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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4☆ I love Hiromi Kawakami's writing style, even when things happening seem completely absurd. This one was stranger than Strange Weather in Tokyo, oddly enough, but still elegantly simple and enjoyable.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"I had intended to ignore him, but I had hardly spoken all day, and I felt like making some kind of sound" (104)
And so sums up the pace and tone of this text.
The Nakano Thrift Shop fell flat for me, but I am SO GLAD I read it, because it became the PERFECT STUDY of texts in translation. I am far from fluent in Japanese, but I know enough to understand the syntax and how it compares with English. And there are some phrases that appear as linguistic quirks of our characters, that I think are a little more comprehendible when we consider the language in which the text was written.
Exhibit A:
"Now, you see, I'll lose confidence, with her writing that kind of thing, he went on, blinking this eyes. Suddenly another waft of the scent of dust drifted over from Mr. Nakano.
"So, you mean, your style of lovemaking is simpler? I ventured without thinking, driven by curiosity.
"No, uh, even though I'm middle-aged - you know what I mean? - I still do all right. But, you know, what is it - pretentious? Or elaborate? I mean, really that business with the finger, that's not my kind of thing.
"Come to think of it, there was something about Sakiko's writing that was reminiscent of the way that Mr. Nakano talked. 'This here, what is lit, literary?'
"By the way, what kind of things were you able to buy today? I changed the subject" (110)
The first thing that will hit you is the infrequent usage of quotation marks to distinguish speakers. I'm not sure the reason for the inconsistency, other than it gives a sort of stream-of-consciousness sense, with us switching between speakers within one paragraph, without quotations, and then having quotations in the next line, but then nowhere for the next four lines.
But on the whole, this is undoubtedly a character study more than anything else. Its purpose is not to enwrap you in a plot; if you are looking for one, you may not find one of much depth. It is all about the characters that we meet initially working at the thrift shop, and what happens after the shop closes its doors.
And so sums up the pace and tone of this text.
The Nakano Thrift Shop fell flat for me, but I am SO GLAD I read it, because it became the PERFECT STUDY of texts in translation. I am far from fluent in Japanese, but I know enough to understand the syntax and how it compares with English. And there are some phrases that appear as linguistic quirks of our characters, that I think are a little more comprehendible when we consider the language in which the text was written.
Exhibit A:
"Now, you see, I'll lose confidence, with her writing that kind of thing, he went on, blinking this eyes. Suddenly another waft of the scent of dust drifted over from Mr. Nakano.
"So, you mean, your style of lovemaking is simpler? I ventured without thinking, driven by curiosity.
"No, uh, even though I'm middle-aged - you know what I mean? - I still do all right. But, you know, what is it - pretentious? Or elaborate? I mean, really that business with the finger, that's not my kind of thing.
"Come to think of it, there was something about Sakiko's writing that was reminiscent of the way that Mr. Nakano talked. 'This here, what is lit, literary?'
"By the way, what kind of things were you able to buy today? I changed the subject" (110)
The first thing that will hit you is the infrequent usage of quotation marks to distinguish speakers. I'm not sure the reason for the inconsistency, other than it gives a sort of stream-of-consciousness sense, with us switching between speakers within one paragraph, without quotations, and then having quotations in the next line, but then nowhere for the next four lines.
But on the whole, this is undoubtedly a character study more than anything else. Its purpose is not to enwrap you in a plot; if you are looking for one, you may not find one of much depth. It is all about the characters that we meet initially working at the thrift shop, and what happens after the shop closes its doors.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Maybe 2.5 or 3 stars?? I can’t decide. It was fine but nothing really happens and I had to force myself to keep reading sometimes.
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this book. It captures the sweetness of life in its greatest simplicity. I liked the honest confusion that each character embodied as the novel really captured the awkward chaos that daily routine gifts us. This book was a slice of life and I loved it.
A criticism of the book may be that it didn’t follow an actual story line but that’s also not what it was meant to do. It shows the uniqueness of everyone in our lives and the changing of times. This book will make you appreciate life more; the way you consider your simplest joys will be accompanied by more gratitude and acceptance.
Another thing I enjoyed about the book was the writing. It was easy to read as it felt relatable and scarily similar to your own daily thoughts. The More you read, the better the writing gets and the more developed and comforting the cast of characters gets.
A criticism of the book may be that it didn’t follow an actual story line but that’s also not what it was meant to do. It shows the uniqueness of everyone in our lives and the changing of times. This book will make you appreciate life more; the way you consider your simplest joys will be accompanied by more gratitude and acceptance.
Another thing I enjoyed about the book was the writing. It was easy to read as it felt relatable and scarily similar to your own daily thoughts. The More you read, the better the writing gets and the more developed and comforting the cast of characters gets.
medium-paced