Butter by Asako Yuzuki
Butter by Asako Yuzuki is a provocative Japanese novel that blends psychological thriller with feminist critique and a sensual exploration of food. Inspired by a real-life case, it follows a journalist (Rika) as she investigates a gourmet cook convicted of luring and murdering lovers through her culinary skills…
The basic plot goes like this - Rika Machida, a 30-something journalist in Tokyo, becomes captivated by the infamous case of Manako Kajii, a woman accused of seducing and murdering three of her lovers through the allure of her exceptional cooking. Manako Kajii, incarcerated and awaiting retrial, refuses to speak to journalists. Rika writes to Kajii requesting her recipe for beef stew, which intrigues Kajii, who demands that Rika immerse herself in the world of gourmet dining, transforming Rika's investigation into a series of gastronomic lessons that reshape her relationship with food, identity, and societal expectations.
Asako Yazuki’s novel masterfully weaves themes of obsession, misogyny, and personal transformation into a vivid narrative that is both unsettling and thought-provoking.
