KitchenKitchen
Score Classic
What it's about
Mikage Sakurai has just lost her grandmother, her last family, and she can only sleep in the kitchen, beside the hum of the refrigerator. A young man named Yuichi invites her to stay with him and his warm, glamorous mother, Eriko, who used to be his father. As Mikage heals, a new loss strikes the family. The book also includes a second short story, Moonlight Shadow.
Why it's worth reading
It's one of the best-selling books ever, a sensation in Japan. It's a short, gentle, luminous story about grief and comfort.
You'll love it if you liked
Kokoro
The Friend
The Year of Magical ThinkingGood to know
It's very short. A death by violence occurs offstage.
By the numbers
- Readers25 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller50 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
If you like this, read next
Gone with the Wind
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The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's OwnExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Kitchen worth reading?
Yes. It's one of the best-selling books ever, a sensation in Japan. It ranks #2,260 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 61.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Kitchen about?
Mikage Sakurai has just lost her grandmother, her last family, and she can only sleep in the kitchen, beside the hum of the refrigerator. A young man named Yuichi invites her to stay with him and his warm, glamorous mother, Eriko, who used to be his father. As Mikage heals, a new loss strikes the family. The book also includes a second short story, Moonlight Shadow.
How long does it take to read Kitchen?
About 4 hours (153 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Kitchen?
If you liked it, try Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki, The Friend by Sigrid Nunez or The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.