May You Have Delicious Meals

Driven to behave in increasingly absurd ways by the oppressive rules that govern their lives, the power dynamics of the office are never more obvious than when it comes to food: mandatory lunches with the boss, the colleague who tries to curry favour with home-baked goods ... or coming in to find your desk trashed with the remains of someone else''s late night binge. Ashikawa is the kind of woman Nitani knows he will likely marry - sweet, obliging, and eager to wean him off instant food. Oshio is bolder and uninhibited - Nitani''s drinking buddy. In a relationship with Ashikawa but unable to respect her or the treats which she shares around the office, Nitani grows closer to Oshio, both outsiders struggling with the status quo. As tensions rise, Nitani is forced to confront his feelings. Because in the end, only one can come out on top.

Autorentext

Junko Takase is the critically acclaimed author of six novels. Her debut novel Things With The Shape of a Dog won the Subaru Literature Prize and Taking a Breath in Standing Water was nominated for The Akutagawa Prize. Her latest novel May You Have Delicious Meals won that prize and sold over 180,000 copies. She lives in Japan.

Klappentext

WINNER OF THE 2022 AKUTAGAWA PRIZEThe power dynamics of the office are never more obvious than when it comes to food: mandatory lunches with the boss, the colleague who tries to curry favour with home-baked goods, discovering the discarded remnants of someone else's late-night binge . . . In their Saitama office, Ashikawa is the kind of woman Nitani knows he will likely marry: sweet, obliging, and determined to wean him off his addiction to instant noodles. But he finds himself increasingly unable to respect her - or the sugary treats she shares around the workplace, winning their colleagues' affection with baking rather than hard work. Oshio is bolder and uninhibited - she is Nitani's drinking buddy. In the oppressive office atmosphere, the pair grows closer, both outsiders struggling with the rigid status quo. Driven to behave in increasingly absurd ways by the workplace rules that govern their lives, they must navigate the tensions of modern life: between leisure and hard work; indulgence and restraint; the promise of delicious food, and the reality of a lonely pot noodle.

Zusammenfassung

WINNER OF THE 2022 AKUTAGAWA PRIZE

The power dynamics of the office are never more obvious than when it comes to food: mandatory lunches with the boss, the colleague who tries to curry favour with home-baked goods, discovering the discarded remnants of someone else's late-night binge . . .

In their Saitama office, Ashikawa is the kind of woman Nitani knows he will likely marry: sweet, obliging, and determined to wean him off his addiction to instant noodles. But he finds himself increasingly unable to respect her or the sugary treats she shares around the workplace, winning their colleagues' affection with baking rather than hard work.

Oshio is bolder and uninhibited she is Nitani's drinking buddy. In the oppressive office atmosphere, the pair grows closer, both outsiders struggling with the rigid status quo.

Driven to behave in increasingly absurd ways by the workplace rules that govern their lives, they must navigate the tensions of modern life: between leisure and hard work; indulgence and restraint; the promise of delicious food, and the reality of a lonely pot noodle.