ララピポ

Life Goes On

Vulgar, crude, but oddly compelling, ララピポ is a sex and schadenfreude-fueled fever dream of a book featuring six interconnected short stories featuring a cast of the most pathetic losers this side of 渋谷センター街. There is absolutely no dull moment in any of the stories as each protagonist succumbs to various vices and sinks from the lowest lows to even further depths, hurtling towards self-destruction at mach speed. Poor decisions are made, bad behavior is justified by self-pity and pride, and the last remaining yen bills in already-lean wallets are frittered away on prostitutes and pleasure, leaving behind only sweet, sweet downfall. Despite the lewd and absurd nature of the plot, 奥田 never loses control over the narrative and there is almost a sense of poignancy amidst the moans and secretions of bodily fluids—to be human is to be a slave to one’s own ego, loneliness, and desires. But no matter what happens, tomorrow comes and life goes on.

I happened to love this book and thought it was unhinged in the best way. Listening to the audiobook, there were many moments where my wireless headphones kept falling out because I was laughing so hard at all the outrageous plot developments and they wouldn’t stay in! But it’s not all smut and laughing at the misfortune of others - I found myself slightly attached to all the characters by the end of the book and felt comforted by the humanity hidden deep beneath the layers…many, many layers…of filth. ララピポ is certainly is not for every reader, but if you enjoy black humor and are intrigued by the idea of erotica masquerading as literature (or perhaps literature masquerading as erotica?!), then it might be right up your alley! I especially recommend the audiobook edition, as the voice actors did a fantastic job bringing the entire cast of characters to life, which made all the different personalities and archetypes really pop. If you do choose the audiobook route, though, make sure you listen only when alone or with headphones…you’ll thank me later.