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bookworld_15's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A love letter on how we should treat others and how we should treat ourselves. I was in aw at the self reflection that was in this book. From accountability, to forgiveness, I was washed clean of my own inner turmoils with Banana's writing. Every sentence, and every paragraph was constructed to tug at the heart strings within your chest, to remind you and comfort you that humanity can be... hopeful.
moth_dance's review against another edition
5.0
Soft meditations. Slice of life reflections. Lo-fi contemporary fiction. Tokyo on slo-mo.
Yet another beautiful and thoughtful addition for any Banana Yoshimoto collection. In fact, maybe you should start here with these short stories before digging into her more complex novels?
Yet another beautiful and thoughtful addition for any Banana Yoshimoto collection. In fact, maybe you should start here with these short stories before digging into her more complex novels?
anyajulchen's review against another edition
5.0
Es la primera vez en mucho tiempo que leo algo escrito tan simple, pero cuya carga de sentimientos, de sensaciones y de reflexiones es tan compleja como sus personajes. Son relatos cortos y eternos.
No puedo esperar a explorar el resto de la bibliografía de Yoshimoto.
No puedo esperar a explorar el resto de la bibliografía de Yoshimoto.
suvata's review against another edition
4.0
• 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.
carlynclark's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
halee926's review
3.0
I really enjoyed these short stories. There was one that I did skip but the other stories made up for it
cjblandford's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked this collection of stories, but didn't love it. The first story, Newlywed, was really interesting though, and elevates this collection for me. These stories do capture a feeling of the early '90s, the ennui, the changes in society that were happening unseen to many of us, and of course, the struggle to find identity, purpose, and hope are universal. I was intrigued enough by this collection that I will read more of Yoshimoto-san's works.
hater_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Hay algo en los relatos de Banana Yoshimoto que me atrapan y me hacen adentrarme de una manera tan profunda en la historia que me resulta difícil dejar de leer. La autora retrata con tanta cotidianidad la soledad, la esperanza, el amor y las conexiones humanas. Cada relato está escrito de una manera única y preciosa, cada personaje en esta obra se encuentra perdido o a punto de alcanzar aquello que "le falta", sin embargo, no se trata de cumplir un sueño o de alcanzar lo imposible, se dan cuenta de que aquel elemento está en su propio mundo, en sí o en quienes aman. Este es el segundo libro de relatos/cuentos, que leo de Banana Yoshimoto y solo me queda decir que he llegado a conectar con sus historias de una manera tan bella y personal que se ha convertido en una de mis autoras favoritas.
petersa's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5