Book Review: The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura translated by Lucy North

 

The story of the woman in the purple skirt is told by the woman in the yellow cardigan. Late in the story we will be disclosed their personal details, even their names. Until the very end of the story though, they will be mentioned by their clothing details which may be not necessarily a permanent feature, but somehow label the characters in a certain way that make them socially visible.

The Woman in the Purple Skirt by the multi-awarded author Natsuko Imamura - translated by Lucy North - is unusual in the way in which the characters interact. They are not only lonely, but the perfect sociopaths too. The woman in the yellow cardigan is obsessed with the woman in the purple skirt: she follows her, knows everything about her habits (very few), her daily schedule and will even indirectly help her to get a job as a cleaning lady in a hotel. Although they will meet only shortly before the end of the story, only to dissapear from each other´s life for ever, the obsession is so creepy that feels threatening and existentially intrusive and disturbing.

But not the woman in the yellow cardigan should the woman in the purple skirt be afraid of, but the men and their greediness: the man who gropped her in the bus or the hotel director who took advantage of her. Although clumsy and awkward, there is a certain women solidarity which may excuse the initial creepiness. 

Communication is the weakest point of the characters. They not only ignore each other as existential creatures, but they have no idea what should do when facing each other. What words to use, how, why. You see someone, how should one connect with? Voyeurism is the indirect way to getting to someone, even though that someone will never acknowledge your very existence. 

The pace of the story is unequal, but I loved the smart twists in the end, conferring a certain - most welcomed - dynamism to the account.

The Woman in the Purple Skirt is an unsual book, hard to categorize and not an easy story but offering an immersive experience on the other side of the communication wall.

Rating: 3.5 stars