua autrice è una giovanissima esordiente giapponese il cui intento di raccontarsi credo avvenne per necessità。 Non ci sono testimonianze， non ho la presunzione di conferirne la veridicità， sono solo congetture che hanno popolato la cittadella della mia coscienza， durante il corso della sua lettura。 Possibile che nella realizzazione di questo testo abbia concepito un figlio， o addirittura lo partorì， ma ciò che posso asserire con certezza è che è un opera statica che non possiede niente di speciale da altri testi che gironzolano nel mercato editoriale straniero， ma immerso in un’atmosfera nostalgica， ovattata， piatta in cui ogni cosa sembra essere priva di vita， è una disamina attenta sulla condizione femminile e in particolare sul significato intrinseco che si attribuisce alla donna come surrogato di creatura priva di volontà， agire， proiettato in un luogo in cui il tempo scorre come la scioglievolezza dei sogni。 Io non ho potuto fare a meno di seguirla dappertutto， pedinandola anche nei momenti più impensabili， osservandola attentamente consumarsi dinanzi agli occhi del mondo。 Anche quando si sedeva alla scrivania e riportava ogni cosa in queste pagine di diario: chi avrebbe potuto capirla， se non se stessa？ Cosa avrebbe equivalso， in un’epoca come questa， concepire un figlio se non rivestire una spessa patina di nullità che ci avrebbe estraniato da tutto e tutti。 Ma in genere le donne orientali passeggiano in certi cataclismi interiori contemplando il passato e il presente， carezzando l’arte della possibilità come forme utopistiche e lontane。Più o meno la letteratura giapponese è una grande fonte di conoscenza。 Sino ad oggi ho letto pochissimo che spiegasse cosa voglia dire essere madre e donna in un’epoca come la nostra， mettere su un figlio checché sia stato generato da tuo marito， dal tuo compagno， da un donatore anonimo， né come mai la protagonista abbracci questo assetto filosofico， fosse diventata una necessità， qualcosa di così gretto ma naturale che inducesse a riflessioni spontanee， profonde。 Le affettuose premature per un nascituro， il suo concepimento， l’incosciente noncuranza per l’avvenire di una creatura che abbia i tuoi stessi occhi， le tue stesse labbra， il sacrificio di sviscerare qualunque entità maligna che potrebbe sovrastarci a tal punto da distinguerci dal sesso maschile affinchè possano raggiungere la felicità。 La felicità， infatti， pur quanto assetto delicato da cui è facilmente auspicabile la dolcezza e il conforto， deriva da anni di riflessioni profonde che sconvolgono da dentro， divorano le nostre viscere con estrema cura， come se predisposte a una lenta agonia。Mi è sembrato di avvertire una certa malinconia。 Non proprio concerne alla tipica tristezza shakesperiana， bensì qualcosa che è stato piuttosto vicino。 Si。 Una certa drammaticità che nel corso della lettura ha sedimentato nel mio animo。Com'è stato strano il mio incontro con Emi Yagu e la sua figlia d'inchiostro， Shibata。 Spuntata dal nulla un banalissimo giorno di metà agosto， senza un ma né un perché， cornice di una melodia che non ha effettivamente una sua collocazione， seppur il romanzo si premura a tenerci ancorate a quelle note che rivelano una parte fragile e precaria della sua anima。E così che ho conosciuto Shibata。 All'esordio commessa in un negozio， all'epilogo neo mamma。 Disseminato nel vento come le ultime foglie di un albero invernale。Facilmente si resta concentrati; me ne sono accorta mentre proseguivo spedita e coglievo nozioni grazie allo stile semplice， limpido che adopera la sua autrice。 Come un canto distinto e significativo， con ansie e preoccupazioni smorzate da una realtà illusoria， in un momento di quiete spirituale， Il diario geniale della signorina Shibata si levò al di sopra dei miei pensieri。 Non producendo quel meraviglioso suono che avevo creduto， bensì un mero gocciolio di una pozzanghera umana che lentamente era scesa e scivolata nelle grondaie coriacee di chiunque。 Se così dovessi paragonare o descrivere il romanzo， ecco la mia spiegazione。Un romanzo in cui il silenzio， la solitudine， la compassione， il dramma， sono categorici。 Il titolo infatti allude a delle fasi della vita su cui si appresta a riportare Shibata nel suo diario。 Da un lato il suo ardente desiderio di essere mamma e il guazzabuglio di motivi che la spingono ad essere tale。 Dall’altro le motivazioni per cui è importante far sentire la propria voce in un coro di voci e suoni indistinti come modo d’esprimere la propria individualità， la propria libertà。 Spingendoci a comprendere chi siamo effettivamente e per quale motivo siamo su questa terra。 。。。more
