Thought this was a new release - is not and wish that were better communicated if called an advanced copy. I dont think this is a recommendation for everyone but those who i think will like it i bet love it.

Reading this book was a lovely experience! I wasn't familiar with Chiyo Uno at all and so reading this "fictionalized memoir" was very interesting. Learning about how people lived in the past in a country different than my own and especially in a rural setting is incredibly valuable to me. Apart from all of this, the life story of the main character is extremely compelling: a woman defying societal expectations in a time when that was extremely dangerous and just following her heart. Kazue is a very unusual protagonist, her decisions most of the time don't seem to make any sense and the narration also doesn't seem to be interested in explaining us everything. There are also some horrifying events that are described in a very matter of fact way, that made them even more heartbreaking to me.
However, the tone of the writing and the quickly brushing through events left me a bit frustrated in the end. I really wanted to understand more, particularly about Kazue's writing.
It is a very fast read and I would love to read more from this author!
Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for providing me with a copy of this book.

Have you read The Trial by Franz Kafka? I found it hard to read for many reasons, and I eventually gave up at 80%. I simply had had enough. Yet, to my surprise, I found articles, scholarly analyses, and discussions about The Trial absolutely fascinating. In other words, talking about the book is far more interesting than the book itself. The Story of a Single Woman seems to be a similar case.

This is a story set in 1920s Japan in a stiff society. The book itself was first published in Japan in the 1970s. It's fiction with strong autobiographical features, which is a separate genre in Japanese literature. The story is a memoir of a woman who values freedom from social restraint more than anything else, but somehow she does not realize it. She does whatever she wants, whenever she wants. Any financial, social, or emotional consequences are not important to her at all. She never gives any thought to others. The only exception is her family and the person that she loved in the given moment, but even so, she still behaves as if her empathy is heavily limited.
The memoir is written in third person, which creates a distance between the author, Kazue, and the reader. The writing style feels deprived of any emotions, it's almost dry. This makes it hard to read, but it seems like it's been written this way on purpose. What did Chiyo want to achieve by that? That's been a subject of a long-term debate ever since the first publication date.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

Novels like these can be hit or miss for me, but I became deeply invested in Kazue, the protagonist of this novel. This is a fairly short read following her as she grows into an adult and learns how to survive in the world, as well as how her upbringing cast a shadow over her life generally. It's set in Japan during the 1920s, which is a fascinating period, as it's right before World War II. A small section of the novel takes place in colonial Korea, so I was very interested to see how it was depicted from a postcolonial Japanese woman writer.

Overview
Uno Chiyo’s The Story of a Single Woman (1928) offers readers a glimpse of Taishō‑era Japan through the eyes of “Chiyo,” a stand‑in for the author herself. The novella unfolds in brief, evocative vignettes that chart Chiyo’s efforts to carve out a life of independence, renting her own room, taking odd jobs, seeking companionship, all under the scrutinizing gaze of a society that regards an unmarried woman’s autonomy as scandalous.

What I Loved
Lyrical, Poetic Prose: The translation glides along, capturing the hush of cicadas, the soft patter of rain on a paper lantern, the tension in a bowed greeting. Every scene is painted with delicate brush strokes.

Period Atmosphere: From vintage kimono patterns to references to “modern girl” fashion trends, you really feel 1920s Tokyo and Osaka coming alive.

Quiet Vulnerability: Chiyo’s small defeats, being passed over for a teaching post, overhearing gossip, resonate deeply. You can sense her longing for respect and connection.

What Didn’t Quite Work
Emotional Distance: By keeping Chiyo in third person, Uno Chiyo deliberately distances herself from her protagonist. It’s an interesting choice, but it can feel chilly. I often wished for more direct access to Chiyo’s inner thoughts, her heartbreak and hopes feel glimpsed rather than fully inhabited.

Uneven Pacing: Some chapters feel like they end mid‑breath, while others linger too long on incidents that don’t always drive the arc forward. The result is a somewhat episodic structure that occasionally stalls the momentum.

