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saraaaa's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have contrasting opinions about this work. The reading was off to a great start, with a medium-lenght novella, almost a fantasy set in day-to-day activities. Having no idea of what to expect from this book, it's probable that the enthusiasm for this first novella set too high stakes for the next five ones. At first I wondered why the author seemed to prefer male protagonists, - I thought a 1st-person narration would've been easier to manage if the person had the same gender of the writer. But going on with my reading, and finding some female protagonists, I found out the emotional shallowness of the characters was just part of her writing style. Going forward, the daily routine got more and more heavily ordinary, the stories kept getting longer.
So, if Yoshimoto's writing style, yet unknown to me, enraptured me from the first few pages, with its mystic realism, I also got tired of it quickly. It's the kind of collection to keep on your nightstand, to read when in a particular state of mind, only ever once in a while.
So, if Yoshimoto's writing style, yet unknown to me, enraptured me from the first few pages, with its mystic realism, I also got tired of it quickly. It's the kind of collection to keep on your nightstand, to read when in a particular state of mind, only ever once in a while.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
readingwithkt's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked this short story collection up after watching a YouTube review that said it dealt with the theme of fate - something which really interests me!
This short volume contains six short stories, each of which introduces us to a new character who is dealing with their past, present, and future colliding in these really interesting encounters with other people. I found the stories really interesting and was most drawn in with the, what I believe is Buddhist, thinking on reincarnation. I've never seen that represented in fiction but it's a part of Buddhism that I connect with. Overall, Lizard contains super engaging themes! I'm so pleased I picked this collection up.
The downside with the collection is that I sometimes felt like the character development was a little weak and that there was a lot more juice that could have been squeezed from the themes - both of which are tough to pull off in such short texts, to be fair. The collection definitely gets stronger as it goes on. I thought 'Dreaming of Kimchee' and 'Blood and Water' were both great in exploring our ties to people around us, how we trust our gut instincts about people and situations, and how we can, unfortunately, wind up feeling untethered from those around us and, in dire times, life itself. However, I wanted a little more from them both and think they could have been better fleshed out.
The final short story, labeled 'A Strange Tale From Down by the River' was the most convincing of the collection and the only short story that I found myself getting really lost in. Definitely my favourite short story in Lizard!
This short volume contains six short stories, each of which introduces us to a new character who is dealing with their past, present, and future colliding in these really interesting encounters with other people. I found the stories really interesting and was most drawn in with the, what I believe is Buddhist, thinking on reincarnation. I've never seen that represented in fiction but it's a part of Buddhism that I connect with. Overall, Lizard contains super engaging themes! I'm so pleased I picked this collection up.
The downside with the collection is that I sometimes felt like the character development was a little weak and that there was a lot more juice that could have been squeezed from the themes - both of which are tough to pull off in such short texts, to be fair. The collection definitely gets stronger as it goes on. I thought 'Dreaming of Kimchee' and 'Blood and Water' were both great in exploring our ties to people around us, how we trust our gut instincts about people and situations, and how we can, unfortunately, wind up feeling untethered from those around us and, in dire times, life itself. However, I wanted a little more from them both and think they could have been better fleshed out.
The final short story, labeled 'A Strange Tale From Down by the River' was the most convincing of the collection and the only short story that I found myself getting really lost in. Definitely my favourite short story in Lizard!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Additional CW: weaponry (knife violence).