Pascal
，
Was man alles tun muss， um dem Corporate Grind ein Schnippchen zu schlagen。。。Frau Shibata behauptet als Lifehack gegen Überstunden und sexistische Hiwi-Aufgaben spontan， sie sei schwanger。 Ab sofort geht es pünktlich nach Hause und männliche Kollegen behandeln sie mit einem Mindestmaß an Respekt。Wer nun sagt: "Ah ja， die stramme japanische Arbeitskultur， kein Wunder。。。" Völliger Quatsch！ Der Roman würde ebenso gut im Saarland oder Oer-Erkenschwick funktionieren。 Vielleicht würden mehr Frauen wel Was man alles tun muss， um dem Corporate Grind ein Schnippchen zu schlagen。。。Frau Shibata behauptet als Lifehack gegen Überstunden und sexistische Hiwi-Aufgaben spontan， sie sei schwanger。 Ab sofort geht es pünktlich nach Hause und männliche Kollegen behandeln sie mit einem Mindestmaß an Respekt。Wer nun sagt: "Ah ja， die stramme japanische Arbeitskultur， kein Wunder。。。" Völliger Quatsch！ Der Roman würde ebenso gut im Saarland oder Oer-Erkenschwick funktionieren。 Vielleicht würden mehr Frauen weltweit spontane Schwangerschaften vortäuschen， gäbe es nicht so viele Männer， die – wie in diesem Roman – aufdringliche Fragen stellen und deren Pranken um den prallen Bauch schweben。 Doch ist der Roman nicht in Schwarz-Weiß-Denken gefangen und verleiht sogar dem nervigsten männlichen Charakter eine glaubwürdige menschliche Motivation für sein Verhalten。 Es wird immerhin zum glaubwürdigen Versehen。Durch ihre Lüge genießt Frau Shibata die Vorteile einer Schwangerschaft ohne viele der etlichen Nachteile。 Nicht nur auf der Arbeit und in der Bahn behandeln Leute sie mit Empathie und Rücksicht; sie knüpft außerdem tiefe Verbindungen mit einer Community schwangerer Mütter。 Eine angenehm warme Art von Freundschaft， über die zumindest ich als Mann mir vor diesem Roman noch nie so viele Gedanken gemacht habe。 Und das， obwohl ich ähnliche Geschichten doch eigentlich von meiner eigenen Mutter kenne。 Auf der anderen Seite vermittelt der Roman eindrücklich das berechtigte Misstrauen gegenüber Nichtschwangeren。 Ja， sogar nichtschwangeren Frauen。Die Geschichte lebt von ihrer unterschwelligen Spannung: Die Protagonistin verstrickt sich immer tiefer in ihre Lüge， entscheidet sich aber gleichzeitig dazu， das Spiel fortwährend weiterzutreiben und sogar zuzuspitzen。Was beim Lesen unangenehm ist， bildet zugleich den Kern der Erzählung: Frau Shibata hat keine Gewissensbisse。 Sie schuldet ihrer Firma nichts – genau so wenig wie ihren Kollegen， die ihren Kaffee nun selbst zubereiten müssen。 Der Roman zeigt damit: Jede Person muss ihren eigenen Weg finden， sich mit dem endlosen Hamsterrad der Lohnarbeit zu arrangieren。 "Geniale Ideen" wie die von Frau Shibata befürwortet der Roman – und wenn sie nur dazu dienen， das Büro tatsächlich um die Zeit zu verlassen， die im Arbeitsvertrag steht。Die unbeschwerte Tonalität und der geradlinige Schreibstil unterstreichen die Nonchalance， mit der Frau Shibata sich im Leben und im Job ermächtigt。 Der Titel der deutschen Übersetzung klingt zwar – wie gewohnt – selten dämlich und hat nichts mit dem Originaltitel oder dem Titel der englischen Übersetzung （Diary of a Void） zu tun。 Er rahmt allerdings von Beginn an， wie genial Frau Shibatas Idee eben ist: Eine Lüge mit moralischer Hoheit。 。。。more
Dima
，
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an unbiased review。The book tells the story of a 34 year old office worker， who， for a variety of reasons （more below）， decides to fake a pregnancy at her workplace， and perpetuates it until well after "giving birth"。What I really liked about this book is its potential。 The idea at the core of the narrative is potentially explosive。 It has the seeds of discussing social inequality at I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an unbiased review。The book tells the story of a 34 year old office worker， who， for a variety of reasons （more below）， decides to fake a pregnancy at her workplace， and perpetuates it until well after "giving birth"。What I really liked about this book is its potential。 The idea at the core of the narrative is potentially explosive。 It has the seeds of discussing social inequality at the workplace in Japan， the role of women in Japanese society more broadly， alienation of individuals in modern society （especially in Japan）， how Japanese society treats unmarried women， loneliness， and much more。 Rather than exploring these topics with nuance， sensitivity， and emotion， the author gives us malformed glimpses of them。 While the benefit is that the reader can reach their own conclusions， the drawback is that the underlying writing talent that could underpin this narrative remains elusive。 