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interlibraryloan's review against another edition
4.0
Such a fascinating series of stories, all underlaid by a magical realism steeped in Japanese folklore. Enchanting yet terrifying, it feels hard to capture this book in one genre, and maybe it would be an injustice to do so. Fantasy acts as a mirror, here, rather than an escape. I doubt any of these stories will be leaving me anytime soon.
livres_de_bloss's review against another edition
3.0
This was a real mixed bag for me. Overall, the theme felt geared at parents which I didn’t connect with. Some of these were strong, others left me scratching my head.
Individual Ratings:
The Return to Monsterland: 3.5/5
Placentophagy: 1.5/5 (This grossed me out.)
Rokurokubi: 3/5
Girl Zero: 4.5/5
The Peach Boy: 2.5/5 (Strange.)
The Inn of the Dead's Orientation for Being a Japanese Ghost: 5/5 (My favourite of the twelve.)
The Passage of Time in the Abyss: 4/5
The Rest of the Way: 3.5/5
Where We Go When All We Were Is Gone: 4.5/5 (Another good one.)
Snow Baby: 1/5 (I didn’t understand this at all.)
Headwater LLC: 4.5/5 (This was sad but really well done.)
Kenta's Posthumous Chrysanthemum: 2/5 (Again, not really sure what was going on here.)
I tracked this down because How High We Go In The Dark has been the best book I’ve read in 2023. I’m glad I read this one, but it wasn’t nearly as good and not worth the £12 I paid for it.
Individual Ratings:
The Return to Monsterland: 3.5/5
Placentophagy: 1.5/5 (This grossed me out.)
Rokurokubi: 3/5
Girl Zero: 4.5/5
The Peach Boy: 2.5/5 (Strange.)
The Inn of the Dead's Orientation for Being a Japanese Ghost: 5/5 (My favourite of the twelve.)
The Passage of Time in the Abyss: 4/5
The Rest of the Way: 3.5/5
Where We Go When All We Were Is Gone: 4.5/5 (Another good one.)
Snow Baby: 1/5 (I didn’t understand this at all.)
Headwater LLC: 4.5/5 (This was sad but really well done.)
Kenta's Posthumous Chrysanthemum: 2/5 (Again, not really sure what was going on here.)
I tracked this down because How High We Go In The Dark has been the best book I’ve read in 2023. I’m glad I read this one, but it wasn’t nearly as good and not worth the £12 I paid for it.
rrrrroger's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
jcarolm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
wholewheatwhale's review against another edition
5.0
A very, very good book. A prior knowledge of Japanese folklore and folktales will certainly add a deeper meaning to this book but might not necessarily be needed. A fine tuned writing style conveys a different emotion to perfection in each story. This book made me laugh and sigh with saddness at different times. *side note* Any book that opens with a quote from the anime Serial Experiments Lain is gonna be a weird one guaranteed. XD
johnreinhartpoet's review against another edition
5.0
Where We Go When All We Were Is Gone is a brilliant and beautiful poetic consmatteration of Japanese mythology of every stripe that brings us back to question ourselves.
I fell in love with the first story, wishing that it wouldn't end. The mashup of Godzilla as pop culture and myth and a touching family story works seamlessly and sets the tone for the rest of the book. Even when I found myself unsettled by a story, Nagamatsu weaves the fantastic in such a way to make that discomfort seem normal, mostly.
I couldn't put it down.
I fell in love with the first story, wishing that it wouldn't end. The mashup of Godzilla as pop culture and myth and a touching family story works seamlessly and sets the tone for the rest of the book. Even when I found myself unsettled by a story, Nagamatsu weaves the fantastic in such a way to make that discomfort seem normal, mostly.
I couldn't put it down.
estrandberg's review against another edition
5.0
This collection of short stories based on Japanese Folklore is eloquent, poetic, and beautifully dark, touching on topics of grief and loss in an imaginative and sometimes disturbing format. I have a feeling these stories will stick with me for some time, as I’m already finding myself thinking about them in my day-to-day activities. My favorites were:
(1) Girl Zero
(2) The Rokurokubi
(3) The self-titled story
(4) Return to Monsterland
Already looking forward to re-reading this book in the future, as it was a fast but vividly rich read. Also, this has me very eager to read Nagamatsu’s latest novel ‘How High We Go in the Dark.’
(1) Girl Zero
(2) The Rokurokubi
(3) The self-titled story
(4) Return to Monsterland
Already looking forward to re-reading this book in the future, as it was a fast but vividly rich read. Also, this has me very eager to read Nagamatsu’s latest novel ‘How High We Go in the Dark.’
meghabytes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
hank's review against another edition
4.0
Short stories all exploring the nature of mostly failed relationships set in truly bizarre environments. Kaiju form the backdrop of the first and shapeshifters form the basis of a later one. All have struggling relationships at their core.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of them if a little weird to wrap my head around Godzilla being the cause of marital strife.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of them if a little weird to wrap my head around Godzilla being the cause of marital strife.