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  • My Year of Meats

  • By: Ruth Ozeki
  • Narrated by: Anna Fields
  • Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (138 ratings)
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My Year of Meats cover art

My Year of Meats

By: Ruth Ozeki
Narrated by: Anna Fields
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Summary

Jane, a struggling filmmaker in New York, is given her big break, a chance to travel through the United States to produce a Japanese television program sponsored by American meat exporters. Meanwhile, Akiko, a painfully thin Japanese woman struggling with bulimia, is being pressured by her child-craving husband to put some meat on her bones, literally.

How Jane's and Akiko's lives intersect in wacky crosscultural collisions provides romance, humor, intrigue, and even a muckraking message about questionable meat and the Wal-Martification of America.

Ruth Ozeki is an award-winning novelist and filmmaker. She is also the author of My Year of Meats and, most recently, longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013 for A Tale for the Time Being. Ozeki was born and raised in Connecticut, by an American father and Japanese mother. In June 2010 she was ordained as a Zen Buddhist priest. She divides her time between British Columbia and New York.

©1998 Ruth Ozeki (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

"A well-crafted, often comic story of the personal and political" (Observer)
"A nice blend of humour and strangely affecting optimism. Ozeki has written a book where dread and hope coexist. Neither is given short shrift or magicked away" (New York Times)

What listeners say about My Year of Meats

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

An odd mixture

I'm not really sure what to make of this one. On one hand it is an unusual and inventive story of two women and two cultures. Jane is a thoroughly modern American woman with a Japanese mother. She is making a documentary series on American wives aimed for the Japanese market. The programme is sponsored by the meat industry and the objective is to promote the 'wholesomeness' of meat to Japanese women. Akiko lives in Japan and is married to one of the film company's executives. She is deeply depressed and suffering from an eating disorder, and after learning about her marriage it is easy to see why.
As the story progresses it begins to turn into a more factually based condemnation of the meat industry. As somebody who experienced the mad cow crisis I completely applaude the message but I did feel a bit uncomfortable with the presentation. This part of the book read more like something written by Michael Moore and the line between fact and fiction became blurry which I think weakened the message.
On the whole this is a good book and I would like to read more from this author. Some of the reviews mention that this is written with humour. Whilst this is true, there are some really harrowing scenes depicting sexual violence and animal slaughter.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really absorbing storyline, and very well written.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There were lots of characters to like or dislike, some of the "American Wives" were developed so you could really like them.

What does Anna Fields bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The reader brought the two cultures (American and Japanese) to life really well, which added to the interest.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think the story developed well as it went along and I became more involved with it. I had a lump in my throat a few times, particularly towards the end.

Any additional comments?

Give it a try.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Powerful and thought provoking

Where does My Year of Meats rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book rates among the few top audiobooks I've listened to so far. I especially liked the way Ruth Ozeki wove fact and fiction seamlessly into the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Year of Meats?

The scene in the slaughterhouse was well written both in content and description.

What about Anna Fields’s performance did you like?

Anna Field reading Japanese with ease, and her ability to change her voice effortlessly to portray the characters, added so much to the story.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book made me rethink my attitude towards buying and eating meat, and challenged my complacency with regard to the subject.

Any additional comments?

I think the book is a must read for everyone!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful, original, perfectly written novel.

If you could sum up My Year of Meats in three words, what would they be?

Touching, clever, inspiring...it has lifted my spirit and made me part of this journey. Wonderful characters populate this book spanning across two different and great cultures. The narrator is also excellent!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

my second ruth ozeki book (first was a tale for the time being) and again it was excellent and well narrated - I'll have to take a breather before taking on the next one but almost can't wait

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Don’t let the title put you off

I unexpectedly loved this book. The contrast of the lives of these two women, it’s a great read. Don’t let the title put you off the meat brings them together but true essence of the book is the relationships.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • RD
  • 21-03-23

Possibly the best book I have ever read!

I wasn’t sure about it at first, but after 20 minutes I was hooked. A remarkable book, a clever and intertwining tale, that was a rollercoaster of a ride. It had it all, pathos, romance, hope, and laugh out loud moments. I particularly enjoyed the sarcastic barbs from Jane to John in her faxes. Cannot wait to start another by the author. The narrator was also fantastic. Perfectly delivered, I even enjoyed the male voices! Brilliant.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

My second Ruth Ozeki book and what a relief to have a good narrator. Loved the story and was completely drawn in to the morality and the ethics and the humanity of the story. Heartily recommended.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Takes an unexpected turn (trigger warnings in review)

I’m not normally one to issue trigger warnings and tend to take books at face value, however this one could stand to have a few.
The first thing I’ll say is that if you’re vegetarian or vegan, or in any way squeamish about livestock farming, this might be a book to take a pass on.
The story is brilliantly written, drawing you in through the perspective of two very different women. It challenges our ideas of relationships, marriage, babies and of course the consumption of meat.
If you liked A Tale for the Time Being you will enjoy the narrative. However, mid to 2/3s through the book the story really focuses in on detailed descriptions of factory farming and takes it to the extreme in terms of describing the physical impact on a young girl. There’s also a description of adult sexual assault. I found it tough going to finish but well worth it.
All in all, I would recommend it but be aware of what you’re getting into if the topics described above might upset you.

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

Fantastic

Ruth is one of the most skilled novelists alive today! This book is breathtaking. Incredibly skilful, imaginative and fun. Highly recommended!

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