A slow book to get through, and disjointing like being bounced between fiction and non, but a worthwile read. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Strange Japanese novel, concerning a very peripatetic woman, who has more abodes, jobs and admirers than I've had hot dinners. Unfortunately it's really quite dull, being very light on dialogue and low on incident, and clearly an autobiography with made-up names. The focus is on her sexual profligacy and its cause – the over-bearing father, or the layers of make-up, or the fact she found marriage a non-starter of an idea? You have to realise this was written in the early 1970s about a character who starts the pages here as a teen during WWI to get any credence from it – were the setting anywhen more recent you'd be as bored as I was. And were this any shorter I'd have ditched it as not worth my while. Certainly not one to be recommended to the general reader, this scrapes two stars.

The Story of a Single Woman follows Kazue throughout her life and the way she bucks against societal expectations. The prose was soft and slow which is typical of Japanese literature and as a result was intriguing to read.

Beautiful account of a women who chose to not conform to societal standards and expectations. The story flows and Kazue, who knows from very early on that marriage is not something she wants to pursue, seamlessly takes us from one relationship to another.

"Most of Uno Chiyo's works," writes Rebecca Copeland, who translated this one, "[...] fall under the category of 'watakushi-shōsetsu' or 'I-novel', a distinctly Japanese form that is not fiction but not strictly autobiography either." (loc. 30*) And this is just that: a fictionalized version of Uno's life through the age of 30 or so, taking her from country to city and job to job and lover to lover. It's told from a looking-back perspective (Uno's self-insert, Kazue, reflecting on her youth from the perspective of her seventies) and thus carries some distance.

It's so clear that Uno just wasn't all that interested in conventionality. Here, Kazue is married off to a cousin at the age of thirteen (it was the early 1900s); the marriage goes nowhere, so Kazue quietly goes home and never returns to her once-upon-a-husband, and nobody really presses her on it. Later, she takes jobs as they come to her and works hard at them without any real passion; she drifts from lover to lover with no intent of marrying again and a cheerful disregard for the knowledge that such informal affairs are (again, it was the early 1900s) societally taboo.

This was something of an oddity of a book. I don't think I've read anything else in the watakushi-shōsetsu category, though of course I've read plenty of Western autobiographical fiction. It's hard for me to know how much of the things where I wanted more (more connection between Kazue and the reader, more details about her daily life, less floating through months or years in just a few sentences) are a function of me reacting to this particular book and how much they're a function of me not understanding the specific genre very well. The second half in particular focuses quite heavily on...not romance, not really, but various men in whose beds Kazue finds herself, sometimes with passion and sometimes because they were there and sometimes because they've taken advantage of her. On the one hand I really love the neutrality with which Uno presents Kazue (she's treated neither as hypersexual nor someone to be shamed, simply as someone who is comfortable with her desires), but on the other hand I wished for a bit less "and then she slept with this guy and then she slept with that guy".

The book ends rather abruptly (in a way that, oddly, reminds me of The Four Corners of the Heart), and I'll have to have a look to see whether there is (or was intended to be) a follow-up covering later parts of Kazue's life.

Even if you don't read the book (which I definitely recommend to lovers of literary oddities), it's worth having a read through Copeland's blog series about meeting Uno in the 80s.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

I love picking up books by authors from different cultures and backgrounds because I feel like I learn so much from them in both fiction and nonfiction so when I saw this and that it was autobiographical, I was very excited to get a look at 1920s Japan. However, I feel that this book is barely skimmed the surface of the authors life and experiences and would have liked more depth. Still worth the read!

I am fond of Japanese stories. That was the only reason I requested this book. But it's too descriptive and slow for my liking. Too much telling and takes a lot of time to build up. I couldn't connect with Kazue. The writing style didn't work for me, sadly.

Even being a fan of Japanese literature and its specific vibe this was a bit of a letdown. This autobiography showed a brief history of the author's life. All of the situations she experiences are shallowly described, it all feels very static and emotionless. Although I did enjoy her small moments of self discovery and make up transformation. While I usually like books that read like a grocery list this one didn't give me that very much wanted feeling of normalcy and serenity.

