Emi Yagi

There she stood. A goddess. I was in love with the marble goddess. When Rika Horauchi accepts an unusual new part-time job, she never expects to fall in love. Rika has been tasked with talking to Venus, to keep her company when the museum is closed on Mondays. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of their surroundings, she opens up new worlds for Rika, and they speak about everything. But when the museum’s curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika d? hen the Museum is Closed is by turns charming, funny and surprising, a love story about our perceptions of beauty, overcoming loneliness and breaking free. Translated by Yuki Tejima'Slim and strangely exuberant...[an] unexpected, absurd humor' New YorkerREADERS LOVE WHEN THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED:'I quickly became addicted''Lyrical and enchanting''Filled with comedy, yet it constantly makes the reader question societal norms''Unlike anything I've ever read''Effortlessly blends the everyday with the fantastical''Fun, charming... if you've ever struggled with self-doubt, anxiety or just feeling like you don't quite belong you'll relate to and enjoy'

Rika Horauchi's new part-time job is to converse with a statue of Venus - in Latin - every Monday, when the museum is closed. Initially reluctant, Rika starts to enjoy her strange new job. Recommended by her old university professor for her exemplary language skills, Rika leads an otherwise unassuming life, working the rest of the week in a frozen-food warehouse. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of the museum, they talk about everything. Venus opens up new worlds for Rika, both intellectually and emotionally. They soon fall in love. But when the museum's curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika do? When the Museum is Closed is by turns charming, funny and surprising, a surreal take on our most real emotions and concerns: love, loneliness, freedom, perceptions of beauty and how women are seen in society. This fresh and original new novel confirms Emi Yagi as one of the most exciting Japanese writers published in English today. Translated by Yuki Tejima

Díjnyertes, izgalmasan felforgató regény egy nőről, aki a munkahelyi zaklatás ellen azzal védekezik, hogy terhesnek mondja magát. 9 hónapnyi szürreális, feminista társadalom- és kultúrkritika Japánból, amely közelebb van, mint gondolnánk.