3.5-4 stars. very funny book, especially the first half before things get more serious. Deals with themes of authenticity and abuse. Situates itself in very real US issues related to economies of scale (walmart) and horrors of the meat industry, but unlike other novels that are not “timeless” (or at least temporally ambiguous), it never feels jarring or out of place. the political side lends itself nicely to the My American Wife! concept: both are pretending to represent some generic american culture while the actual culture disintegrates and becomes just a means of commerce.
I found the obsession of some characters with their fertility or their spouses fertility to be pretty poignant as we later are exposed to some of the hormone practices on cattle, and the shared medications given to both cattle and women (!!). well done.
domestic violence and sexual violence scenes were super difficult to read, particularly in their aftermath. Joichi is a violent, pathetic man who desperately wishes he was American (to escape his shame? bc he loves TX strippers?), and views his own wife the same way the cowboys view the cattle.
broadly, most men in this book are either morally bankrupt or one dimensional. this is fine because that’s reflective of real life.
Lots more to think about - ex) Akiko’s relationship with food and a lot of little moments with her. Very upsetting parallel between her looking at herself in the mirror posing like one of the girls in the porn she bought (actually a nice scene of her self discovery), then finding herself in the same pose weeks later as she examines, detached, the bleeding she’s suffered from her husband’s violent rape. wish her character had some more time in the book, as she is just as interesting as Jane. I found her conclusion pretty superficial, albeit happy.
meat free 2025?