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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
What I loved about this book is how clearly the Japanese tradition and culture shines through. The author was very thorough in her research of each era of Japanese history and she creates a vivid portrait of life before and after WWII. The history of Sumo and Noh theater were definitely the highlights for me, as they're both things that I'd never known much about previously. Everything else was just kind of OK. I liked the characters and really enjoyed their intricate connections to each other, but I wasn't heavily invested in them. I enjoyed the story, but there were several parts where I just didn't care and the ending felt slow and unsatisfying. Ultimately, this novel made me want to learn more about Japan and go visit the beautiful places Tsukiyama has so artfully described. Whether I'd recommend it for any reason other than to insight wanderlust? I'm not totally sure.
Perhaps I was not in the mood for this heavy epic...good writing, good story. I just remember finishing Samurai's Garden with such a peaceful feeling...not so with this one.
Fascinating perspective on what the Japanese had to endure during and after Pearl Harbor. I had no idea, since we never hear about their side of the story. Deep insight into sumo culture, which was also interesting to learn about.
Fascinating perspective on what the Japanese had to endure during and after Pearl Harbor. I had no idea, since we never hear about their side of the story. Deep insight into sumo culture, which was also interesting to learn about.
Really beautiful and tragic story that mostly follows the lives of two pairs of siblings in Japan during the war and post war period. Took awhile to really get to know the characters, but once I was bought into them it was a compelling read. It is a hearbreaking read though and especially once you get drawn in the hits keep coming. The book gives vivid descripitons of Japanese life as well as Sumo and Noh theater. A good summer read.
Another sweeping family saga that just didn't do it for me. The style felt a bit choppy and unfocused. I found the history part (Japan during the war, sumo and Noh info) very interesting but the characters, not so much.
This book had probably too many story lines in it, but it was still really beautifully told, even if it was super depressing!
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked the book but found that it was just too much death for me. A miscarriage, a freak accident, suicide, the death of a baby, casualties as result of the war. Some of the deaths seemed understandable due to the circumstance of part of the book taking place during WW2. However other deaths just seemed unnecessary in my opinion. Other than that I did enjoy reading it, it is a slow read but I found that as it jumped around from different people's perspectives, I didn't get lost or uninterested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death, Suicide
Minor: Miscarriage
I love me an epic Asian story. The title confused me. I must have missed the part of the story that mentioned the street of a thousand blossoms.
Solid story of two orphaned brothers living with their awesome grandparents in Tokyo during and after WWII. Many interesting side characters and lots of detail about Japanese traditions (Noh theatre and sumo in particular).
It was a nice read, but I don't think it's something that will stick with me for a very long time (other than the lingering desire to visit Japan).
It was a nice read, but I don't think it's something that will stick with me for a very long time (other than the lingering desire to visit Japan).