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My Year of Meats
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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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.
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Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kaggy
- 08-12-14
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.
7 people found this helpful
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- Jane
- 28-09-14
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.
4 people found this helpful
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- Shirley
- 07-07-14
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!
3 people found this helpful
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- Mrsp
- 28-03-14
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!
3 people found this helpful
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- Renata
- 19-03-17
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
1 person found this helpful
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- DR R S KERSH
- 03-08-22
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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- Sedayne
- 17-05-22
good story, great narrator
Anna Fields was one of my favourite narrators. Really good story, beautifully read. Very engaging.
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- M. Y. Mim
- 02-02-22
Brilliant
Equally laugh-out-loud funny and deeply profound. You won’t want to stop, and, when it ends, you’ll want to start all over again.
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- Rocket
- 05-09-20
Took an unexpected turn but still an Ozeki!
Having adored 'Tale for the time being', I bought this despite reservations about the narration in the sample. It's still very much a Ruth Ozeki book and I am a big fan of her style. I enjoy the way she can create the character's emotions within you as the reader without actually spelling them out.
I definitely enjoyed the book although hadn't quite expected the direction it took overall. still a good read though and my initial reservations about the narration were unfounded, the narration was actually excellent.
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- Stacie
- 19-09-19
unexpectedly loved it !
had to read this book for uni and ended up falling in love with it ! such a great book. Got so interesting in the middle and was hooked at the end ! finished it in 2 days coz I enjoyed it so much ! the woman on the audio was great at all the accents too, really kept it engaging ! highly recommend!