Hiromi Kawakami’s Dragon Palace is a collection of eight eerie stories inspired by Japanese mythology, history, and modern problems. Kawakami, a bestselling Japanese author, explores Japanese cultural cornerstones, reimagining icons, gods, and society through allusions to Japanese folklore and artwork in this brazen and perplexing collection. Each short story explores a taboo subject, with characters who struggle to resist the dark impulses of human nature.
Short stories are a difficult medium to get right, but when written exceptionally, they can entertain the mind for weeks after a single reading. Dragon Palace contains curious metaphors about sex, family, love, and violence that readers can mull over for days. The dramatic fiber within the short stories both satisfies morbid curiosities and raises new questions about the meaning of relationships and what people owe one another, if anything at all. Kawakami’s unscrupulous characters are inspired by Japanese folklore and art, beginning the collection with a direct reference to the famous artist Katsushika Hokusai.
Although most people are familiar with Hokusai’s “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” Hokusai is also famous for his erotic works of art. “The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife” by Hokusai is one such erotic artwork. Kawakami’s story “Hokusai” pays homage to the medium of ukiyo-e woodblock print by turning the octopus of fame into a transforming con man who takes a human man on a bar crawl while describing how he, an octopus, came to be human too. The lecherous octopus empties the man’s pockets while sharing meals in one spot after another, and all the while, the man listens while the octopus describes the joys and sorrows of living on land. The lecherous octopus’ complaints about human women are amusing and can awaken a new appreciation for Hokusai’s art.
While “Hokusai” appears first in the collection, the following stories are just as mysterious, wild, and laden with cultural Easter eggs. Readers who enjoy absurdism and speculative fiction will find worlds of delight in the stories “Mole” and “The Kitchen God.” Readers who enjoy feminist literature with biting critiques of heteronormative social ills will find satisfaction in the stories “Dragon Palace,” “Fox’s Den,” “Shimazaki,” and “Sea Horse.” Every story in the collection of eight is worth reading on its own, but the shared themes between these stories and the motifs of transformation and forbidden relationships make them more powerful together.
This book of short stories is a quick read but contains emotionally sensitive topics that may put off or slow down some readers. The stories contain overt sexual content for mature audiences, including depictions of sexual violence. The feminist themes and subtextual commentary about power dynamics between men and women in sexual, heterosexual relationships in these stories expand ongoing conversations about violence toward women. Therefore, this book is best suited for readers prepared to digest dark and taboo subject matter.
