Butter

Ich liebe Butter! Als geeignetes Instrument der lustvollen Befreiung von den Erwartungen einer immernoch patriarchalen Gesellschaft hätte ich Sie vor der Lektüre von Butter aber nicht eingeschätzt. Ein interessanter, oft verstörender Blick über den Tellerrand.

Butter is a fascinating novel, though at times heavily paced. The story follows a dedicated journalist who becomes deeply entangled in a psychological cat-and-mouse game with a convicted serial killer, a woman infamous for allegedly seducing men with her lavish, irresistibly decadent cooking before their deaths. While the premise sounds like a gripping true-crime thriller, it is important to adjust your expectations before diving in. This is not a fast-paced murder mystery, but rather a very slow, methodical exploration of appetite, societal pressures, and the stifling expectations placed on women in modern Japan. Yuzuki masterfully dissects toxic diet culture and the unapologetic joy of indulgence. However, the pacing can drag significantly, and the narrative occasionally feels a bit repetitive and meandering. It requires a lot of patience, but if you enjoy atmospheric, character-driven stories with sharp social commentary and don't mind a very slow tempo, it is a deeply intriguing read.

Inspired by true events, this book doesn’t hold back from showing society an ugly reflection of its own flaws. Sprinkle in a few twists here and there and you get to understand how this book became so popular in Japan.

Strictly speaking, I'm on a diet. I just couldn't eat it up, I mean, finish this book. For a moment, I thought I got the wrong genre. If I wanted to learn how to cook, I would've got myself a cookbook. Don't get me wrong, I do understand why this book is currently being talked about, discussing important topics like feminisim and overall patriarchal views on women's roles (or bodies) but this book has been so unsettling to me! It features vivid sensory descriptions, particularily regarding food, and I nearly wanted to throw up. I am quite disappointed, after all, ''Butter'' is based on a true story and I spent so much time doing research, because I really liked the whole concept of the book. Still getting goosebumps, thinking about these lenghty paragraphs, describing one piece of butter. Not as life changing as you think.