Deeply weird ... Tawada’s work reminds us that weirdness is not always a bad thing ... The novel is an optimistic portrait of pluralism. While other writers might be hesitant to channel experiences outside their own, Tawada boldly embodies the voices of characters who are trans, intellectually disabled or less than politically correct ... All this kumbaya inclusiveness could easily get sticky sweet, but the novel’s sheer wackiness keeps that from happening ... Might be a new kind of novel. Tawada’s prose is light on its feet, informal while still feeling deliberate, providing delicate and straightforward descriptions of events that are often complicated and bizarre.
A refreshing new direction in speculative fiction. I found myself calling it futurative fiction, so smart, subtle and cogent is her transformation of today’s politics into a could-be tomorrow ... Intriguing and intricate.
Mitsutani, thankfully, returns as Tawada’s translator-of-choice, again adroitly parsing anglophone equivalents of the renowned polyglot’s intricate wordplay.
Inventive ... Tawada finds a subtly different voice for each character, adding to the linguistic stew, which simmers into a captivating Decameron-like tale. This is sublime.
