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Butter

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Butter

By: Asako Yuzuki
Narrated by: Hanako Footman
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About this listen

WINNER OF WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024

THE NUMBER 2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

A BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK

‘A full-fat, Michelin-starred treat’ THE SUNDAY TIMES

'Unputdownable, breathtakingly original' ERIN KELLY

'I have been glued to Asako Yuzuki's new novel Butter’ NIGEL SLATER

'Compelling, delightfully weird' PANDORA SYKES

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story, and translated by Polly Barton.

There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

'Luscious … I devoured this' IMOGEN CRIMP

'A salty morsel with one hell of a bite’ ALICE SLATER

Nothing short of ingeniousINEWS

‘Ambitious and unsettling’ GUARDIAN

'It isn’t entirely clear whether to read the novel or devour itOBSERVER

©2017 Asako Yuzuki (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Crime Thrillers Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Thriller
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What listeners say about Butter

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Simply delicious!

This book had me captivated from the start, with many layers. Thought provoking, a window into Japanese culture and the expectations placed on women. It wasn't what I thought it would be, from the description, it turned out to be so much more.

I am also now a big fan of butter rice. Try it with roasted tenderstem broccoli too, it's the ultimate comfort food!

Butter is now firmly on my 'Listen Again' list.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Boring, was a shame

I wanted this to be good, but I lost all interest and it felt like it's didn't go anywhere. The concept had so much promise

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

10/10 Book! Perfect in every way!

I think it would take a lot to top this book. Totally captivating. The descriptions of the dishes were mouthwatering (had to go make the butter rice straight away) and the mystery of Kajii was intriguing. I want to listen to it again and again. Hanako Footman is the perfect narrator - brilliant as always.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

amazing book, a must read. something different. look forward to your next book. thank you

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Thought provoking

Interesting perspective on current pressures on women with regard to physical expectations and defining femininity today. There was exploration of the competitiveness women feel towards one another based on the above expectations and whether these expectations are defined by men/society or women themselves.

It uses the premise of a murder trial where two women who, on the surface are polar opposites, explore and interpret human desire, food, the place of food and self, identity, friendship, human interaction and love.
In the end, these two women realise their similarities, but display their respctive resilience in very different ways .

It is a slow burn read with lots of red herrings which make the reader formulate their own ever changing answer of “ did she do it?”

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Is a story that takes you from the start

Works through the standards women are measured by and how it shapes their lives. But also how working through them and deciding what would be yours can help shape them

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant story- motivated me to cook more

Great story. I loved the setting, The Mix of crime and food and Japanese culture was really enjoyable. I love cooking but it still gave me a renewed motivation in the kitchen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it.

Cultural norms are challenged in this multi layered book. It needs attention when listening as it moves through multiple characters and the attention to food, society and the guesswork of a proposed serial killer. Different and wonderful at the same time. I'd say we will see many 5 star to 2 star reviews as this is a different type of story in the genre.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

so unnecessarily long

boring at times, too long for what the story was. the story looses its own path at times, presenting characters and facts that add length of pages but not depth to the story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Such an intriguing story

Lots of shifts that take the reader in such a crazy adventure that won’t seem crazy at all while you’re immersed in it.

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