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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
fast-paced
My second Ogawa after the chilly The Diving Pool. It's difficult to decide if this is 'Eleven Dark Tales' as the subtitle tells us or eleven chapters of a sprawling nightmarish novella. Either way, this far surpasses The Diving Pool in ambition, scope, and calm creepiness. Her voice is understated, powerful, and clinically gruesome. Compulsive as scratching an itch till it bleeds. And just as transgressively pleasurable.
'"I'm buying [strawberry shortcake] for my son. Today is his birthday."
"Really? Well, I hope it's a happy one. How old is he?"
"Six. He'll always be six. He's dead."
'"I'm buying [strawberry shortcake] for my son. Today is his birthday."
"Really? Well, I hope it's a happy one. How old is he?"
"Six. He'll always be six. He's dead."
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Es un libro entretenido uno piensa encontrarse con una cosa y termina con otras siendo bien realistas es hasta complicado de entender en algún punto pese en que como tal no tiene historia y la lectura es sencilla pero eso le da un toque interpretativo entretenido no es lo mejor de yoko ogawa ni de este tipo de lecturas pero esta bueno
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ogawa does something unique in this collection that I don’t want to mention because it might be a bit of a spoiler. I respected it, but overall I didn’t love this collection because only a few of the 11 stories elicited any emotion out of me. The others had left me confused about the author’s intentions and at the end of them I’ve just thought, “okay, that was a short story I guess.” There’s some creepiness, but with a title like “Revenge” I thought I was going to get a lot more from this.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
this was soo cooollllll…like i’m in awe. in eleven distinct short stories, ogawa creates this eerie, unsettling universe where everyone shares the same strange dreamlike reality where each character is connected in obscure ways. each story is different, but the stories all connect, and there is a definite chronology, although it moves forward and backwards in time. it’s hard to tell who is writing the story and who is living it. everyone seems to be grappling with loneliness and isolation while perpetually seeking connection. the recurring motifs of kiwis and cherry trees throughout the book were really cool, and i really got a feel for how works of classical japanese poetry influenced this novel.
at one point ogawa writes “the prose was unremarkable, as were the plot and characters, but there was an icy current running under her words, and [one] found [oneself] wanting to plunge into it again and again”. this quote presents itself as a reflection on another character’s writing, but it’s evident that ogawa is providing commentary on HER OWN prose because this description fits so perfectly. it takes a very special kind of writer to have this level of consciousness i’m gagged
The stories are so so weird but have this undercurrent of sadness. It's told in typical Japanese authors fashion, slow and slice of life type which I adore. It didn't elicit any particular emotion from me tho, it was an okay read.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes