A sharp and brutal exploration of violence, patriarchy, and empire that spans across different species and continents. Ozeki delves deep into the questions of activity and passivity within both the characters and the narrative. She subverts the expectations surrounding Japanese and American womanhood in a manner that, I'm certain, was even more astonishing when this book was initially published.

Moreover, it mercilessly critiques the rapidly globalizing penchant for consumption without any regard for the consequences. It vividly depicts the violence between humans and non-humans, compelling the reader to also bear some culpability. What does it signify to engage in documentary-making and viewership when one's hands are tied and their mouth is filled with blood? What does resistance appear to be, and what truly constitutes health? Ozeki poses these questions and many more in this flawless and often tender archive of scandal. Her work forces us to confront the uncomfortable truths and challenges our perspectives on various aspects of society and human nature.

It is a thought-provoking and powerful piece of literature that leaves a lasting impact on the reader, making us reflect on our own actions and the world around us.

This is truly one of the finest books I have ever had the pleasure of reading (or listening to, for that matter). At the very beginning, I simply regarded it as a touch quirky. (After all, the title "My American Wife?" was rather unusual.) The various situations that our heroine finds herself in are, at times, uproariously hilarious.

However, then there is the heart-wrenchingly sad Akiko. There are moments when I have the distinct impression that her scenes are set not in the more contemporary era but rather in post-war Japan.

And, to tie everything together beautifully, there is the true story of the drug that was purportedly meant to assist pregnant mothers yet ultimately ended up harming their children - and no, it's not thalidomide, but DES. Strangely enough, as I was engrossed in reading this book, I happened to tune in to a documentary on BBC Radio 4 titled "Poison in the Womb" https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001... - on the exact same subject.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. While the last couple of chapters are perhaps a little underwhelming, a whopping 90% of the book is truly outstanding!

Her early work was indeed captivating and engaging. It had a certain charm that could easily draw readers in. The storylines were often filled with excitement and adventure, making it a joy to read. However, when compared to her later masterpiece, A Tale for the Time Being, it fell short in some aspects. While it was entertaining enough, it lacked the subtlety and depth that her later work possessed. The characters in her early work were perhaps a bit more one-dimensional, not fully developed to the extent that they were in her later novel. The themes were also not explored as deeply, leaving the reader with a sense that there was more to be discovered. Despite these shortcomings, her early work still had its own merits and was an important step in her literary journey.

I absolutely adore Ruth Ozeki. Her female characters are anything but stock characters; they are truly fascinating.

Take, for example, "A Tale For the Time Being." In this novel, there are two main narratives. One is that of a TV director who is creating an advertising series about US meat for broadcast in Japan. The other is the wife of the first woman's boss. She resides in Japan, and her husband is rather dreadful.

The story raises numerous philosophical and moral questions regarding the way meat is produced in America. Some people might have found this aspect a bit preachy, but I didn't experience it that way at all. Perhaps this is because I don't consume meat to begin with.

Nevertheless, I cannot recommend Ozeki highly enough. She is simply amazing. Her writing is engaging, thought-provoking, and her characters are so well-developed that they come to life on the page. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Life can be truly depressing as fuck. There are times when everything seems to go wrong, and the weight of the world feels heavy on our shoulders. We may face financial difficulties, relationship problems, or health issues that leave us feeling hopeless and alone. The daily grind can wear us down, and we may find ourselves stuck in a rut, going through the motions without any real purpose or joy. But even in the midst of this darkness, there is always a glimmer of hope. We can choose to look for the good in every situation, to find the silver lining in the cloud. We can reach out to others for support and love, and know that we are not alone in our struggles. With time and effort, we can overcome the challenges that come our way and find a way to move forward, towards a brighter future.

Disturbing title. Okay book.

The story revolves around two women. First, there's Jane Takagi-Little, a strong and independent documentarian, known as Takagi for short. Then, there's Akiko Ueno, a timid and weak Japanese housewife. They are indirectly connected through Joicho "John" Ueno, who is Akiko's abusive husband and Takagi's evil boss.

Takagi is filming a TV series called "This American Wife" which is funded by the beef industry to market beef to a new Japanese market. As a result, she lacks the freedom to depict honest and interesting content. The situation becomes more complicated when she discovers that non-organic beef is borderline toxic.

Akiko, on the other hand, is extremely underweight due to her bulimia, which stems from her dismal marriage to an asshole. She cannot have children, yet her husband is obsessed with passing on his genes. He also has a penchant for excessive drinking, ogling strippers, and beating up his wife, whom he views merely as an incubator for his future child.

Despite their obvious differences, the lives of these two women run parallel throughout the novel. They both have an appreciation for Shonagon, an ancient Japanese author. They both struggle with getting pregnant and have complex relationships. The parallels are sometimes well-timed, such as when Takagi is sick in the early stages of pregnancy and, simultaneously, on the other side of the world, Akiko is vomiting due to her bulimia. However, at times, these parallels seem a bit forced. Interestingly, by the end of the book, their characters switch. Takagi falls apart after her miscarriage, while Akiko finds the strength to leave her husband.

The anti-meat section of this book, unfortunately, falls a bit flat. The reader initially gets comfortable with the story, which appears to be about two women. Suddenly, it feels like they are reading a fiction book masquerading as a non-fiction book about the hazards of eating red meat and the evils of the beef industry. It comes across as a bit heavy-handed. While I enjoy a good non-fiction book, when it's inserted into a novel, it loses all credibility. The novelist, despite her moderate research, isn't an expert with the necessary credibility. Moreover, the delivery of the message through a conveniently one-sided evil character feels biased. It doesn't matter whether or not I agree with the message; this wasn't the appropriate place for a term paper.

Regarding the one-sided characters, John Ueno is also overly evil for a single weasel of a man. I simply couldn't buy it. I understand that he has a high-pressure job and takes out his frustrations and failures on his wife. Maybe the pressure and guilt led to a drinking problem and a subsequent downward spiral. But how did this clueless man ever ascend to his current high position at his company? Was he competent, charming, or kind before he got married? Was there a time when he didn't constantly do or say the wrong thing? It just doesn't seem to fit. Nothing about this man feels like an authentic character. He's basically a generic asshole, too conveniently and completely evil, so the reader has someone to hate.

Oh yeah. There's also an unconvincing and unrealistic romance with a happy ending.

There are numerous answers, not a single one of which is correct. However, some of them are most assuredly wrong.

This statement truly intrigues me. It presents a rather paradoxical situation where the absence of a right answer is acknowledged, yet there are clearly identifiable wrong ones.

I really, really liked this one. It manages to combine a fun read with a great deal of thoughtful insight.

Akiko, in my opinion, truly deserves the world. She must be an extraordinary person to have earned such high praise.

And as for Jane, she slayed. This implies that she did something remarkable, perhaps in a particular field or situation.

Overall, these snippets offer a glimpse into a world of interesting thoughts and opinions.

I should say,

I am not recommending this book to anyone I know.

I found it interesting and Ozeki is great,

but it’s really pretty heavy-handed on the problems of the meat industry.

The author seems to be overly forceful in presenting the negative aspects of the meat industry, almost to the point of being preachy.

While it is important to raise awareness about these issues,

I think a more balanced approach would have been more effective.

Maybe the author could have included some solutions or alternative perspectives to make the book more engaging and thought-provoking.

Overall,

I still enjoyed the book for its interesting story and well-developed characters,

but the heavy-handedness on the meat industry issue was a bit of a turn-off for me.

Okay you all… what did I just read? What did I just read.

I almost gave this book two stars. I think My Year of Meats contains some interesting commentary about the production and marketing of meat on a global level. It also highlights the cruelty of patriarchal abuse and violence.

However, I just cannot get past the horrible anti-Black racism that Ruth Ozeki perpetuates in this novel. I was literally shocked when I read these passages given how I hadn't seen anyone point them out before. I'm going to provide a few examples, though be warned they're super racist.

At one point the Asian American protagonist, Jane, studies abroad in Japan and meets a Black man there, Emil. Ozeki describes Jane's encounter with Emil as such: "He towered over them – tall, coal black, utterly different. Our eyes met over the tops of the schoolgirls' heads and he froze like a panther, hungry after a long nap, at the sight of an antelope jogging by." What the actual f*ck?? Why could you compare a Black man to a literal animal? That's literally so dehumanizing and degrading and racist. And then, on the same page, Ozeki writes this of Emil's voice: "his voice was like chocolate." Now you're comparing a Black person to food. Also, what does chocolate even sound like? Does chocolate make a sound?? And to top this all off, on the following page, Jane assumes that Emil is an athlete. When Emil points out that this is a racist assumption, Jane gets defensive, and then, the worst part – Ozeki literally writes their interaction so that Emil doesn't care that Jane was racist toward him, and the two proceed to have a romantic relationship for two years. I am not even kidding. This is 100% what happens.

