The Woman in the purple skirt: Book review

Book review

Title: The Woman in the purple skirt

Author: Natsuko Imamura

Genre: Fiction/Translation (Japanese)

The Woman in the purple skirt is a compelling novel about two women, bordering on obsession. 

We have our narrator who refers herself as the woman in the yellow cardigan. She develops a fascination for the woman in the purple skirt. She believes that everyone notices this woman in the same manner that she does. She makes a note of her routine, little details and even lures her into a job at the same hotel where she works. Things take a turn when some objects go missing and the woman is suspected of having an affair with her boss.

Written in first person, the narrator often comes across as unreliable. Occasionally there is a usage of third person when the narrator compares herself with the woman in the purple skirt. It’s interesting to note that the narrator never interacts with this woman but merely observes her. 

At first there is nothing much going on in the story. Then the plot and pace pick up and ends up being a thriller of sorts. What initially starts off as mere curiosity gradually turns into an eerie kind of obsession. It is often wondered what makes one person so obsessed with another. Is it boredom? Loneliness? Or inability to develop relationships? The story also gives a glimpse into the dynamics that prevail in the Hotel industry and in general the challenges that exist in the economy of Japan. 

The woman in the purple skirt is an interesting story which makes you see the world through the eyes of a woman who longs to be noticed but isn’t.

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