diary of a void by emi yagi | book review

Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi, translated by David Boyd and Lucy North

Published on August 9, 2022 by Viking

Genres: Japanese Literature, Contemporary Fiction, Feminism

Pages: 213

Format: Audiobook

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★★★☆☆

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

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.

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"Diary of a Void" by Emi Yagi is a feminist commentary on the sexism that can be found in the workplace and seeks to find a solution to these issues. What can possibly done in a society that was built on the back of patriarchy?

“Maybe that's making a family is all about: creating an environment in which people make space for one another - maybe without even trying, just naturally, to make sure that nobody's forgotten.”

I thought Yagi's approach was very unique and clever and really highlights the broader view, rooted in sexism, that a woman's value is placed in her body and her ability to produce offspring.

While the ability to grow and harbor life in one's body is a miracle and isn't something to just dismiss, it can so easily be used as a weapon against women once misogyny takes hold. (For example, viewing a woman as nothing but a vessel to create life strips her of her experiences, her non-family-oriented accomplishments--it objectifies her and places her in a position of inferiority when compared to her male counterparts.)

The reader is able to witness first hand how being "pregnant" eases the burdens on Ms. Shibata's shoulders. Her coworkers and peers offer to do tasks so as not to tire her; they offer her their seats on the bus; they take an interest and certain care in her.

As indicated by the title of the book, the chapters are written in a diary format in which each chapter is labeled by the week of Ms. Shibata's pregnancy,

To keep up the rouse with the progression of her pregnancy, Ms. Shibata begins to stuff her clothes with increasingly bulky pads. She begins attending "mommy and me" workout classes, where she befriends the other expecting mothers.

“I know women are the only ones who can give birth, but once the baby’s born, why the hell should our roles be so different? Breastfeeding, I get, but what about everything else? Don’t tell me you need more time to figure out how to be a dad. Like, what have you been doing for the last nine months? Don’t just sit there and watch. This isn’t a field trip! You say you’ve got work, but what about me? I’ve got work, too! Well, I did. I know it paid nothing compared to what you make …. Anyway, isn’t that what paternity leave is for? I’m not saying take it right now, but did it occur to you that maybe I could work and you could stay at home? Did it even occur to you? Why should I act so grateful just because you changed your daughter’s diaper one time? Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe I’m worn out? Maybe it has, but, what, you think that’s just part of being a mom? Do you think he knows how it feels, Sheeba? Do you think he gets it? Even though he’s maybe eight inches away, blissfully asleep, he’s more of a stranger than some random politician I’ve never met or some stray dog somewhere in Brazil. I feel more alone with him than I do when I’m on my own.”

I enjoyed reading this book as it was unlike anything I had ever read before. As a woman myself, I could relate to not only the struggles of women in general but I could sympathize with the struggles of pregnant mothers.

Society puts so much pressure on women and mothers, while allowing the fathers and husbands to slack off with little to no consequence, which only results in one thing: tired women who no longer desire marriage or motherhood.

There was also a slight psychological absurdity to the book, where, at times, I thought it felt as if the main character could have been diagnosed with one of those mental illnesses in which she thought she was actually pregnant.

Throughout the book, she only acknowledged that her baby and pregnancy were fake a small handful of times. For the most part, she treated it as if it was real, leaving the truth between the lines. If you didn't read the blurb on the book, you might not even realize she was faking her pregnancy until about 20% into the book.

If you're looking for a quick and easy read, or if you're trying to dive into Japanese contemporary literature, this book is for you. It allows the reader room to think about the broader societal expectations without being too heavy-handed.