what is the magical secret of banana yoshimoto that stormed to the lives of many readers in japan, and the west with her book ''the kitchen"? is it the original way in which she examines the world of love?or maybe it is the magic of the enchanted reality world that she describes in her books?or the unique blender of the mysterious japanese culture and the popular modern culture?
in ''the lizard'', the second book that is published in hebrew, there are six fascinating humorous stories. the stories deal with man-woman relationships in diffrent places, and in diffrent situations and in all of them one can picture the image of "the lost generation'' of the 90''s that are moving between deep desperation and big hope for happiness.
banana yoshimoto knows how to fascinate the reader, seduce him, lure him. her stories speak to each person''s heart.
in the story" just got married'' she describes a man travelling in a train, in a very routine and boring journy when suddenly the filthy man who is sitting next to him turns into a beautiful lady.
the story "down the river" tells the story of young girl who fights her addiction to "normal sexual reationships''. how hope and love awaken in her while she watches the river from a window from her fiance''s flat .
"the piccles dream'' tell the story of young couple, bored and filled with guilt feelings, that rejuvinate their love by eating cabbige piccles.
critics say that yoshimoto reaches the achievements of the past writes (such as kavabata and tanizaki) and still she remains spontanious and fresh.
banan yoshimoto is a blessed story teller...her sensuousness is refine and well hidden, and yet powerful.
she unfolds before her readers a picture of whole generation of japanes women that found themselves torn between the moral expectations... and their ambitions to remain young and free.
yoshimoto was born in 1964 in japan an lives in tokio. in a very short period she became one of the most popular authers in japan and all around the world, and the expresstion "banana-mania" became a ver popular expression in the publishing world. she also won some litterary awards.
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