Reviews

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

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skepticcurmudgeon's review against another edition

5.0

A truly 4 dimensional book. You get the journal, Ruth's thoughts about the journal, the quantum uncertainty of time and a sprinkling of magical realism to chew on. My friends give me the best recommendations thanks! This book is now on my top ten list because I will see the world from a different perspective going forward.

book_concierge's review against another edition

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4.0

Book on CD read by the author

This is Ozeki’s most widely-read work (if the Goodreads ratings are any indication). It was nominated for both the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and it won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

The novel is told in a dual timeframe with two distinct narrative arcs. We have Ruth, who is an author living on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia in about 2013; and we have Nao, a US-born Japanese student living in Tokyo some 8-10 years earlier. What brings them together is Nao’s diary / journal, which Ruth discovers on the beach near her cottage, along with other items a young teen might accumulate, all preserved in a plastic bag inside a Hello Kitty lunchbox.

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this. Yes, I’ve read other books with multiple narrators and with multiple time lines. But there is an ethereal quality to Ozeki’s novel that I can’t remember ever encountering. I felt transported and immersed in these characters’ lives.

Not that I always wanted to be there. Nao’s story is particularly distressing with the bullying she endures, her family’s disastrous financial situation and her father’s deep depression. But, like Nao, I find some solace in the time spent with her grandmother – a bald, Buddhist nun living a life of quiet contemplation.

The audio edition is read by Ozeki, herself. I can’t imagine anyone else doing a better job of it. Clearly this is a very personal sort of story for her to tell. Others have complained about her droning voice in certain segments, but I found this effective when used for these sections of the book (although, yes, I also disliked the voice).

really_rachel's review against another edition

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dark inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I found the book slow to get into at the beginning, but by the end I loved it and wanted to start reading it again.

michelleate's review against another edition

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5.0

This is the most pleasure I have gotten out of a book in a long time. Wonderful. Ozeki did not hurry to turn out this book just to get it done. It's not a fast read; it's a book to savor. I highly recommend it!