Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

 

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami.

Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

Published 10th June by Picador.

From the cover of the book:

From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, comes a sharp and illuminating novel about a fourteen-year-old boy subjected to relentless bullying.

In Heaven, a fourteen-year old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever. But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror?

Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami’s uncontainable talent. There can be little doubt that it has cemented her reputation as one of the most important young authors at work today.

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I am more than a little partial to translated Japanese fiction, being fascinated with the way Japan is a country of such contradictions, so this book from rising star Mieko Kawakami was one I was really looking forward to reading - and it did not disappoint.

Kawakami writes this story from the point of view of a fourteen year old, Japanese middle school boy, whose name we never learn as he is always referred to as 'Eyes', the nickname given to him by the bullies that make his life hell at school because of his lazy eye. The punishment he receives from his tormentors is violent in the extreme, but rather than resist them he chooses to submit to their reign of terror and suffer in silence. Only one person seems to understand what he is going through - a girl in his class called Kojima, who is also subjected to terrible bullying because of her shabby appearance and poor hygiene.

When 'Eyes' finds a mysterious note in his desk one morning, which simply says "We should be friends", he thinks it might be a ploy by the bullies to draw him into some cruel game, but as more notes follow in a similar friendly vein, he eventually discovers that they are actually from Kojima. The two lonely students take to meeting each other for secret assignations, including a day trip in the summer holidays during which Kojima explains about her concept of heaven, and they form a bond which helps them cope with their pitiable situations, sharing their innermost thoughts, dreams, histories and philosophies about life - until something happens that breaks their friendship and leads to a shocking confrontation with the bullies.

Heaven is a brutal book, and although quite short at only 176 pages, it packs in a lot of powerful themes. It is a story of two characters drawn together by circumstance, who seem to have a lot in common with each other - each being subjected to the most terrible bullying at school - but as the story progresses, you come to realise that they are actually very different, and the rift in their friendship is inevitable. 

'Eyes' seems tied to his destiny by a medical condition over which he has no control, and endures his treatment, but longs for a day when he no longer stands out. But for me, it is Kojima who is the far more intriguing character, and at times I would have preferred to be in her head rather than in the more simple mind of her male friend - although he is written rather well. As Kojima gets to know 'Eyes', we learn a lot about her rather unhealthy view of the world and why she is the way she is - we also learn that in many ways she views the bullying as defining her 'signs', and almost welcomes the experience as a way of affirming her existence, and the reality of things she has lost. She is misguided, but deliciously complex at the same time, and a much stronger character than her friend - something she only comes to realise some way into their friendship. The kind of connection and understanding she craves, and the help she so clearly needs, is not to be found between the two of them, which I found very sad.

"Heaven is a painting of two lovers eating cake in a room with a red carpet and a table. It's so beautiful. And what's really cool is they can stretch their necks however they want. So wherever they go, whatever they do, nothing ever comes between them. Isn't that the best?"

One of the most interesting, if stomach churning, things about this book is the chilling narrative justifying the actions of the bullies from one of them himself. It's so cold and evocative of A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess that I found it quite terrifying. No spoilers, but I defy you not to be seriously unsettled by his words - they amount to a horrifying indictment of adolescent violence.

This is a compelling read, with a vague undercurrent of Twelve Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It will set you thinking a lot about the motivation of bullies, and the way they act out in an attempt to deal with their own teenage insecurities, including the role that their victims play - not to mention the way a lack of good pastoral care at school, and the emotional absence of parents, can lead to misery for vulnerable students. It's raw and disturbing, but it is also a fine example of modern Japanese fiction.

Heaven is available to buy now from your favourite book retailer.

Thank you to Alice Dewing from Picador for sending me a paperback proof of this boo in return for a honest review.

About the author:

Mieko Kawakami is the author of the internationally best-selling novel, Breasts and Eggs, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and one of TIME’s Best 10 Books of 2020. Born in Osaka, Kawakami made her literary debut as a poet in 2006, and published her first novella, My Ego, My Teeth, and the World, in 2007.