Notwithstanding the above， what stands out in the book is the protagonist， and the psychological profile that leads to inventing the pregnancy， and perpetuate it。 It is a perverse pleasure to read - on the one hand it is fascinating and engaging， and on the other it chilling and scary。 The main dissonance emerges due to the protagonist's initial motivations。 While the abstract （and some of the reviews） point to sexual harassment， that is mentioned in a single episode in the narrative。 My interpretation is that the reasons are quite a bit more selfish， even sinister， and psychotic。 This debate in itself makes it a worthwhile read。In short， while it doesn't live up to its full potential， and the writing is only a notch above mediocre， the brevity of the book makes it a solid and interesting experience。 。。。more
Mobyskine
，
So it started on the day when the section head muttered that the cups in the meeting room needed to be washed。 Having deadline to meet and can't understand why she always had to do all the menial tasks in the department and deal with the messes they'd made， Shibata decided for a little experiment。 "I can't do it。 I'm pregnant。 The smell of coffee， it triggers my morning sickness。The cigarettes too。。。" And that's how Shibata became pregnant with Week 5 and counting。Told in an epistolary format; a So it started on the day when the section head muttered that the cups in the meeting room needed to be washed。 Having deadline to meet and can't understand why she always had to do all the menial tasks in the department and deal with the messes they'd made， Shibata decided for a little experiment。 "I can't do it。 I'm pregnant。 The smell of coffee， it triggers my morning sickness。The cigarettes too。。。" And that's how Shibata became pregnant with Week 5 and counting。Told in an epistolary format; a diary entry accordingly to her pregnancy week （as the Japanese title for this book echoes the Boshi techō; a maternal and child health handbook that enable mothers to document the chronicle of their pregnancies in Japan）， it was so descriptively narrated， quite cunning yet so surreal and provocative。 I like the combination of themes as it was not only revolves on the workplace discrimination， gender prejudice and womanhood in the patriarchal society but also tackles the issue in pregnancy （the hurdle to conceive and postpartum depression） and self existence。Well structured with great 'imaginary' development and it amazes me on how Shibata really went all out in faking her pregnancy-- from planning her diet， getting maternity badge for subway to joining mommies aerobics and finding a good name for the baby。 Love that throughout her journey she learns so much about her co-workers， meeting new friends， understanding behaviours and most of all; to stop misjudging。 The blurry line in between truth and lies quite captivating-- the absurdity gets too thrilled and tensed that at a point I wonder if it was true（？） esp when Week 32 ended with 'the baby's been kicking so much more lately' that she decided for a check-up later。 Higashinakano's story was such a twist and Hosono too-- both were distressing yet so thoroughly explored。Love how Shibata overcame the situation at the end with such a great aftermath to end her diary。 Riveting and bold， a recommendation if you're searching for a social commentary premise but want it to be a light and joyful read。 4。3 stars to this！Thank you Pansing Distribution for sending me a proof copy for review！ 。。。more
Edie Lee
，
A woman sick of being taken advantage of at her job fakes a pregnancy for its perks。 I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t immediately engaging but it grew on me towards the end。
Salma
，
Didn't fully dig the conclusion but overall it was an interesting premise with a very mundane execution， which isn't really a flaw， it just wore me out by the end。 Great commentary and clever observations on motherhood， women issues， patriarchy， and so on， tells a lot about the ongoing expectations of mothers， and the societal views on women and how they're still reduced to mothers and caretakers in order to be valued and obtain any respect。 Didn't fully dig the conclusion but overall it was an interesting premise with a very mundane execution， which isn't really a flaw， it just wore me out by the end。 Great commentary and clever observations on motherhood， women issues， patriarchy， and so on， tells a lot about the ongoing expectations of mothers， and the societal views on women and how they're still reduced to mothers and caretakers in order to be valued and obtain any respect。 。。。more
