Reviews

Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad

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arr2_dee2's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

I came through this book in a bookshop which I went for the first time. I liked how it was looking but I bought a different book. When I had the opportunity to have an audiobook I immediately bought this and it was the best narration of a book I've heard until now.

The last part of the book could've been even more wholesome but I thought it ended in a rush. Nevertheless a good experience hearing this. I would love to hear more untold stories in the author's life in beginning to mid years of him living in Japan.

zozo9's review

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adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.75

fennore's review

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4.0

Preface with I have watched Chris's channel for years. Enjoyed his content and have always appreciated his scripts and pacing for his videos.

I would say, that if you have watched his videos & seen some of his growth, the reader will connect more with it, then if they haven't. Could be a pro and a con. So, as an avid watcher, I gave this a 4, but if you have never watched his content, would give it a 3.
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This book was a great read for me. Again, I really enjoy Chris's videos and have always had them on in the background as I paint or do other tasks around the house.

So for me, I connected more with this book. I do feel like there are two parts to this: Rural Japan & Teaching vs. Sendai & Youtube and they have a different feel to them. I found I personally enjoyed the Rural Japan & Teaching, since I think the culture shock is something everyone can relate to in some way and his growth within those years is more engaging.

Not that the Youtube part wasn't interesting, but I did feel it jumped around more in the second half of the book and was harder to follow without going back to look at the videos he was mentioning.

The writing was also similar to his video scripts, with sarcasm and British humor. I did enjoy them in the book, but there was some that I think could have been omitted. Some parts felt a bit forced to have a certain amount put in per chapter, and something I note, takes away from the seriousness of growth and experiences.

Overall, really enjoyed this book. Would highly recommend if you watch Abroad in Japan, or if you are looking for a fun book to read with some history on Japan's prefectures, cultural differences, and some of the educational structure.