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Diary of a Void

Emi Yagi Lucy North David Boyd

$22.99

Paperback

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English
Vintage
08 August 2023
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

Discover this prizewinning, thrillingly subversive new novel that's perfect for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Breasts and Eggs.

'One of the most intriguing new novels of the summer,' Independent

For the sake of women everywhere, Ms Shibata is going to pull off the mother of all deceptions...

As the only woman in her office, Ms Shibata is expected to do all the menial tasks. One day she announces that she can't clear away her coworkers' 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 can rest, watch TV, take long baths, and even join an aerobics class for expectant mothers. But she has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Before long, it becomes all-absorbing, and with the help of towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app that tracks every stage of her 'pregnancy', the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.

Diary of a Void will keep you turning the pages to see just how far Ms Shibata will go.

Translated from the Japanese by David Boyd and Lucy North

'Darkly funny and surprisingly tender.' Kirsty Logan, author of Things We Say in the Dark
By:  
Translated by:   ,
Imprint:   Vintage
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 197mm,  Width: 129mm,  Spine: 14mm
Weight:   162g
ISBN:   9781529114812
ISBN 10:   1529114810
Pages:   176
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  ELT Advanced ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Emi Yagi was born in 1988, and is currently a corporate employee and an editor. Diary of a Void is her first novel, and it won the 36th Dazai Osamu Prize, awarded annually to debut writers.

Reviews for Diary of a Void

If you're in the mood for a matter-of-fact and incredibly thought-provoking read, you'll love Yagi's writing. * Stylist * The tension grows along with the comedic details. . . . Diary of a Void starts as stylish satire... but it becomes something even more profound. Always expect the unexpected when you're not expecting. -- Sloane Crosley * Departures * A subversive, surreal read that will strike a cord. * Red Magazine * One of the most passionate cases I've ever read for female interiority, for women's creative pulse and rich inner life. * The New Yorker * Endlessly strange, funny and meaningful... This book is a powerful exploration of what it means to be single and childless, and of the impact of work on our bodies and mental health * Good Housekeeping, *Books of the Year* * Yagi has a light touch for the endless ironies made possible by her premise. There is humor, but also the realization that the alienation of pregnancy and motherhood is no reprieve from the oppressive office culture that inspires Shibata's experiment. -- Lauren Oyler * New York Times Book Review * Delightful . . . Yagi's focus is on how acting pregnant reshapes Shibata's relationship to herself... Yet the book never idealizes pregnancy...We see the difficulty of being a woman with or without a child, and Yagi emphasizes how society makes both roles harder... If you've ever wanted to bite back at a nosy boss, a rude co-worker, an unfair assignment, or the endless list of shoulds we face, then maybe you'll find something to enjoy in Shibata's audacity too. -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan * The Atlantic * One of the most intriguing new novels of the summer. * Independent * Shibata is a modern-day Bartleby. * The Baffler * Darkly funny and surprisingly tender. -- Kirsty Logan, author of THINGS WE SAY IN THE DARK


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