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Marie’s Proof of Love
People believe, Marie thinks, even when there’s no proof. You believe because you imagine. But is imagination enough to live by?
20 pages
Published January 8, 2021
About the author
Mieko Kawakami
56 books6,492 followersMieko Kawakami (川上未映子, born in August 29, 1976) is a Japanese singer and writer from Osaka.
She was awarded the 138th Akutagawa Prize for promising new writers of serious fiction (2007) for her novel Chichi to Ran (乳と卵) (Breasts and Eggs).
Kawakami has released three albums and three singles as a singer.
She was awarded the 138th Akutagawa Prize for promising new writers of serious fiction (2007) for her novel Chichi to Ran (乳と卵) (Breasts and Eggs).
Kawakami has released three albums and three singles as a singer.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 28, 2023
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The dreamlike mood permeating this short story by Mieko Kawakami is reminiscent of Elisabeth Thomas’s Catherine House, Sylvia Plath, and Fleur Jaeggy’s Sweet Days of Discipline. The idyllic scenery is counterpointed by Marie’s disenchantment. We learn that, alongside other girls, she stays at Mia dormitory, a place which, unlike her home, is safe. A former lover, Karen, wants to know if Marie really loved her, and this leads to a discussion on love, God, transcendence.
The story also touches on the grief experienced by Anna, a guardian at Mia dormitory, over her one-year-old daughter's sudden death. With clarity Kawakami renders Anna’s sorrow, allowing Marie’s feelings to be more opaque, ambivalent even.
Despite the story’s short scope, Kawakami is able to capture Anna's grief and Marie’s alienation and loneliness. 'Marie’s Proof of Love' makes for a contemplative piece that is at once intriguing and poignant.
You can read this story here.
“Love doesn’t belong to any of us—it exists elsewhere, complete, from beginning to end. We simply have the privilege of coming into contact with it every once in a while.”
The dreamlike mood permeating this short story by Mieko Kawakami is reminiscent of Elisabeth Thomas’s Catherine House, Sylvia Plath, and Fleur Jaeggy’s Sweet Days of Discipline. The idyllic scenery is counterpointed by Marie’s disenchantment. We learn that, alongside other girls, she stays at Mia dormitory, a place which, unlike her home, is safe. A former lover, Karen, wants to know if Marie really loved her, and this leads to a discussion on love, God, transcendence.
The story also touches on the grief experienced by Anna, a guardian at Mia dormitory, over her one-year-old daughter's sudden death. With clarity Kawakami renders Anna’s sorrow, allowing Marie’s feelings to be more opaque, ambivalent even.
Despite the story’s short scope, Kawakami is able to capture Anna's grief and Marie’s alienation and loneliness. 'Marie’s Proof of Love' makes for a contemplative piece that is at once intriguing and poignant.
“Marie’s proof of love was a sentimental cliché. But she had arrived at it herself. To give shape to her unformulated thoughts was an arduous task as if she were performing surgery on her own body, grasping what lay whirling around her throat, cutting and sewing them into words.”
You can read this story here.
May 27, 2022
Ha sido una delicia traducir el relato『マリーの愛の証明』de Mieko Kawakami, espero haberle hecho justicia al texto original.
January 15, 2023
‘Even if you’re not immersed in love in this moment, love exists somewhere out there . . .’
June 11, 2024
To give shape to her unformulated thoughts was an arduous task, as if Marie were performing surgery on her own body, grasping what lay whirling around her throat, cutting and sewing them into words.
This short story was written so beautifully. I mean, what do you expect of Mieko Kawakami and her brilliance with imagery?
Oh! And it’s sort of a gl btw!!
July 4, 2023
Marie's Proof of Love is a short story by Mieko Kawakami which reflects Kawakami's flare and style of writing. And truly, in such a short space, Mieko Kawakami manages to flesh out some intriguing characters and their thoughts and experiences of love.
April 14, 2024
Ressentir la magie de Mieko Kawakami en si peu de pages c'est divin
February 18, 2023
“I can’t prove to you whether I loved you or not once upon a time. But just because I don’t feel love now, it doesn’t mean love no longer exists. In the same way, just because I’m not loved at this particular moment, it doesn’t mean love has disappeared. Even if no one loves you, if you’ve known love in the past, even once, couldn’t you say that love is there? There’s no need to feel lonely or sad. Even if you’re not immersed in love in this moment, love exists somewhere out there . . .”
