Book
Diary of a void : a novel / Emi Yagi ; translated from the Japanese by David Boyd and Lucy North.
"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"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780143136873 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 213 pages ; 19 cm
- Edition: First English-language edition.
- Publisher: New York : Viking, [2022]
- Copyright: ©2022
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Deception > Fiction. Hoaxes > Fiction. Male domination (Social structure) > Fiction. Sex role > Fiction. Sexism > Fiction. Sexual harassment of women > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Feminist fiction. Novels. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 1 current hold with 1 total copy.
Show All Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | FIC Yagi | 31681010287704 | FICTION | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
Ms. Shibata starts a new job in Tokyo where, as the only woman, she is forced to do all the menial tasks, until she decides to fake a pregnancy that results in her coworkers treating her like a queen. - Baker & Taylor
"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 anda 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"-- - Penguin Putnam
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker · NPR · WBEZâs Nerdette · The New York Public Library · Literary Hub
A New York Times Editorsâ Choice
âOne of the most passionate cases Iâve ever read for female interiority, for womenâs creative pulse and rich inner life.â ?Katy Waldman, The New Yorker
âAlways expect the unexpected when youâre not expecting.â ?Sloane Crosley
A woman in Tokyo avoids harassment at work by perpetuating, for nine months and beyond, the lie that sheâs pregnant in this prizewinning, thrillingly subversive debut novel about the mother of all deceptions, for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Breasts and Eggs
When thirty-four-year-old Ms. Shibata gets a new job to escape sexual harassment at her old one, she finds that as the only woman at her new workplaceâa manufacturer of cardboard tubesâshe is expected to do all the menial tasks. One day she announces that she canât clear away her coworkersâ dirty cupsâbecause sheâs pregnant and the smell nauseates her. The only thing is . . . Ms. Shibata is not pregnant.
Pregnant Ms. Shibata doesnât have to serve coffee to anyone. Pregnant Ms. Shibata isnât forced to work overtime. Pregnant Ms. Shibata watches TV, takes long baths, and even joins an aerobics class for expectant mothers. Sheâs living a year of rest and relaxation, and is finally being treated by her colleagues as more than a hollow core. But she has a 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 âpregnancy,â the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.
Surreal and absurdist, and with a winning matter-of-factness, a light touch, and a refreshing sensitivity to mental health, Diary of a Void will keep you turning the pages to see just how far Ms. Shibata will carry her deception for the sake of women, and especially working mothers, everywhere.
