Twinkle, Twinkle by Kaori Ekuni

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Twinkle
Monday23 August2004
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Twinkle, Twinkle
by Kaori Ekuni
Kaori Ekuni'sdebutnovel, a charmingand inconsequentialromance-withWill and Grace.It won the Murasaki
a-difference,is the story of a Japanese
a
in Japan.Translatedin to
award
and
was
bestseller
literary
Shikobu
(American) Englishby Emi Shimokawa,andpresentedin a trademark
Twinkle,Twinkletells the story
lovely compactliule hardbackby Yer.tiqoll,
of Mutsuko, a gaydoctor,and his wife Shukowho is, well, borderingon
the alcoholicand "emotionallyunstable"- shedutifully singsto the Cezanne
paintinghangrngin the living room and talks earnestlyto her yuccaplant.
The two late twentysomethingsmarriedwith full awarenessof the other's
tendenciesandproblems,but this doesn'tmaketheir relationshipswith each
other,Mutsuko'slong-termboyfriend Kon, his gay doctor friends, Shuko's
bestfriend Mizuho, her ex- Haneki, and their respectivein-laws any easier.
Told in alternatingvoices,a chapterfrom Mutsuko'sperspectiveand then
one giving Shuko'sview of eventsTwinkleoccupiesits 170pages
pleasantlyenough.It is, quite easily,a one or two sitting read.
Never challenging,the translationoccassionallyfeelsa little awkwardand
the tone of the novel, whilst mostly maintaininga moderatelightthat
all the way through,sometimeslungesinto seriousness
heartedness
seemsoverly melodramaticand could and shouldhavebeenbetterhandled.
is thin, particularlyMutsoko who we cometo know
The characterisation
principally throughreferencesto his obsessivecleanlinessandperfect
personalgrooming.This feelsvery stereotypical- asdoesthe fact that such
aneat,pedanticprofessionalwould fall for a fecklessslob.Mutsuko's
relationshipwith Kon remainsfairly impenetrablethroughout,but the
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Twinkle, Twinkle
mutually uncomprehendingaffectionthat developsand deepensbetween
our doctorand Shukois nicely drawn. Thereis a certain grace,too, in the
flow of her story-tellingand in the simplicity of Ekuni'swriting - I hopeit
isn't disrespectfulto saythat knowing shewrites for childrenshouldn'tcome
as any surprise.For thesequalitiesalone Twinkledeservessomeattention.
Whilst Ekuni'sdebutdoesn'tyet position her anywherenearbeing in the
sameleagueasBananaYoshimoto- thereis a seriouswriter lurking behind
Banana'swork, Ekuni hasjust written fine fluff - Twinkledoessparkleand
is worth seekingout.
Futher Information
paqgs.
More Japanesefiction on our Ja:panese
Paperbackisbn: 1932234012
Publisher:Vertical
Copyright O 2004 www.readysteadybook.com. All rights reserved.
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