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Banana Yoshimoto is one of those writers well-known for her shorter works. I read Kitchen (which, in the edition I purchased, also included Moonlight Shadow ) and Goodbye Tsugumi before reading Amrita, so I feel confident enough to agree that her shorter works are much better.

Yoshimoto said it best herself � Amrita is "random and disjointed." There are so many storylines to keep up with. It's overwhelming sometimes, especially as some are more developed than others, and the author frequently goes back and forth between them. Also, one of the overarching storylines from beginning to end is that the main character, Sakumi, develops a romantic relationship with her sister's former partner, which might be controversial to some readers.

Still, Amrita explores some of the topics Yoshimoto is most famous for writing about. That's what made me enjoy the content of this book, much like I did with Kitchen and Goodbye Tsugumi. There are great reflections on everyday life, grief, and the kinds of relationships that matter most. What separates this from other books by the same author is that it's also a lot more mystical; several characters appear to connect deeply with the afterlife.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book as someone's first from Yoshimoto, and I think it's one best read for the story itself rather than the writing style it contains.