Heaven: Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize
Jun 2021 · Pan Macmillan
4.6star
26 reviews
Ebook
176
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About this ebook
Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.
TIME's 100 Must-Read Books of the Year.
From the bestselling Japanese author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, comes a sharp and illuminating novel about adolescent violence and friendship.
In Heaven, a fourteen-year-old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever. But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror?
Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami’s uncontainable talent.
'Mieko Kawakami is a genius' - Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times
'An expertly told, deeply unsettling tale of adolescent violence' - Vogue
Translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.
TIME's 100 Must-Read Books of the Year.
From the bestselling Japanese author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, comes a sharp and illuminating novel about adolescent violence and friendship.
In Heaven, a fourteen-year-old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever. But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror?
Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami’s uncontainable talent.
'Mieko Kawakami is a genius' - Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times
'An expertly told, deeply unsettling tale of adolescent violence' - Vogue
Translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.
Ratings and reviews
4.6
26 reviews
明李
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August 2, 2025
This book was a crazy wild ride from start to finish, personally I enjoyed it. It's very descriptive and during certain parts the descriptiveness makes it all the more heart-rending, it kind of reminded me of my high school experience except I never had a friend to talk to. This book really spoke to me in ways that no one ever has. I felt so much happamine reading it and maybe you will too. 😄
Ryan Truter
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July 7, 2024
Heaven was a absolutely wonderful read . The author has an amazing ability to describe things in incredible rich detail , while keeping you engaged and at the same time making a very straight forward easy to read book . Really enjoyed this !!
About the author
Mieko Kawakami is the author of the internationally bestselling novel Breasts and Eggs, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and one of TIME’s Best 10 Books of the Year, and the highly acclaimed Heaven, her second novel to be translated and published in English, which Oprah Daily described as written ‘with jagged, visceral beauty’. Born in Osaka, Japan, Kawakami made her literary debut as a poet in 2006, and in 2007 published her first novella, My Ego, My Teeth, and the World. Known for their poetic qualities, their insights into the female body, and their preoccupation with ethics and modern society, her books have been translated into over twenty languages. Kawakami’s literary awards include the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, and the Murasaki Shikibu Prize. She lives in Tokyo, Japan.
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