RaveReadings (AUS)High in depraved spectacle yet filled with compassion and understanding, Heaven manages to both push the reader away while also pulling them closer, creating a richly layered analysis of social structures and the roles we may, unwillingly, play within them. It is not an easy read and several times I found myself needing a break to recover from a particularly grisly piece of bullying. It is not so much that the book is shocking in its depiction of physical violence, although there are moments of this, rather that Kawakami’s characters are created with such keen psychological insight that I often felt I was the one wearing the physical bruises and psychological scars. To put it simply, Heaven is Kawakami’s best novel to date and one of the best I have read in recent memory. I find myself often reflecting on its characters during my own social interactions, reminding me of the power of kindness and the value of empathy.
