Reviews

Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto

evamgbg's review against another edition

4.0

I was recommended this book as something to read if you're feeling lost, which I certainly am, and I can certainly see why. I just finished reading it in basically one sitting. For those that are growing up and out/into themselves, in a new city, missing home/family but needing to start fresh, learning/trying to fall in love in spite of childhood trauma; for any sort of confusion and feeling of not knowing about life, it's a beautiful read.

vanessa_177's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

twiggwit's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

phoenix2's review against another edition

2.0

Lizard is an anthology of short stories by Banana Yoshimoto. And even though they all had her flare and distinctive way of narration, I did enjoy the first ones only, with the final one kind of losing me with its twists and turns. I like also the ideas embedded in the stories.

brindabani's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

coffeebooksrepeat's review against another edition

5.0

These stories of guilt, of dancing DNAs, of river bridges, of losing and later (re)discovering spirituality, and bringing home a huge jar of kimchee show relatable circumstances of adults searching for things that truly matter while facing real world challenges in urban cities.

Reading this tiny book about experiences, trauma, healing, and becoming was satisfying but at the same time frustrating because I wanted a couple of stories to be a bit longer, a full novel even.

Officially signing up as a member of #Bananarama!

While I usually rate my books with coffee, I’d rate this one differently. Giving this wonderful little gem 4 huge jars of homemade kimchee.

deerling's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I've never read anything from Banana Yoshimoto before. Somehow this short story collection was nice and interesting to read, even though nothing much happened throughout the book. I'll most likely continue reading Yoshimoto's other works.

bookworld_15's review against another edition

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.

annie_media's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

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?