"Haunting . . . Less experimental fiction and more fiction on the human experiment--what kinds of new approaches to mating, community and family will allow people to survive? . . . [Kawakami] finds humor and warmth in the puzzles of existence and extinction." --Hilary Leichter, The New York Times Book Review

"Under the Eye of the Big Bird is a disquieting work of speculative fiction from celebrated Japanese author Hiromi Kawakami . . . [It] offers a poignant look at a dying civilization looking to rebuild . . . Kawakami poses questions about cloning, reproduction, identity, memory, and evolution, while also offering solutions to combat mankind's downfall." --Shannon Carlin, Time

"A series of interconnected vignettes that take place in a world in which sexual reproduction, family ties and societal roles have been reimagined . . . an atmospheric vision of a civilization adrift." --Thu-Huong Ha, The Japan Times

"[Kawakami's] terse, candid prose emphasizes the alienation of a world where death, sex, and clones all feel equally mechanical. At the same time, the processes by which these not-quite-humans begin to re-create religion and society feel innately familiar." --The New Yorker

"Under the Eye of the Big Bird is full of precisely considered visions of a world post-mysterious collapse, all calmly related in language that is strangely soothing; there's a sense of inevitability to each of Kawakami's sentences and stories, even when what's inevitable is the fading of humanity . . . the work of a singular imagination and a book that will reward multiple readings." --Molly Templeton, Esquire

"Kawakami takes her idiosyncratic and quirkily funny eye to science fiction . . . With signature style, Kawakami writes a distinct and off-kilter epic of Earth on the brink of collapse across 14 distinct geological epochs." --Sam Franzini, Our Culture Mag

"[A] visionary speculative work . . . This will stay with readers." --Publishers Weekly

"[Kawakami] examines the disturbing fate of humanity, intriguingly fused with biblical references and (r)evolutionary theories. Notable translator Yoneda deftly captures Kawakami's meticulous balance of doom-and-gloom and a surprisingly poignant charm." --Booklist

"Speculative, artful . . . [It] sketches out the end of the world while simultaneously positing nearly unthinkable solutions and grappling with fundamental questions about identity, evolution, memory, and individualism . . . A wild take on humanity's last stand and our flawed understanding of who we are." --Kirkus Reviews

"No other book of hers convinces me more that Kawakami used to be a teacher of chemistry. A sad but beautiful depiction of a perishing world." --Banana Yoshimoto

"When I finally closed this book, I felt as though I'd become one of Kawakami's narrators. I even found myself glancing behind me to make sure no one was watching. Calling this book 'worth reading' does it hardly any justice at all."--Yukiko Motoya, author of The Lonesome Bodybuilder

"This delicate story about the future of humankind is fantastical, serious, and nostalgic. I was absolutely stunned by it."--Yasutaka Tsutsui, author of Paprika

"It's as if all of the stories Kawakami had accumulated inside her brain suddenly broke through its membrane and burst into the world. I have a feeling that Hiromi Kawakami will someday win the Nobel Prize."--P+D Magazine