Asako Yuzuki's 'Hooked' Offers a Dizzying Follow-Up to the Global Hit 'Butter'
Asako Yuzuki's international bestseller Butter captivated readers with its unique blend of crime thriller and foodie narrative, based on the true story of a Japanese female serial killer and gourmet chef. The novel, described as "the Martha Stewart Show meets The Silence of the Lambs", not only delivered suspense but also critiqued capitalist society and deep-seated misogyny through Yuzuki's prose style, which masterfully mixed the banal with the profound.
A New Tale of Tokyo Women and Unlikely Bonds
Hooked serves as the follow-up for English-language readers, though it was originally written in 2015 and is translated with crackling verve by Polly Barton. This more introspective work features two women in Tokyo: Shoko, a laid-back, unambitious stay-at-home wife, and Eriko, a perfectionist high-flyer in a senior role at a seafood company. Both are 30, an age that Yuzuki portrays as disastrous for unmarried women in Japan, who are no longer considered "girls".
Eriko becomes addicted to Shoko's pseudonymous blog, The Diary of Hallie B, the World's Worst Wife, and contrives to meet her at a cafe mentioned in a post. Initially, they hit it off, but Eriko's push for an all-consuming friendship leads Shoko to back away, sparking an increasingly aggressive campaign of stalking and blackmail from Eriko.
Deep Character Exploration and Social Commentary
The novel's unrolling suspense is compelling, driven by a deep dive into both characters and their motives. Eriko is emotionally undeveloped, with a rigorously maintained outer shell, and craves a "best friend" after losing one in school due to her control freakery. At work, she identifies with the Nile perch, a fish that devours others to survive, a metaphor used liberally throughout the book.
Shoko, while companionable with her husband, Kensuke, is friendless and struggles with societal expectations, such as being the one to care for her ageing father despite having two brothers nearby. Her father's home, overrun with rubbish and cockroaches, adds to a sense of impermanence and decay, mirroring Eriko's struggles with disordered eating.
Blending Black Comedy with Political Statements
Hooked wears its aura of black comedy lightly, while its political statements on issues like gender roles and loneliness are more heavily emphasized. The novel includes weirdly farcical aspects, such as a subplot where a popular office temp turns out to be a psychopath. However, it avoids easy answers, and the finale tones down the manic drama to end on a quiet, philosophical note.
This exploration of modern anxieties, set against the backdrop of blogging culture that now seems dated in the age of Instagram and TikTok, highlights how technology evolves but underlying human struggles remain unchanged. Hooked by Asako Yuzuki, translated by Polly Barton, is published by Fourth Estate, offering a thought-provoking read for fans of contemporary Japanese fiction.
