A compelling collection of stories that have maintained their relevancy despite being written over twenty five years ago. The women in these stories often subvert expectations, refusing to get in line and become a nameless cog in the capitalist machine. They look for ways to prolong their unemployment, fibbing about the severity of a now resolved illness or just simply laying low to avoid prying questions about their joblessness. Despite "sticking it to the man", having to deal with outside opinions on how they "should" be living their life weigh on them, preventing any feeling of true freedom. On the other end of the spectrum are the women in these stories who do work, part-time or full-time, but are still weighed down by their lot in life.

I think what I loved most about these women is their imperfection, they're victims of a capitalist and patriarchal society, yes, but they're not faultless. They're real and relatable, they put off having tough conversations and then end up in much tougher situations because of their avoidance. The external pressures they face are real, but the first person narration in almost every story allows the reader a front row view of the ways they get in their own way. Yamamoto's genius makes it so that even when we don't like these women, we understand them.

I loved the translator's note at the end as it gave insight into Yamamoto's career, her start with writing formulaic romance novels and then the slow transition to writing stories with female characters more complex, even unlikeable. This was a really great read, translated brilliantly by Bergstrom.

I decided not to finish this book. The story just didn’t seem to flow or go anywhere, and I couldn’t get interested enough to keep going.

I haven’t been this disappointed in a book in quite some time. The Dilemmas of Working Women is Fumio Yamamoto’s collection of five stories about women that work (or that should but don’t,) and it is immensely successful and highly regarded in her native Japan. As I read, I kept looking for the greatness, a bit like scrounging for coins lost under sofa cushions, but it has completely eluded me, and my rating and review can only be based on my own experience and reaction.

I thank NetGalley, Blackstone Audio, and HarperCollins for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

As suggested in the title, each of the five stories focuses on a woman that has a problem. None of them makes a serious effort to do one damn thing about it. Lazy, neurotic, or…? Who can say. I sure can’t. One might expect a book that’s written by a woman and that has exclusively female protagonists to have a little feminist swagger, but this feels like the opposite. I found it hard to root for any of them, because they were all so useless.

When I took the galley, I expected there to be some humor. Look at the cover! It’s been years since I was taken in by a hilarious book cover that masked a crummy read, and I won’t do it again anytime soon.

I was given access to both the digital galley and the audio. The reader, Yuriri Naka, does as good a job as possible with this collection.

Not recommended.

What a raw and brutally honest collection of stories about womanhood. My favorite was the story about the woman recovering from breast cancer and her absolutely awful partner (and friends) wanting her to stop talking about it.

3.5 / 5

First published in Japan in 2000, these five stories about “difficult” working women feel alarmingly current — proof that some glass ceilings haven’t even cracked, let alone shattered. The only real clue they’re from another era? Not a single smartphone cameo. (But the Pokémon types mentioned still felt familiar.)

The standout story for me was Planarian, which translator Brian Bergstrom notes was nearly the collection’s title. Haruka has survived breast cancer, but her boyfriend wishes she’d stop talking about it — as though survival should mean erasure. She’s still on hormone therapy and undergoing reconstructive surgery, yet her family’s discomfort, and the inadequate medical care she may be receiving, echo a broader truth: women’s suffering is often dismissed when it’s invisible or inconvenient.

Yamamoto’s stories are sharp, consistent, and never repetitive, with themes that still resonate across borders. The audiobook narration by Yuiri Naka is clear and crisp, though a touch more variety between stories would have been nice.

I do sometimes struggle with the sparseness of Japanese literary style — these characters felt observed more than inhabited, like specimens behind glass. But even from that distance, Yamamoto’s take on work, womanhood, and the women who simply don’t fit the mold still hits hard. Some stories just refuse to age gracefully, and I mean that as a compliment.

This is quirky and real. What a treat for this to be available in English for the first time. I always love reading about the everyday lives of people in other cultures. So much of human struggle is fairly universal, and we all sometimes need to use humor to survive. it.

God forbid women want to complain, have hobbies, and become something else to get away from the stress and restrictions society puts on them. The moment they do any of these, they are "difficult". Well dears, we all need to be difficult

I can imagine how this book would have created ripples in Japan and some other Asian countries when it was first published. Knowing the culture and engrained responsibilities attached to women, this was a total "eh, we don't care anymore".

I mean let's talk about the woman recovering from breast cancer and her wish to be a worm to be able to regenerate her body. Woman wanted to have that life over cancer and how she was treated. Every woman in this book was done and I feel them!

(3.75/5, rounded up)

I initially read this in print & truthfully wasn't blown away. I'm a firm believer in giving things another try via audio if/when I can tho, because sometimes audio is key. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case here—the audio didn't do anything more for me.