"To give shape to her unformulated thoughts was an arduous task, as if Marie were performing surgery on her own body, grasping what lay whirling around her throat, cutting and sewing them into words."
"Love doesn’t belong to any of us—it exists elsewhere, complete, from beginning to end. We simply have the privilege of coming into contact with it every once in a while."
"They kept on walking, each girl talking about things only she understood, hoping that one day someone else would understand."
"To give shape to her unformulated thoughts was an arduous task, as if Marie were performing surgery on her own body, grasping what lay whirling around her throat, cutting and sewing them into words."
"Love doesn’t belong to any of us—it exists elsewhere, complete, from beginning to end. We simply have the privilege of coming into contact with it every once in a while."
"They kept on walking, each girl talking about things only she understood, hoping that one day someone else would understand."
May 14, 2021
“People believe, Marie thinks, even when there’s no proof. You believe because you imagine. But is imagination enough to live by?”
I’ll say it again, Kawakami’s talent of writing about, not one but several characters and their struggles, thoughts, and feelings in just a few pages is so amazing. We saw a glimpse of Marie’s past with her father’s abuse and Karen’s sweet love for Marie and Anne’s struggle with grief.
I’ll say it again, Kawakami’s talent of writing about, not one but several characters and their struggles, thoughts, and feelings in just a few pages is so amazing. We saw a glimpse of Marie’s past with her father’s abuse and Karen’s sweet love for Marie and Anne’s struggle with grief.
June 24, 2024
I sneakily read this on my phone while at work. I was only going to read a paragraph or two but ended up reading the whole thing anyways.
I don’t wanna say what it’s about, because it’s so short and I’ll just end up giving everything away. But, I can say that I enjoyed the conversation had between the ex lovers, and the conversation Marie has with herself. I just wish the ideas of death and love were expanded on a bit more. Also, it's always funny to read about high schoolers who seem to have very deep and profound philosophical analyses on things like death and love; they all come off sounding like some old scholars instead of actual teenagers.
I wanted there to be more of this story and these characters, which is an unfortunate downfall of short stories—they always end too quickly.
3.5⭐️
I don’t wanna say what it’s about, because it’s so short and I’ll just end up giving everything away. But, I can say that I enjoyed the conversation had between the ex lovers, and the conversation Marie has with herself. I just wish the ideas of death and love were expanded on a bit more. Also, it's always funny to read about high schoolers who seem to have very deep and profound philosophical analyses on things like death and love; they all come off sounding like some old scholars instead of actual teenagers.
I wanted there to be more of this story and these characters, which is an unfortunate downfall of short stories—they always end too quickly.
3.5⭐️
November 16, 2023
I'm on a mission to find the short stories of authors I am interested in to see if I would read their longer works.
Someone recommended this author if you want the feeling of a Ghibli movie, and I would agree. This short story fits into the "no plot, just vibes" category of writing. It contains the musings of a student after a breakup, her lover, and a woman who has lost her child. I liked the various perspectives it explored (rather than just the thoughts of the main character), and the lush descriptions of nature.
Some good ideas I would like to see more fleshed out. It left me with too many questions and the feeling that I was dropped into a story with not enough background.
Read it here: https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/...
Someone recommended this author if you want the feeling of a Ghibli movie, and I would agree. This short story fits into the "no plot, just vibes" category of writing. It contains the musings of a student after a breakup, her lover, and a woman who has lost her child. I liked the various perspectives it explored (rather than just the thoughts of the main character), and the lush descriptions of nature.
Some good ideas I would like to see more fleshed out. It left me with too many questions and the feeling that I was dropped into a story with not enough background.
Read it here: https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/...
June 25, 2022
短い小説だったけれど、様々なキャラクターからの気持ちを読まれて、彼らの人生とか悩みなどをはっきり想像できるのは素晴らしかったです。
December 21, 2022
4 bc it should be longer
February 28, 2023
Me hubiera gustado más si hubiera sido más largo.
April 8, 2023
物語より愛についての論文みたいですね。本当に意味深で、川上未映子さんの書き方は本当に魅力なものです。
April 20, 2023
“ To give shape to her unformulated thoughts was an arduous task, as if Marie were performing surgery on her own body, grasping what lay whirling around her throat, cutting and sewing them into words. “
June 15, 2023
2.5 stars
March 23, 2024
bonito y cortito, buena introducción a kawakami, pero me gustaría que fuera más largo...
May 30, 2024
Best 20 pages one could possibly ever encounter in live.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews