Review
Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder
Review
皆さんは、柚木麻子さんの小説 (Butter) をもうお読みになりましたか?
この作品は、2009 年に日本で実際に起きた「首都圏連続婚活殺人事件」をモチーフにしたフィクションです。この物語は、単なる犯罪ミステリーではありません。物語の中心となるのは、複数の男性を毒殺した容疑で収監されている女性・梶井真奈子(カジマナ)と、彼女に取材を重ねる週刊誌記者・町田里佳です. 事件の真相を追うだけだったはずの里佳は、カジマナとの対話を通じて、自分の周りの人たちを巻き込みながら、自分自身の内面と向き合わざるを得なくなっていきます.
物語は、「女性は美しいほうがいい」「女性は若いほうがいい」「女性は痩せていたほうがいい」「女性は家庭的なほうがいい」といった、日本に根強く残る社会の固定観念や偏見を、読む者に鋭く問いかけてきます。それと同時に、数々の料理が、物語の重要なポイントとして登場する点も、大きな魅力です. 作品内に登場する数々のレシピや食事の場面は、読者の五感に訴えかけてきます。ただ読むだけでなく、その料理を味わわずにはいられないような描写に満ちているのです.
実際、私自身も物語の中に登場する「バター醤油ご飯」が気になってしまい、気が付けば台所に立っていました. 本を読みながら、その中に出てくる料理を作り味わうという体験は、まさに本の世界と現実をつなぐというすばらしい体験でした. (Butter)は、「食べること」、「生きること」、「女性であること」の意味を問い直すような、深い読後感を残してくれます.
この作品は、2017 年に日本で刊行されたのち、2024 年にはイギリスとアメリカで英訳版が出版され、大きな反響を呼びました. イギリスでは (Waterstones Book of the Year 2024) に選ばれ、2025 年5月には (The British Book Awards 2025) デビュー・フィクション部門も受賞しています.
Have you read Butter, a novel by Japanese author Asako Yuzuki?
Inspired by the real-life "Metropolitan Marriage-Hunting Serial Murder Case" that took place in Japan in 2009, Butter is more than just a crime mystery. At its heart is the story of two women: Manako Kajii (Kajimana), a woman imprisoned on suspicion of poisoning several men, and Rika Machida, a weekly magazine journalist who repeatedly interviews her. What begins as a straightforward investigation gradually pulls Rika into deeper conversations—not only with Kajimana but also with herself, as she is forced to confront her beliefs and relationships.
The novel boldly challenges long-standing societal norms in Japan, such as the ideas that "women should be beautiful," "women should be young," "women should be slim," and "women should be domestic." At the same time, the story is filled with rich and sensual descriptions of food, which play a crucial role throughout the book. The recipes and meals described within appeal to all five senses, creating an immersive experience that goes beyond the page.
I found myself particularly drawn to the simple but evocative dish of butter-soy-sauce rice. Before I knew it, I was trying it for myself in the kitchen. Reading the novel and then cooking and tasting a dish from its pages created a powerful connection between fiction and real life.
Butter is a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to eat, to live, and to be a woman. It leaves a lasting impression.
Originally published in Japan in 2017, Butter was translated into English and released in the UK and US in 2024, receiving widespread acclaim. It was named Waterstones Book of the Year 2024 in the UK and won the Debut Fiction award at the British Book Awards 2025.
I highly recommend this novel to those interested in contemporary Japanese literature and anyone curious about women's lives, social expectations, and the relationship between food and identity. The emotions and meals depicted in Butter are sure to linger in your heart long after you turn the final page.
