Spark Joy: An Illustrated Guide to the Life-Changing KonMari Method by Marie Kondō
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have a secret dark fantasy:
Marie Kondo spends the day traveling throughout Tokyo, helping others to seperate objects that spark joy from those that don’t. She does this gracefully, with a balanced air of Shinto/Buddhist non-attachment and anthropomorphic mysticism. Her movements are measured, her dress immaculate and always white, and her speech calming to all who come in contact with her. She is the human fulfillment of a world which is curated to spark joy.
Marie Kondo returns to her home in the evening. Her husband opens the door for her before she can even take out her keys from her uncluttered handbag. The sweet smells of tomato based pasta eminate from the doorway. He has been cooking. Dinner is ready!
Marie Kondo steps forward, and in a fit of pychopathic rage punches her husband squarly in the eye. She shouts, “Spark Joy, Bitch!” She then unleashes a primal scream that shatters every glass in the apartment. Her husband shouts, “Why!!?” But Konmari just runs to the corner, behind the sofa, and cowers in the fetal position. She cries herself to sleep and wakes in the morning, ready to help another client spark joy.
End Scene
All kidding aside, this follow up to her magnum opus was a rather swift read with interesting pointers to help guide us through the tidying process. Initially I was worried that this “illustrated guide” would be 200 pages of cutesy sketches of how to fold socks. But surpisingly the illustrated elements weren’t that extensive and there is substantial more text than I expected. Some of her insights might be a bit lost in cultural translation for Western audiences (who might not show as much affinity for stuffed animals and calligraphy), but on a whole this volume serves as a decent supplement to those wishing to take tidying to the extreme.