You might say: but Thomas, this book is at least slightly satirical, so maybe that's why Ozeki wrote these racist passages. Okay, sure, satire, whatever, but even if that were the case, I feel like satire is supposed to have an actual point. In my opinion satire should have some sort of purpose, like to communicate social commentary (that ideally punches up). In this book, Ozeki's anti-Black racism served no purpose. There are at least two other examples of anti-Black racism I detected in this book, one in which an interracial lesbian couple perpetuates the stereotype of Black men as hypersexual (the quote from the book: "Yeah, apparently black men don't have a lot of problems with potency") and another passage where Black people are described as "poor colored folk" who "make do with lugging along some home-cooked fried chicken."

To my fellow Asian Americans… we really have to do better than this. Not to center my feelings, though I'll just say it's frankly embarrassing to me that this book exists.

To top it all off, I found Ozeki's portrayal of her Japanese characters as one-dimensional and stereotypical. Her Asian American protagonist Jane comes across as more three-dimensional and "progressive," whereas her Japanese female protagonist Akiko is portrayed as submissive and passive *until* she makes contact with Jane. Idk what else to say to you all about this novel. Fingers crossed for much better reads moving forward.

I hope that in the future, authors will be more conscious of the harmful stereotypes and biases they may be perpetuating in their work. We need to strive for more inclusive and accurate representations of all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or any other identity. Only then can we truly have literature that reflects the diversity and complexity of our world.

Once again, my son introduced me to a truly brilliant novel.

Once again, it had a profound impact on me, making me think critically, step outside my comfort zone, and fall in love with MOST of the characters.

This novel is a sort of montage that vividly portrays the oppression of women. It is told through the voices of two distinct characters: Jane, a documentary filmmaker who is compelled to take a job promoting the American Beef Industry, and Akiko, an abused Japanese housewife.

The language used in the book is at times truly chilling, leaving me feeling numb. The description of blood everywhere, in various shades and flowing, splattering, and encrusting the walls and the men while skinning a giant carcass is both vivid and disturbing.

This book made me think on multiple levels. It made me reflect on motherhood, exploitation, the role of mass media, the diversity of families, and the possibility of friendships that can develop across global lines.

In fact, it might even prompt me to reexamine my dietary habits! I highly recommend that you read this book. Please do so. It is one of those rare novels that has the potential to change your life.

I have an absolute passion for Ruth Ozeki! It has been quite some time since I last delved into her works, but the way she masterfully layers narratives and weaves people together through themes, experiences, and such captivating stories is simply outstanding.

Moreover, reading her work has reaffirmed my commitment to veganism. The backdrop and the extremely vivid expose of the American meat industry in her books are incredibly effective. It presents a world that is both strangely otherworldly and yet intensely violent, a reality that is so rarely confronted.

However, it is important to note that there are also some very disturbing and vivid scenes of sexual assault (SA) in her works. These scenes are not for the faint of heart and should be approached with caution. Nevertheless, they add another layer of depth and complexity to her narratives, highlighting the harsh realities that exist in our world.

Overall, I continue to be in awe of Ruth Ozeki's writing and the powerful messages she conveys through her stories.

Wow. I had heard about this book while I was at Smith College. It was the summer reading choice for incoming first-years. I was either a sophomore or junior at the time, and I had always meant to pick it up. (Funny that only after I finished it did I learn that she is a Smith alum too).

This novel is truly multi-faceted. It is a work of fiction, yet it has a cinematic quality in its movement. Its content is political, and it offers a look at various aspects such as "romantic" relationships and their complexities, motherhood, eating disorders, the meat industry, corporations, television, American cities and towns, and Japanese housewives. I really couldn't put it down (and my last few days of working have suffered from it!), but I kept thinking it isn't traditional page-turner material. However, when I read the interview with Ozeki at the end, she said she realized she was writing a "thriller." So in a way, yes, it has traditional page-turning qualities, but the content is so authentic, so original, and so different.

I've been exploring her website and was delighted to find that she is a lover of libraries, just like me. On her website (http://www.ruthozeki.com/weblog/), in the May 30, 2007 entry, she says something that I have wanted to express but couldn't do so as succinctly: "libraries are miracles of public munificence in an age of privatized corporate greed." She then elaborates on how truly wonderful the public library is. Every now and then, I give my own monologue on the same topic, going on and on about Ben Franklin and how lucky we all are to have libraries and that we should never take them for granted.

Anyway, read this book and encourage your friends to do the same. It's a remarkable read that offers a unique perspective on many different aspects of life.