The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino
pages: 320 | rating: 3 / 5

Ever since I took Introduction to Asian Mythology, I've been on an endless high when it comes to East Asian mythology and folklore. During the course, I was introduced to the Kojiki, a collection of Japanese mythology meant to connect the Japanese emperor to the country's gods and deities. The Goddess Chronicle both retells one of the creation myths of the Kojiki while adding its own dimension and character to the otherwise one-sided perspective of the gods--specifically Izanami and Izanagi who were attributed to basically forming the island, and all other earthly elements. The novel starts off not directly with the goddess of our tale, but instead with a young girl named Namima who is forced to live in the shadow of her sister, the Great Oracle of the island, Kamikuu. Namima's story begins to unfold and parallel Izanami's story. Much of Namima's tale and Izanami depicts female oppression and the culture's sexism in the way they are silenced, stuffed into their roles and positions, and how they are used as a means to an end. The first two acts of the book were good in its development; however, I did find that there were moments where the plot line dragged out. Also, towards the end as we are given the chance to gain an emotional reunion between Izanami and Izanagi, the climax felt flat, or perhaps its poor translating that doesn't execute what the original language expresses. I did appreciate the end, leaving Izanagi, the goddess of death as the sole god. It symbolizes the state of Japan today--the elderly population outnumbering the younger generation. Overall, I thought it was a good adaptation that shone a new light on old mythology, giving character to otherwise stock figures.