The Dilemmas of Working Women, by Fumio Yamamoto

A quirky and enjoyable collection of five tales.

In 2001 Japanese writer Fumio Yamamoto won the Naoki Prize in literature for The Dilemmas of Working Women, a collection of five novellas each about sixty pages long. English readers can now enjoy this Japanese classic some twenty-five years after it was first published in this enjoyable translation by Brian Bergstrom.

Each of the stories in this collection concentrates on a woman’s financial and emotional dilemmas. Izumi bounces around job prospects while hooking up with an old work buddy; Haruka is recovering from cancer surgery but finds those around her impatient with her inability to move on; Kato works at a convenience store and must negotiate tricky workplace politics; Mito has a complicated relationship with her boyfriend and Sumie is a free spirit who reads fortunes. 

Fumio Yamamoto writes in a simple, addictive prose about everyday struggles: wanting to be understood, trying to find meaningful work, figuring out if a relationship is worth pursuing, coping with difficult family members. There is an existential quality to Yamamoto’s work, as her characters cycle through relationships, career choices and social roles looking in vain to establish meaning in their lives. A welcome addition to Japanese fiction in translation. 

The Dilemmas of Working Women, by Fumio Yamamoto. Published by Virago. $32.99

SEP 25