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hanacopter's review against another edition
3.0
This reads like meeting that one slightly boring no face acquaintance you knew from high school in your mid 40s in a bar - as the night progresses, you think they're going to tell you something mildly interesting but it just gets slightly more weird and uncomfortable.
2.5/5 rated it 3 out of pure pity
2.5/5 rated it 3 out of pure pity
cschwarz's review against another edition
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bungadinding's review against another edition
4.0
Perasaan di awal ceritanya adem ayem banget tapi di ending tahu-tahu sedih??
krispiefries's review against another edition
Wasn’t interested in the characters.
amyo's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ninabruinhof's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
onkeltuka's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
lostkafka's review against another edition
3.0
Felt like a reading good slice of life short story book,
also It ended just as abruptly as it began !!
also It ended just as abruptly as it began !!
alexander5_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I did not finish this. Around the beginning I was very into what the book was displaying and giving me to chew on, but it just became horribly tacked-on and repetitive. There are great moments sprinkled throughout the book but the characters are so dull that you hardly care about them! Sensei is such a dick! And most of the book is written like, 'Sensei did this, sensei did that' you don't even get to see Tsukiko say his name in the latter portions of the book!
Also, Tsukiko, oh boy.
Tsukiko is horrifically boring, and I mean that with complete honesty. She is apparently middle-aged but any intelligent or insightful writing is removed considering the book never acknowledges her age! Where are the complex and realistic chapters about the fear of ageing and going into possible medical or mental issues she may be facing! Kawakami is so unforgiveably uninterested in going head-first into the complexities of her characters that you don't care one bit about them as time supposedly goes on.
Why does Sensei die without any previous warning?
What happened to Kojima and why is his descent into adulthood at a young age not explored enough?
Why is Ms Ishino hardly explored?
Why does the book never feel the need to mention high-school and the main character's parental situations or family ties?
So much of the thing is padding, and painfully repetitive and repeated writing that goes nowhere and creates nearly no interesting prose. Sometimes Kawakami will break up the monotony with a 'complex' sounding word, but realistically the writing is so insistent on Sensei that I had to laugh and feel like I needed to bang my head against a brick wall to remove the constant insertion of Sensei doing the smallest thing ever.
.....
The book was nice at the start, and had a few decent scenarios and character moments, but it soon unravels to become consistently undercooked, with a love story that is almost as insipid as Sensei himself. I'm done.
Also, Tsukiko, oh boy.
Tsukiko is horrifically boring, and I mean that with complete honesty. She is apparently middle-aged but any intelligent or insightful writing is removed considering the book never acknowledges her age! Where are the complex and realistic chapters about the fear of ageing and going into possible medical or mental issues she may be facing! Kawakami is so unforgiveably uninterested in going head-first into the complexities of her characters that you don't care one bit about them as time supposedly goes on.
Why does Sensei die without any previous warning?
What happened to Kojima and why is his descent into adulthood at a young age not explored enough?
Why is Ms Ishino hardly explored?
Why does the book never feel the need to mention high-school and the main character's parental situations or family ties?
So much of the thing is padding, and painfully repetitive and repeated writing that goes nowhere and creates nearly no interesting prose. Sometimes Kawakami will break up the monotony with a 'complex' sounding word, but realistically the writing is so insistent on Sensei that I had to laugh and feel like I needed to bang my head against a brick wall to remove the constant insertion of Sensei doing the smallest thing ever.
.....
The book was nice at the start, and had a few decent scenarios and character moments, but it soon unravels to become consistently undercooked, with a love story that is almost as insipid as Sensei himself. I'm done.
kcjulia's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0