Natsuo Kirino’s protagonists, all women in the three books that I have read so far, are strong. Very much so. But they have weaknesses like real women do. They have limitations as to how much they can do or how far they can go within the socio-economic boundaries that are, sometimes unfairly, set upon us by the society that we live in. Natsuo Kirino is from Japan, so her work of course reflects the Japanese society and issues that are more pertinent to that culture than, say, the western one that we live in. But even so, as women, I think a lot of us can relate to certain characteristics that Ms. Kirino portrays in her characters.
The Goddess Chronicle, in that regard, is a masterpiece. I have always been intrigued by the Goddess Izanami in the Japanese mythology. Being a super fan of Japanese manga and anime, I have, or course, come across this character more than once. Almost inevitably, the character Izanami in the manga and anime are shown as a crazy psychopath. An antagonist who hates all living things and wants to imprison everyone in the underworld — her dwelling. Of course, things are always exaggerated in manga and anime, so when I read The Goddess Chronicle, that seemed to portray a more accurate version of Izanami.
This book tells the story of Izanami and her husband, the Eastern God Izanaki, and is told from the point of view of Namima, a sad soul who came to serve the Goddess Izanami after her untimely death. The book starts with Namima telling her own story, and then switches to Izanami’s story. Both Namima and Izanami have known love and betrayal in their own ways, thus making Namima the perfect candidate to tell the story. I don’t think there are very many books that bare open the struggles of women as well as this book does. This is partly due to the story of Izanami, which is not all created by Natsuo Kirino, granted, but I loved how she’s told the story. I loved how she was able to draw a line between the Godliness of Izanami and all that she does, and the more subdued and humane ways we deal with our own sorrows and anger. Essentially, Izanami is the symbol of a woman’s wrath when she is deceived. But the character Namima brings it down a notch to show that most women are faster to forgive and slower to let go of their love, contrary to how Izanami’s character has been portrayed over generations. That, in Kirino’s book, is due to the differences in Izanami being a Goddess and the rest of us being humans.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and would suggest to anyone with a penchant for mythology and feminist noir. As a matter of fact, The Goddess Chronicle is part of the Canongate Myth series that includes authors such as Karen Armstrong, Margaret Atwood, Ali Smith, and several more. There’s the aspect of mythology that I enjoy so much, and then add Natsuo Kirino’s unique style of prose and a strong female protagonist like the Goddess Izanami, and you have a most delicious book about one of the most intriguing Eastern Goddesses, told in such a way that makes your heart ache with sympathy, and even empathy, for the Goddess, who is portrayed so often as a villainess, than anything else!
Title: The Goddess Chronicle
Author: Natsuo Kirino, Rebecca Copeland (Translator)
Publisher: Canongate U.S. July 23, 2013.
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages.
Genre: Literary Fiction, Japanese, Fantasy, Crime, Gothic
Source: Denver Public Library