Diary of a Void

A Novel

By: Emi Yagi, David Boyd - translator, Lucy North - translator

Narrated by: Nancy Wu

Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker · NPR · WBEZ’s Nerdette · The New York Public Library · Literary Hub

A New York Times Editors’ Choice

“One of the most passionate cases I’ve ever read for female interiority, for women’s creative pulse and rich inner life.”―Katy Waldman, The New Yorker

“Always expect the unexpected when you’re not expecting.”―Sloane Crosley

A woman in Tokyo avoids harassment at work by perpetuating, for nine months and beyond, the lie that she’s pregnant in this prizewinning, thrillingly subversive debut novel about the mother of all deceptions, for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Breasts and Eggs

When thirty-four-year-old Ms. Shibata gets a new job to escape sexual harassment at her old one, she finds that as the only woman at her new workplace—a manufacturer of cardboard tubes—she is expected to do all the menial tasks. One day she announces that she can’t clear away her coworkers’ dirty cups—because she’s pregnant and the smell nauseates her. The only thing is . . . Ms. Shibata is not pregnant.

Pregnant Ms. Shibata doesn’t have to serve coffee to anyone. Pregnant Ms. Shibata isn’t forced to work overtime. Pregnant Ms. Shibata watches TV, takes long baths, and even joins an aerobics class for expectant mothers. She’s living a year of rest and relaxation, and is finally being treated by her colleagues as more than a hollow core. But she has a ruse to keep up. Before long, it becomes all-absorbing, and with the help of towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app that tracks every stage of her “pregnancy,” the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.

Surreal and absurdist, and with a winning matter-of-factness, a light touch, and a refreshing sensitivity to mental health, Diary of a Void will keep you listening to see just how far Ms. Shibata will carry her deception for the sake of women, and especially working mothers, everywhere.

©2022 Emi Yagi (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"“Few novels live up to their promise of revelatory social commentary. But a particularly good one can still tempt even the most cynical of readers. . . . Yagi has a light touch for the endless ironies made possible by her premise. There is humor (‘since I got pregnant’ becomes a delightful refrain), but also the realization that the alienation of pregnancy and motherhood is no reprieve from the oppressive office culture that inspires Shibata’s experiment.”―Lauren Oyler, The New York Times Book Review

“Magical . . . Cleverly structured . . . I was initially motivated to keep reading just to see how Shibata pulls off a fake pregnancy, but I quickly became enthralled by the narrator’s deadpan humor and her sharp observations of Japanese society’s treatment of women.”―Yurina Yoshikawa, NPR

“Explosive . . . I binge-read this book in two days and am hungry for more from this debut novelist.”―Chloe Veltman, NPR’s “Books We Love”

Interesting story of loneliness

“Diary of a Void” is written by Emi Yagi, who is a fashion editor in Japan. Her intention was to write a story about loneliness and the prohibitive rolls that women are expected to do as a result of being a female.

Loneliness is not mentioned, it is a feeling one gets while reading the book. It’s an atmosphere. Shibata, the narrator, is frustrated at work. Because she is a woman, the men expect her to make the coffee, organize birthday parties, cleaning the kitchen, in addition to her other responsibilities. The men are simply pigs. When one colleague smokes a cigarette near her, she’s had enough. She informs everyone she is pregnant. Yes, she fakes a pregnancy to get out of menial tasks and be treated better.

Shibata is single and alone. Her life, as she narrates, is sad. As she continues with her pregnancy farce, the reader picks up clues that she may not be in possession of a healthy mental constitution. She realizes that her tummy needs to grow and finds clever ways of creating her baby bump. She even uses one of those baby apps that is a diary, providing her with information about her growing fetus.

Of course she’s treated better at her all male office. But the reader wonders, how will this end? How can this end well?

I listened to the audio, narrated by Nancy Wu. Her voice is melodious and was the perfect pitch for Shibata’s inner thoughts. Translators David Boyd and Lucy North deserve a big shout out. This is a short novel, only 224 pages, 4 ½ hour listen. It’s a quirky story. I enjoyed it, but I doubt it’s for the mainstream.

Be prepared to suspend reality

I enjoyed the book but was perplexed by the obstetrician’s assessment and the ultrasound results.

Good Premise but things go a bit wonky

I liked the idea of her faking a pregnancy to avoid the extra work heaped onto her because she is female, but when she started to kinda lose it and the coworker even said he felt a kick it was all very weird. At first I thought hysterical pregnancy but then… the OB? I thought maybe she was suffering ptsd from an SA nope. Just still taking it. The author could have taken this in so many directions.

beautiful, but a bit lacking

This story is beautiful in its simplicity, mundaneness, and sensitivity, evolving in a direction you didn't necessarily expect. I did miss something...

Went beyond expectations

Well that definitely wasn't what I expected--I'm saying this in a good way. The summary definitely didn't prepare me for the slew of deep (and definitely well-tackled) themes and the, uh, twist? The book takes on this comedic/playful tone that doesn't make a joke out of Yagi-sensei's effort to wrench out complexities surrounding Shibata's decision & 'experiment'. W/o spoiling, I'm gonna say I like the surreal descriptions, as well as that added layer of magic realism. Wu's narration is also on-point all the way through. My take? Spend your credit on this! A nice, albeit short listen.

Ridiculous

This was absolutely ridiculous. I was intrigued by the premise of a girl faking a pregnancy to get out of work. However, the story became ridiculous when the character became delusional actually believing her own lie.

whiny lost woman

no real depth and silly premise of a very personal journey into finding meaning in a world of role expectations and social norms.