Nails and Eyes: Kaori Fujino (Japanese Novellas) Paperback – 27 July 2023

The title novella yields a subtle form of unease throughout which seems to be located in what isn't said. Told in that difficult 2nd person form, it raises questions about what can be known as the narrator appears to have access to her stepmother's feelings that, in reality, must be closed to her. In that sense, this raises issues of perception and imagination or fantasy, indicated figuratively through the focus (ha!) on eyes and contact lenses.A nicely layered tale with some macabre touches (how did the mother get locked out on the balcony?).

This is a truly unique collection of stories. The namesake story of the book itself is a clear standout, but the final tale in the collection 'Minute Fears' is also one that was so creepy I know it will stick with me for some time.The writing style and point of view of 'Nails and Eyes' is interesting, at first I found it hard to follow, but once I'd acclimatised to the style I found Hina's voice and insight to be unsettling.Unfortunately, the story in the middle 'What Shoko Forgets' left me feeling a little confused. All three of these stories have endings that I would call open to interpretation, so if that's not your thing then might be best to give it a miss.I, however, am very glad to have read it and think it hit the perfect balance between downright creepy and tantalisingly mysterious.