Scan barcode
ellarosek's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
ratwizardben's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
zuuru's review against another edition
2.0
I really liked the premise, I liked around 60-70% of the book, but a good chunk of the end made me so bored I was skipping pages, which I very rarely do. A pity.
cat_thecatlady's review
3.0
definitely don't know how to feel about this one. you can tell this is mishima's first book, as it is very unorganised whether is be plot or structure wise. there's still moments where you see his genius shine and just like in all of his other works, it's beautifully written. but it just lacks guidance, you can never understand if it's a satire or a true political statement. and those 50 odd pages, towards the end, of weird "does humanity really deserve to live" rant really were... something
zzsoo's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
agustdays's review
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It lost me a little in the middle, but picked up for the last third or so, from the conversation with the others - definitely the strongest point of the book. Structurally, quite over the place and it was hard to actively keep myself engaged. Not something to read obsessively in one sitting for sure, but it was nice to come and go with reading portions over a week or so and to reflect on. Some very lovely passages in amongst the rough.
hannah_gunn's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
pekey_reads's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was a sweet and different book. The main thrust is a meditation on truth and love both between family members and for all of mankind in general. The translation is excellent so the text is quite beautiful and descriptive while still maintaining the Japanese style of the author. I enjoyed thins and read it quickly, I think my criticism would be that there's little to no plot to drive it all forward, just connective tissue to string the different conversations together, which is fine, but a little different for a western reader.