This is the story of a woman who went against the norm and decided that marriage was not for her. The story of a woman who had a childhood that marked her deeply and turned her into someone who felt very little. The story of a woman who never truly took accountability for her actions, not because she thought she was superior or didn't care, but because she didn't have the capacity to understand how deeply her actions affected others. A woman who was always guessing. A woman who gave too much of herself but was always running away from something, someone, even herself.

I'd start off by saying that I struggled to feel anything for the story or the characters.

It started off well. I sympathized with Kazue, having to deal with her lousy father and a dwindling family fortune. I also felt the injustice when she was forced to resign from her teaching position as a punishment for her affair with a fellow teacher (of course, that guy got away with it but still had to gall to blame her for 'ruining his life').

Unfortunately, that was as far as my feelings for this book went. The story started getting repetitive afterwards, with a cycle of Kazue meeting a new man and being interested in him and embarking on a relationship, then found a new man and lose interest in the previous dude... Rinse and repeat. Now I'm not slut-shaming - good that she's never... lonely? - but I found the book to be really tedious at that point. I had very little reason to care about what happened. In fact, Kazue herself didn't seem particularly invested in her relationships either; when one relationship died, she just soldiered on?

There is some social commentary about a woman's sexual liberation, especially in the context of a somewhat conservative Japanese society. However, I felt that the message wasn't conveyed very strongly. Other than that one forced resignation and being called a 'ruined woman', Kazue didn't seem to suffer much inconvenience. For a book that proclaimed to be 'scandalous', no one really seem to care, including Kazue herself and the men she was involved with. At one point she just abandoned her guy in Hokkaido and... nothing came out of it? The dude never made any attempt to find her, and he was never seen again. Even Kazue's mother was like, "You know what, I don't quite approve of her behaviour but I don't understand Kazue, so oh well?"

This was kind of a baffling read for me. What was the point? Sure, I get Kazue's disdain for marriage and appreciation of freedom, but I don't feel strongly about those themes anyway; I just considered her to be mostly flaky. The summary for this book (which I rewrote for this review, because that was misleading) also talked about Kazue's career as a writer and how that was intertwined with her independence, but honestly I didn't see her do much writing beyond that one time and I mostly forgot that she was a writer.

The delivery definitely wasn't working. The writing was very 'tell, not show'. You're told that Kazue did this, she did that, etc. and it all felt very detached. Also if you're looking for profound or flowery prose, look elsewhere.

All in all, a rather tepid read for me. I couldn't even muster hatred for this book because it's so blah.

Thank you @netgalley for this review copy.

The Story of a Single Woman is a semi-autobiographical look at Chiyo Uno's life growing up in rural Japan in the early 1900s. The story explores themes of love, relationships, family, poverty, and sex during this time period in Japan. Kazue, the titular single woman, swears off marriage as something that is just not for her. However, that does not mean that she doesn't have a life, a career, relationships, etc. Kazue is a little lost throughout the story as she works to find herself and independence.

I did enjoy this look at this time period, as the descriptions of the towns, homes, mountains were just so well done. It was very immersive in that aspect. At times, it was hard to get an idea of who Kazue was, but for me that added to my enjoyment. The translation was well done, as well. There was something missing at times that left me wanting more by the end, however this was a solid read!

Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the eARC.

The story of a single woman is about Kazue, a girl growing up in rural Japan from 1900 to 1930. The book starts with her earliest memories. As she grows up in poverty, we learn about the family habits, customs, and conventions of that time in Japan. Kazue does not care what other people think, even when rumours are spreading about her. She does not want to marry and is full of passion and longing. The inequality between men and women is a grand theme throughout.

Most of the book takes place in the mountains, and the houses are always described in detail. I really loved being immersed in the Japanese style of the 1920s. The book is based on the life of Uno Chiyo, a trailblazing female Japanese writer.

The book contains short chapters and should be read slowly at different times. It’s ideal for escaping to another world. I would definitely recommend it to people who love Japanese fiction!

Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the advanced reading copy.

*The Story of a Single Woman* by Chiyo Uno is a beautifully nuanced and evocative novel that captures the complexities of love, independence, and societal expectations. With elegant prose and keen emotional insight, Uno crafts a timeless and compelling portrait of a woman's search for identity and fulfillment.

I didn't exactly dislike it, I thought the story had its merits and it makes you reflect and ponder. I just think if it had been an audiobook I would've maybe enjoyed it more. so two stars is just "fine".

I usually vibe with stories like this but I've found this book to be borderline tedious in a certain way. The narration is a bit stale and while i recognize that this is how most Japanese translated books read, it just didn't work for me here.

Half novel and half autobiography, The Story of a Single Woman by Chiyo Uno is a reflection of the life of a woman that is expected to get married and have children, and she simply... doesn't want that. We are in rural Japan, in the 1920s, and that's not only not acceptable, but a true scandal.
Beautifully translated, easy and quick to read, this book is truly fascinating. Especially the first half, I was glued to its pages. It loses a little bit of "spice" in the second half, but still it remains a very interesting story, empowering but also a sad.
Recommended if you enjoy Japanese literature and loved Convenience Store Woman (different setting but similar vibes).

* I'd like to thank Chiyo Uno, Pushkin Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#TheStoryofaSingleWoman #NetGalley

A rare and raw glimpse into a woman's life as she moves from place to place, always in search of herself in a changing context. Truly beautiful and a masterpiece to go beyond it's time.

I finished this book but struggled to really engage with it, despite persevering.

It tells the story of a Japanese girl, Kazue, following the death of her father. Kazue has been adamant from a young age that she won’t be getting married and doesn’t value the sanctity of marriage.

She moves from village to village in search of what I thought was some kind of acceptance. Insecure, she wears her make-up like a mask. Afraid to let it slip for fear that people won’t like what’s underneath.

She flits from man to man and is often mistreated whilst she mistreats others. Towards the end of the story she’s living a promiscuous chaotic life with multiple sexual partners who appear to be using her more than anyone else. She appears to become more numb with age as to the impact that her actions have on others (for instance, she talks about sleeping with a young female villager’s husband but feels nothing when she bumps into this female the immediate next day). She also doesn’t appear to recognise (or care) when she herself is being mistreated.

I found it so difficult to engage with the character in this one but still found her outlook desperately sad.

The character’s chaotic life was almost reflected in the reading style itself as the story bounced chaotically between the various men in Kazue’s life from village to village.

There are others out there who appear to have got more out of the story than I did so definitely read other reviews before drawing conclusions.

"Perhaps so much of it rushed past so quickly that most failed to register any lasting impression. Or perhaps she was always so captivated by what would happen next, by what lay ahead, that she failed to pay attention to what was at hand."

Not exactly the fan of the writing style but it's fascinating to read about a woman, in her old age, recounts the events of her life and reflects what her actions mean. She seemed to be the person who couldn't handle staying at one place, had to be moving from one location to the next.

The Story of a Single Woman by Uno Chiyo, translated by Rebecca Copeland, is a striking novel—neither strictly autobiographical nor entirely fictional—first published in 1972. Through the lens of an observant narrator, we follow the life of Kazue, a woman in her seventies, as she reflects on a lifetime of unconventional choices. Born into an affluent family of sake brewers, Kazue experiences poverty and hardship due to her reckless father. His strict control defines her early years, softened only by the presence of a kind stepmother. Yet, upon his death, she finds herself liberated, eager to explore the very freedoms he had denied her.

Kazue moves through life on her own terms—working various jobs, indulging in makeup she both loves and distrusts, and engaging in passionate but fleeting relationships. She rejects marriage as futile, choosing instead a life of movement and impermanence. Her increasing eccentricities border on madness, raising the question: is she merely a free spirit, or is she doomed to repeat her father’s self-destructive path?

In a time when women were expected to be loyal and chaste, Kazue’s unapologetic defiance of societal norms is both overwhelming and fascinating. Her impulsive nature and disregard for consequences mirror characters like Ammani from T. Janakiraman’s Wooden Cow (Mara Pasu)—sensitive and precocious souls shaped by childhood trauma. Uno Chiyo herself, once ostracized by her village, later became one of Japan’s celebrated literary figures, channeling her experiences into prize-winning novels.

While The Story of a Single Woman presents a protagonist who may be difficult to like, it compels the reader to understand her. Kazue lives without overanalyzing, yet she lingers in the mind long after the final page, urging us to reflect on the choices that define a life.

Thank you @pushkin_press & @netgalley for the ARC.

Such a nice classic from Japan. It's about feminism and love and not being able to d what you want because you are a girl or woman. Beautiful and the translation is top notch.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.