I was excited to see how much humor would be incorporated into this collection, as that's one of the things that draws me to Japanese lit most & this is my first from Yamamoto. It wasn't quiet as humorous as I'd like, but for good reason—this collection means business.
It became clear to me after the 2nd story that this wasn't just here to entertain, and if you're looking for a collection you can compartmentalize, this isn't it. Yamamoto brings you to question the sort of situations and dynamics women constantly encounter and have to then navigate for themselves.

As a stay at home mom, I'm hyperaware of how my day-to-day is perceived. I know it sounds like a great gig (it is, don't get me wrong), but it's friggin hard. Arguably harder than most 9-5's.
As a woman, I know we get sized up even when dressed down.
As someone who spent 6 years worth of time & money in college, working toward a piece of paper I'd end up leaving without, I know how easily a degree is conflated with a sense of purpose.

Truthfully, these weren't the most enthralling stories IMO. They're less flashy than I like, less jarring. But for fans of the quieter pieces, like Strange Weather in Tokyo (not that it's a perf comparison, I just don't have much else to work off of haha)

I enjoyed this collection and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the way Japanese lit dissects the workforce, gender roles and the mix of the two.

Thank you bunches to HarperVia, Fumio Yamamoto, Yuriri Naka, Brian Bergstrom, Harper Audio and NetGalley for the DRC, gifted physical ARC & ALC <3

Are they even difficult… or just done pretending?
I love these they of stories, so I was excited when I saw this book pop up!
Imagine ditching your career and your husband...and discovering something radical...peace!

The Dilemmas of Working Women is a sharp little collection of five darkly humorous, keenly observant stories about women who are just over it.
Over productivity culture. Over pretending their job is fulfilling. These women aren’t having a crisis, they’re having a breakthrough.

What makes Yamamoto’s stories so good is that, 25 years later, nothing has changed. At all. It’s feminist without the hashtag, emotional without the fluff, and refreshingly honest about how exhausting it is to exist in a system that was never built for you.

If you’ve ever imagined quitting your job, ignoring your inbox, or telling society to relax—this is the book for you. It remains relevant, humorous, and incredibly healing.

This is a modern classic for a reason! The way each story describes the perils of working women is still shockingly moders. Loved this!

The Dilemmas of Working Women is a collection of short stories about women in modern Japan or, as the translator puts it, gender social anxiety in Japan. It addresses social issues faced by women in the country, with an emphasis on peer pressure and capitalism. I’m not typically a short story reader but I enjoyed this collection.

In “Naked,” a recently divorced woman who has been unemployed for two years is ostracised by her only friend because she’s comfortable not looking for a job. She spends her time sewing stuffed animals and quickly realizes hobbies are fun because you don’t make them a job. At some point, she’s offered a job, and her reality is upended. 4 stars.

“Planaria” follows an overweight woman who survived cancer and had to have her breast removed. She blames everyone for everything (her weight, her cancer, her pain, how miserable she is at the hospital). She makes it her personality to go around telling everyone that in her next life she wants to be a type of slug called planaria that can regenerate. At some point, she has a well-deserved reality check. The MC was so annoying, but it was an interesting read. 3.5 stars.

“Here Which Is Nowhere” is about a woman invisible to her family but busy at work. This story is about the invisible responsibilities women have and the double burden as a carer (of her husband, children, in-laws, her family, the house) and economic, but her own self is ignored by everyone. Didn’t love it. 2 stars.

In “The Dilemmas of Working Women,” a young woman is dating some sort of dumbass with a massive ego and commitment issues. She wants to break up, but she feels pressure to be married, and him being a sleazy idiot doesn’t help. Eventually, she starts noticing he’s making steps towards marriage and has to make a decision. This was a frustrating read, the dude was infuriating. 4 stars.

In “A Tomorrow Full of Love,” the divorced manager of a chain adds a fortune teller special menu for when a woman named Sumie comes. She lives a precarious life telling people’s fortunes and going out with men because she’s down on her luck in a country where men have money and women are often treated as part-time commodities. Really enjoyed this one, despite it being a hard read at times, mostly because the manager had a savior personality and was just weird (as in, he got confused and thought Sumie was “his” because he offered kindness and got sex as payment). 4 stars.

This collection surprised me in the best way. It feels quiet at first, but it is quietly furious in a really satisfying way. Each story centers on a Japanese woman who is just done. These stories absolutely say something. Perfect if you enjoy messy, complex women. It's short, sharp, and quietly defiant.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio Adult for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

This was such a unique set of stories. You rarely hear about women going through hardships that aren’t trying to “get out of it”. All of these women are pretty unapologetic and confident in where their lives are, which is refreshing. Thank you to netgalley and Harper audio for sharing the advanced copy of this audiobook!