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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
• Audible Original audiobook (Length: 3.5 hours)
Publisher's Summary:
Banana Yoshimoto's warm, witty, and heartfelt depictions of the lives of young Japanese have earned her international acclaim and best seller status, as well as a place among the best of contemporary Japanese literature. In Lizard, now available in Grove Press paperback, Yoshimoto deftly fuses traditional and pop culture to create contemporary portraits of love and life. These six tales explore themes of time, healing, and fate - and the journeys of self-discovery through which young urbanites come to terms with them.
In "Newlywed", an unhappily married young man deliberately misses his stop on the train, only to be questioned by a shape-shifting homeless man about the trials of his marriage. In "Blood and Water", a woman recalls how she left the village she grew up in - which was run by a New Age cult - in order to lead a fulfilling life, even against her parents' wishes. And in the title story, "Lizard", a woman who has never before felt truly secure in her life admits a deep secret to her lover - that she has the ability to heal others with her mind.
In different ways, these six stories explore what it takes to navigate the perils of the modern world as well as what it takes to reinvent one's self. Permeated by the author's own effervescent spin on magic realism, Lizard cements a special place for Yoshimoto in 20th-century Japanese fiction.
Publisher's Summary:
Banana Yoshimoto's warm, witty, and heartfelt depictions of the lives of young Japanese have earned her international acclaim and best seller status, as well as a place among the best of contemporary Japanese literature. In Lizard, now available in Grove Press paperback, Yoshimoto deftly fuses traditional and pop culture to create contemporary portraits of love and life. These six tales explore themes of time, healing, and fate - and the journeys of self-discovery through which young urbanites come to terms with them.
In "Newlywed", an unhappily married young man deliberately misses his stop on the train, only to be questioned by a shape-shifting homeless man about the trials of his marriage. In "Blood and Water", a woman recalls how she left the village she grew up in - which was run by a New Age cult - in order to lead a fulfilling life, even against her parents' wishes. And in the title story, "Lizard", a woman who has never before felt truly secure in her life admits a deep secret to her lover - that she has the ability to heal others with her mind.
In different ways, these six stories explore what it takes to navigate the perils of the modern world as well as what it takes to reinvent one's self. Permeated by the author's own effervescent spin on magic realism, Lizard cements a special place for Yoshimoto in 20th-century Japanese fiction.
3/5 stars - not sure if it's the translation, but i wasn't really feeling the writing.
favorites: blood and water, a strange tale from down the river
favorites: blood and water, a strange tale from down the river
I liked the last two stories best and the first was kinda interesting too. The others were somewhat forgettable. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the quiet, reflective mood that it invites.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this is my first experience with anything written by banana yoshimoto, so i didn’t know what to expect going in but i was quickly taken by the dream like writing !! this is a collection of short stories, each focusing on different ways people find their own places and hope and purposes in life. at times it left me reflecting and touched so i really enjoyed reading this from where i’m at right now.
there is something a little sparse about these stories in the way they aren’t too heavy on the details, they bled with an atmosphere of slice of life reality and fantasy. and despite the sparse feeling of them, they still hold emotions of hopefulness by the end which i think is a really nice company to have when going through your own self discovery. the stories are written like snapshots, all seeming to share the transitioning from one part of someone’s life into another and because of that the narrators have a lot of complicated emotions (entering different parts of a life is never a light thing so). so it kept my attention!!
i was probably a little too hasty with how quickly i read them but i think this collection is something i’d reread again in the future. and i definitely want to check out more of this authors work now
although i’d say definitely checking the content warnings before reading this is like a must
there is something a little sparse about these stories in the way they aren’t too heavy on the details, they bled with an atmosphere of slice of life reality and fantasy. and despite the sparse feeling of them, they still hold emotions of hopefulness by the end which i think is a really nice company to have when going through your own self discovery. the stories are written like snapshots, all seeming to share the transitioning from one part of someone’s life into another and because of that the narrators have a lot of complicated emotions (entering different parts of a life is never a light thing so). so it kept my attention!!
i was probably a little too hasty with how quickly i read them but i think this collection is something i’d reread again in the future. and i definitely want to check out more of this authors work now
although i’d say definitely checking the content warnings before reading this is like a must
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No