Subdued Critique: While the novella clearly shows the social taboos and surveillance women faced, it stops short of overt feminist polemic or deep social analysis. It’s more observational than revolutionary.

Final Thoughts
I came to this expecting a deeply personal, confessional narrative—autobiographical fiction is my sweet spot. Instead, I found a quiet, restrained work that observes its protagonist with gentle detachment. That restraint is its strength and its limitation. If you crave lush atmospheres and subtle social commentary, you’ll find much to admire here. If you want a passionate, immersive feminist manifesto, you might feel a bit undernourished.

Recommended for fans of early 20th‑century Japanese women’s literature and anyone curious about the “modern girl” era’s social tightrope. Pair it with Higuchi Ichiyō’s short stories for a more intimate counterpoint.

While an account of a rebellious woman, the writing remains dry. One never gets deep into the story to see what's happening on the inside. As a reader, I tasted sadness through the words but it never really reaches the heart.

An intriguing semi-autobiographical novella that follows the life of Kazue, a woman who chose to live outside the lines. She's not easy to connect with but it's a portrait that might well linger in your mind. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I’m really sad because this book looked like it was right up my street and something that I would really enjoy but I just didn’t and that makes me feel sad. I just didn’t feel like I had a connection with the character which stopped me from being drawn into the story. I feel like the author was just talking at me without giving me depth or emotions and I just could not relate or feel anything for the story. I did manage to finish the book in the hop it would start to look up but it just didn’t which is such a shame!

Despite its slim page count and the promise of scandal and self-discovery in 1920s Japan, The Story of a Single Woman felt more like a chore than a delight. Uno Chiyo's semi-autobiographical novel follows Kazue through a series of romantic entanglements in her quest for meaning, but I struggled to connect with the narrative. It dragged on, and I found myself surprisingly unengaged given the subject matter. While I can appreciate its historical significance and boldness for its time, reading it felt much longer than it actually was.

The Story of a Single Woman felt like an intimate and brave portrait of what it means to choose oneself in a world full of expectations. I admired how Kazue's character follows her instinct, challenging societal norms. However, the narrative doesn't stop showing the loneliness and sacrifices that come with living authentically. It's bittersweet but profoundly moving.

What struck me most was the way Uno portrays Kazue’s strength—not as a force free from vulnerability, but as resilience in the face of doubt and judgment. The tension between love and independence is palpable, and it made me reflect on the balance (or imbalance) in our own lives between personal fulfilment and the pressures we face.

The Story of a Single Woman by Chiyo UNO tells the story of Kazue, who doesn’t want to conform the societal standards expected of women - marriage, motherhood, and the domestic life that she needs to settle for.

I’ve read the foreword on how this is a semi autobiography of the author, and I was impressed, the story started off strong but as the story progressed the less impressive it became. What made an impact on me with this book is on her journey of taking control of her own life and destiny for she ended up not minding the consequences of her own actions and how it affects other people that surrounds her, sometimes even other women. I honestly wish that there was more to this book.

Of all the women that she is
—
In this rich and searing novel, the aged Kazue looks back on her life and all that she has ever done, the things demanded by tradition and society, her transgressions, her triumphs and her failures. Like her author, Kazue’s path in Japan was unlike almost every other woman’s, driven by her passions and her determination to not be like her parents. Japan and Japanese culture is, of course, front and centre in this lively and pacy novel, compressing seventy years of experience into a short novel, and you follow every step of Kazue’s journey as she charts her lows and highs, knowing that she survives but even so being enthralled by her charming voice throughout.

This is Uno’s masterwork, written late in her career and with all of her powers and imagination at her disposal. Published in this translation the year after its original Japanese release, this is a timeless and deserving classic of Japanese and world literature, an almost Dickensian life told in flashback with a heroine full of courage and love even in the face of a world against her.

A winning novel: five stars.

A piercingly beautiful and candid novel of love, sex and independence in 1920s Japan by a trailblazing Japanese writer.