Fon
，
4。5 stars， rounded up。Diary of a Void really delivered on the 'funny， thought-provoking， and relatable all at once' front。 This book exudes 'leave me alone' vibes and is perfect for sad girl summer。 The narrator is snarky and witty （my favorite kind！） & is just trying to do her best alone in this pressure cooker world。 Minus 0。5 stars because I got a little lost towards the end， but I love it when the narrator's thoughts echo mine！！ highlighted phrases "The internet's a great place for finding o 4。5 stars， rounded up。Diary of a Void really delivered on the 'funny， thought-provoking， and relatable all at once' front。 This book exudes 'leave me alone' vibes and is perfect for sad girl summer。 The narrator is snarky and witty （my favorite kind！） & is just trying to do her best alone in this pressure cooker world。 Minus 0。5 stars because I got a little lost towards the end， but I love it when the narrator's thoughts echo mine！！ highlighted phrases "The internet's a great place for finding out about stuff you're kind of interested in， but it can't really help with the things you really want to know。 It's even worse for things you don't know anything about。""I wondered what all those people were doing under this snow。 Maybe they were shivering in a cab they'd finally caught， or making or waiting for dinner， or staring out the window， commenting on the snow and sipping hot chocolate。 Maybe that's what making a family is all about: creating an environment in which people make space for one another—maybe without even trying， just naturally， to make sure that nobody's forgotten。""I know women are the only ones who can give birth， but once the baby's born， why the hell should our roles be so different？ Breastfeeding， I get， but what about everything else？ Don't tell me you need more time to figure out how to be a dad。 Like， what have you been doing for the last nine months？""But I'm always so alone。 I guess I should be used to it by now。 That's the way it is from the moment we come into this world， but I'm still not used to it—how alone we all are。""Then there's the other side of it。 Why can't anybody just mind their own business？ It's not like they actually care about you or anything， but they're still happy to tell you that what you're doing isn't right when they should really just stay out of it。 They're so annoying， and I'm so alone—I feel like I might forget who I am。" 。。。more
Solange
，
Shibata cansada de hacer labores extras en el trabajo， como servir el café， lavar las tazas y hacer aseo， sólo por ser la única mujer en la oficina， finge un embarazo。 Iniciada esta mentira， no hay vuelta atrás。Shibata no solo comienza a experimentar más libertades en el trabajo， sino que comienza a vivir una vida enraizada a la mentira， pero que le da una sensación de pertenencia a esta sociedad que la integra， quizás por primera vez。Y la pregunta de la portada lo es todo: ¿mentimos para sentir Shibata cansada de hacer labores extras en el trabajo， como servir el café， lavar las tazas y hacer aseo， sólo por ser la única mujer en la oficina， finge un embarazo。 Iniciada esta mentira， no hay vuelta atrás。Shibata no solo comienza a experimentar más libertades en el trabajo， sino que comienza a vivir una vida enraizada a la mentira， pero que le da una sensación de pertenencia a esta sociedad que la integra， quizás por primera vez。Y la pregunta de la portada lo es todo: ¿mentimos para sentirnos menos solos？ ¿Yo？ Quedé super confundida llegando al final。 。。。more
Alan
，
Review to come。
Jake
，
（3/5）It's decent， bordering on good， but I didn't feel that I was reading anything particularly special。 Though I did read this in a period of just over 24 hours so who knows。 Ask me again in a week。 （3/5）It's decent， bordering on good， but I didn't feel that I was reading anything particularly special。 Though I did read this in a period of just over 24 hours so who knows。 Ask me again in a week。 。。。more
Verity Halliday
，
Diary of a Void is a strange little novel about a woman who pretends to be pregnant， mainly to have an easier life at work， then she （and the reader） almost starts to believe in the pregnancy。 There was a tension as I waited for Shibata to either confess or be found out - how long can she keep this going？ A recommended read for lovers of quirky Japanese fiction。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Diary of a Void
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Diary of a Void&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Diary of a Void&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0