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miraculousmeatball's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Terminal illness, Rape, Mental illness, Death, and Bullying
thebacklistborrower's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book became a favourite after my first time reading it, so when I heard that Ozeki’s next book, The Book of Form and Emptiness, was going to be a companion novel, I had to reread it. I had forgotten how unique of a read it is. I honestly can’t tell you if this book is literary fiction, scifi, fantasy realism, or a thriller. It depends on how you read and interpret its story. It might be all of those or just some of them.
Cw: suicide
The book is about Ruth, a writer on a remote BC island, who finds a Hello Kitty lunchbox on the shoreline. Inside are letters written in French, a wristwatch, and a diary in Japanese written by Nao, a Japanese teenager who wants to write the life story of her 104-year-old feminist buddhist nun grandmother, then commmit suicide. As Ruth reads the journal she starts to question and examine her own life and identity, occasionally becoming disconnected with time and reality.
As a reader, I become as connected and concerned for Nao as Ruth does. Entry by entry, we learn about the hardship she and her family have experienced, but we also see glimpses of a joyful, funny, teenager. Nao is committed to telling her grandmother’s story, but can’t see her value continuing the world after that. Between school bullying, but tender scenes at her grandmother’s temple, my emotions ran the gamut reading Nao’s entries. Ruth, on the other hand, I felt connected to but differently. She is struggling with her identity and her sense of connection to the world. I felt like she was easy to slip into as a reader, acting almost as my avatar in the story. She forgets that what she’s reading is in the past-- but, really, don’t we all feel like that when a story captures us? Through her, the relationship between the writer and reader is brought to light.
I love this book, and eagerly await The Book of Form and Emptiness (easter egg: form and emptiness are discussed in the Time Being :) Give it a read if you’re looking for something you can’t quite explain to the people who ask “what are you reading?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Dementia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Terminal illness
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