She left her home, just a girl, determined to live alone. But wasn’t this the very life her late father had most fervently forbidden?

As an older woman, Kazue looks back on her tumultuous younger years with piercing clarity. Growing up in a tiny Japanese mountain village at the start of the twentieth century, her life was shadowed by the demands and expectations of her troubled, alcoholic father. While she is still a young teenager, her family arranges for her to marry an older cousin; Kazue stays with the boy for only ten days before returning home alone.

This is the beginning of a life of questing independence, which will see Kazue forced to leave her home at eighteen following a love affair, going first to Korea and then to Tokyo. Driven by her impulses and an indomitable spirit of hope, Kazue moves from one relationship to another, hungry for experience. As her sense of identity and voice grows, she takes to writing as a means to live a life on her own terms.

Candidly told and full of stunning imagery, The Story of a Single Woman is an autobiographical novel by one of Japan’s most significant 20th-century writers, a trailblazer who lived and wrote like no-one else.

A book about a young Japanese woman who grows up in defiance to social norms in early 20th century Japan. We follow her until she turns about 30, as she discovers her passions and needs, and pursues them regardless of society's expectations. There is a lot of sex, women's lib, and feminism here. It's particularly striking given the fact that it seems to be inspired by the author's own experiences. The sad part is that it probably continues to be controversial in contemporary Japan, in light of how it depicts the role of a woman.
I liked it quite a bit, and it was just the right length. That being said, I found the writing too dry at times - telegraphic is not the best adjective, but close enough.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This novel is very classical and very Japanese. It follows the story of a young girl who doesn't want to marry. Instead, she wants to live her life, enjoy relationships with different people, and be free. This was considered rare and even rebellious in Japanese society then. It was interesting to dive into the lives of Japanese people in the 20th century.

It's highly recommended to read the author's biography before reading the book because many things here are autobiographical, and it offers a better understanding of the author's idea. Also, she was really cool and an icon for living the life she wanted.

Although I don't hold a negative opinion about the book, I gave it only three stars. Mainly because I was falling asleep and couldn't follow the plot. The writing is excellent, however, very slow and monotonous. Well, it's a Japanese classic, what can I say?

Thanks to the publisher for giving me a review copy. All opinions are my own.

Chiyo Uno, born in 1897, was a Japanese writer who understood the power of shock value and was way ahead of her time.. She married three times and had many lovers. The experiences in her life provided many stories in her literary career as she wrote of " her emotional tangles."
This is the author's story, and the narrator looks back on the life,of 70 year-old Kazue and asks why she had the behavior of a free spirit through the lens of looking at her life ,as a spectator.
The author was preserved forever in her words. She was finally recognized as a powerful writer after being ostracized in Japan in her youth. This recognition must have meant so much to her. Her sentences are rich. It is an enjoyable, engaging read and beautifully lyrical . We see her life as a young girl and travel with her as she grows up and grows old.
Thank you to the publisher and ultimately, the author for sending me an ARC copy of the book.. All opinions are my own.

A slow book to get through, and disjointing like being bounced between fiction and non, but a worthwile read. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Strange Japanese novel, concerning a very peripatetic woman, who has more abodes, jobs and admirers than I've had hot dinners. Unfortunately it's really quite dull, being very light on dialogue and low on incident, and clearly an autobiography with made-up names. The focus is on her sexual profligacy and its cause – the over-bearing father, or the layers of make-up, or the fact she found marriage a non-starter of an idea? You have to realise this was written in the early 1970s about a character who starts the pages here as a teen during WWI to get any credence from it – were the setting anywhen more recent you'd be as bored as I was. And were this any shorter I'd have ditched it as not worth my while. Certainly not one to be recommended to the general reader, this scrapes two stars.

The Story of a Single Woman follows Kazue throughout her life and the way she bucks against societal expectations. The prose was soft and slow which is typical of Japanese literature and as a result was intriguing to read.