Nails and Eyes

The horror of being a housewife.

These three short stories further cemented my budding love for Japanese fiction (horror/thriller specifically).

The first and longest, Nails and Eyes, was tense and unsettling. After a preschool-aged girl's mother dies, her father moves his affair partner in and the the girl keeps a watchful eye on everything the woman does. While it did feel a little off, it didn't feel quite like horror until close to the end, which made the sudden horror all the more jarring. I actually said out loud “Uh, what the fuck!?” This little story made me wish I had a friend I could force it on so I could see if they say “Uh, what the fuck!?” in the same place I did.

The second story, What Shoko Forgets, was equal parts horrifying and devastating. A grumpy old woman stuck in a hospital after a stroke remembers and then forgets something every night. This was my favorite story, though I almost feel weird saying so. The second to last paragraph killed me. It was beautifully written, so tragic and heart-wrenching, so unfortunately relatable. I'm not sure I've ever read anything like it and I'm going to be thinking about it for a long time. 

The third and last story, Minute Fears, was mysterious and nostalgic. A mother wonders why her son spends so much time at a playground hidden behind an old building. This one was my least favorite. It wasn't necessarily bad, it just had really tough competition and it almost felt lighthearted in comparison.

Overall a pretty good little collection. Still trying to decide whether or not I appreciate the amount of destruction What Shoko Forgets brought upon me.

The collection comprises three short stories, with the eponymous “Nails and Eyes” standing out as the most memorable among them. Each narrative exudes an eerie and discomforting aura, steeped in mystery and occasional dread.
The utilization of second-person narration in the first story masterfully crafts a claustrophobic atmosphere, drawing readers into the unsettling worlds depicted. The deliberate ambiguity in the endings of each tale adds depth to the collection, compelling readers to contemplate the unresolved elements long after finishing.
However Fujino's decision to portray Hina as a mere 3-year-old, contrasting with her seemingly implausible meticulousness in uncovering her step mother's past and present circumstances, strains the bounds of credibility and detracts from the story's overall impact.
4/5