'A stunning, literary twist on the vampire novel by a dazzling debut writer: 'Absolutely brilliant - tragic, funny, eccentric . . . Claire Kohda takes the vampire trope and makes it her own' RUTH OZEKI
'A stunning, literary twist on the vampire novel by a dazzling debut writer: 'Absolutely brilliant - tragic, funny, eccentric . . . Claire Kohda takes the vampire trope and makes it her own' RUTH OZEKI
A Best Book of the Year in HARPER'S BAZAAR, BBC, THE NEW YORKER, GLAMOUR, GAL-DEM and HUFFPOST
'Witty and thought-provoking' Stylist'Blistering' Glamour'Unusual, original and strikingly contemporary' Guardian'Absolutely brilliant' Ruth Ozeki'A gripping contemporary fable about embracing difference' The Times'A wholly 21st century take on bloodsucking' ObserverLydia is hungry. She's always wanted to try sashimi and ramen, onigiri and udon - the food her Japanese father liked to eat - but the only thing she can digest is blood. Yet Lydia can't bring herself to prey on humans, and sourcing fresh pigs' blood in London - where she is living away from her Malaysian-British mother for the first time and trying to build a career as an artist - is much more difficult than she'd anticipated.If Lydia is to find a way to exist in the world, she must reconcile the conflicts within her - between her demon and human sides, her mixed ethnic heritage and her relationship with food, and, in turn, humans. Before any of this, however, she must eat.'It's Kohda's exploration of Lydia's inner world, the pain and longing she feels as an outsider, that makes Woman, Eating such a delicious novel' New York Times Book Review'A profound meditation on alienation and appetite, and what it means to be a young woman who experiences life at an acute level of intensity and awareness' LISA HARDING'What Stoker did for the vampire at the end of the nineteenth century, Claire Kohda does for for it in our own era' TLS“Absolutely brilliant - tragic, funny, eccentric and so perfectly suited to this particularly weird time. Claire Kohda takes the vampire trope and makes it her own in a way that feels fresh and original. Serious issues of race, disability, misogyny, body image, sexual abuse are handled with subtlety, insight, and a lightness of touch. The spell this novel casts is so complete I feel utterly, and happily, bitten - Ruth Ozeki, author of THE BOOK OF FORM & EMPTINESS Unsettling, sensual, subversive , Woman, Eating turns the vampire trope on its head with its startlingly original female protagonist, caught between two worlds. It is a profound meditation on alienation and appetite, and what it means to be a young woman who experiences life at an acute level of intensity and awareness . Claire Kohda's prose is biting, yet lush and gorgeous. I was uncomfortably smitten - Lisa Harding, author of BRIGHT BURNING THINGS Blistering ... Tells us a lot about the ways we're all searching for belonging - Glamour UK A modern day vampire thriller that also covers race, social isolation, unrequited love and parental loyalty ... Lydia battles not only her vampire hunger but also to find her place in the world - BBC”
Absolutely brilliant - tragic, funny, eccentric and so perfectly suited to this particularly weird time. Claire Kohda takes the vampire trope and makes it her own in a way that feels fresh and original. Serious issues of race, disability, misogyny, body image, sexual abuse are handled with subtlety, insight, and a lightness of touch. The spell this novel casts is so complete I feel utterly, and happily, bitten
-- Ruth OzekiClaire Kohda is a writer and musician. She reviews books for publications including the Guardian and the Times Literary Supplement, specialising in books from and about East Asia. As a violinist, she has played with musicians and ensembles including Jessie Ware, RY X, Pete Tong, the London Contemporary Orchestra and The English Chamber Orchestra, and on various film soundtracks.
Lydia is hungry. She's always wanted to try sashimi, ramen, onigiri with sour plum stuffed inside - the food her Japanese father liked to eat. And then there is bubble tea and the vegetables grown by the other young artists at the London studio space she is secretly squatting in. But Lydia can't eat any of this. The only thing she can digest is blood, and it turns out that sourcing fresh pigs' blood in London - where she is living away from her vampire mother for the first time - is much more difficult than she'd anticipated.Then there are the humans: the people at the gallery she interns at, the strange men who follow her after dark, and Ben, a goofy-grinned artist she is developing feelings for. Lydia knows that they are her natural prey, but she can't bring herself to feed on them.If Lydia is to find a way to exist in the world, she must reconcile the conflicts within her - between her demon and human sides, her mixed ethnic heritage, and her relationship with food, and, in turn, humans.Before any of this, however, she must eat. 'Witty and thought-provoking' Stylist 'Blistering' Glamour 'A modern day vampire thriller' BBC 'Unusual, original and strikingly contemporary' Guardian 'Deliciously fresh' Waterstones 'A wholly 21st century take on bloodsucking' Observer 'Fascinating' BookRiot 'Pumps fresh blood into the horror genre' The Times A BOOK OF 2022 IN HARPER'S BAZAAR , DAILY MAIL , GLAMOUR , BBC, HUFFPOST , TOR.COM
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