Product Description

I shall refer to her as Lizard here, but not because of the small lizard tattoo that I discovered on her inner thigh.

The woman has round, black eyes that gaze at you with utter detachment, like the eyes of a reptile. Every bend and curve of her small body is cool to the touch, so cool that I want to scoop her up in my two hands.

This may bring to mind the image of a man holding a bunny or a chick, but that's not what I mean. What I imagine is the strange, tickling sensation of sharp claws scampering around in my palms. And then, when I open up my hands to take a peek, a thin, red tongue lashes out. Reflected in those glassy eyes, I see my own lonely face, peering down, looking for something to love and cherish. That's what Lizard feels like to me....

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #171134 in Books
• Published on: 1996-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A set of postmodern stories from young Japanese novelist Yoshimoto, blending urban anomie with themes of spiritual awakening.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Enormously popular in Japan, Yoshimoto has gained an American audience with her hip novels Kitchen (LJ 12/92) and NP (LJ 1/94). Her first collection of short stories will appeal strongly to "X-ers." Articulate and young but already jaded and wistful urbanites populate these reflective tales of relationships and discovery. Lacking faith, hope, and a substantive cultural context, the protagonists compensate with self-scrutiny and emotional intrigue. Sometimes they stumble upon magic, as in the figure of the enigmatic healer Lizard or a trenchant shape shifter on a commuter train. Unfortunately, between writing and translation, Yoshimoto's concepts consistently outshine her execution; facile descriptions and narratorial overinterpretation weigh down these thoughtful stories. For young adult and fiction collections.
Janet Ingraham, Worthington P.L, Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Yoshimoto, young and Japanese, has delighted millions of readers all over the world, first with Kitchen (1993), then with N.P.. What is her appeal? It could be her direct and confiding voice, the telegraphic intensity of her terse stories, the way she tackles emotional complexities with a reassuring clarity, or, perhaps, her starkness and stoicism. In Yoshimoto's literary universe, even the most wrenching or mysterious events are accepted with a certain amount of resignation: life hurts. But here, in this set of precise yet lyrical love stories, Yoshimoto has extended her reach and entered a mystical dimension. Each of her heroines must face the inescapable consequences of the past--a troubling psychological legacy or the fallout from a tragedy--but fate also grants "moments of comprehension," redemptive awakenings, and lasting transformations. Yoshimoto's frequently surreal, elegantly geometric yet richly hued, and gently spiritual stories celebrate the wonder of love at first sight, the rightness of certain relationships, and the gift of hope. Donna Seaman

Customer Reviews

An amazing storyteller!
I am very pleased with Banana's work so far. Her ability to write beautiful and touching stories is admirable. I love "Kitchen" and "NP", and now, "Lizard."

Even though this is not Banana's best work, it is a fun and enjoyable read. All five stories have a similar theme: spirituality and self-discovery. Like her previous books, Banana touches on the more human and spiritual aspects of the characters' lives. My favorite stories are "Newlywed," "Dreaming of Kimchee," "A Strange Tale from Down by the River," and "Helix." Each story had a touch of magic realism, which is something I love in literature. They were beautiful and surreal. Banana has a way with words. I hope to read a new Banana Yoshimoto novel soon.

Fantastic empathic display
I became a Banana fan upon reading the first chapter of her novel NP. I bought "Lizard" immediately after I finished NP, resisting the temptation to set high hopes that my second look at Yoshimoto's work would cast the same spell at me. To my surprise, "Lizard" has become one of my favorite short story compilations. I find myself reading many of the tales repeatedly; the last time a short story collection gave me a similar buzz was nearly twenty years ago, when I discovered JD Salinger's "Nine Stories." What strikes me most about Banana Yoshimoto is her empathic voice when she writes from a male viewpoint in the first person. When I read these tales, I feel like Ms. Yoshimoto tries to understand what goes through the minds and emotions of contemporary men. The only other female author who rings my bell (so far) in this respect is Willa Cather. I believe it's a tricky balancing act to write from the perspective of the opposite sex and have it ring true. All stories in this book are vivid and thoughtful, but the title story is the strongest of all. A young man shows us both the gentle strength and fragile secrets inside the girlfriend he nicknames "Lizard." In the same beat he shows us his strength and vulnerability, yet never loses focus on Lizard. I have become a great admirer of Banana Yoshimoto over the past three years. This collection is a great introduction for any reader who wants to give her work a read.

Certainly the work of a talented author, but...
If you're in the mood for a classic, Lizard will disappoint. But if you'd like something that won't demand much mental energy but isn't too fluffy, Lizard might just be the ticket. (One of her stories was even serialized in the Tokyo subway system.)

Banana Yoshimoto is certainly a talented writer, and it shows in Lizard. There are many passages that grab you in this collection of short stories. These passages are artfully written: they capture the moment, deceptively simple-sounding yet profoundly resonant. Very easy to read, but not very easy to truly understand. You'll want to savor them over and over.

Yet most of her characters are rather two-dimensional. She brings up a lot of issues about living in today's world, with all of its loneliness and moral ambiguities, yet never fully explores all the issues that she brings up. Each of these short stories could be extended into a novella or a novel, and in my opinion, Yoshimoto should have done so. She often answers complicating issues with cop-out plot twists or well-written but overly brief assessments, instead of more fully examining their implications; thus she compromises the plausibility of her stories.

The genre of magic realism -- which I'd define as works that are basically of the often-gritty realist tradition, but include some elements borrowed from science fiction, fantasy, and mythology -- has much potential, and Yoshimoto has certainly scratched its surface in Lizard.

Yoshimoto has a clean, simple writing style and sensitivity towards things of beauty and truth. If you can overlook plot and character flaws, and appreciate these stories for their beautiful moments, you might like Lizard. Otherwise, look elsewhere.