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alyssarider's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 - like reading abt a sally rooney character except it doesnt work as well bc she exists in real life and you know she's out there deeply annoying someone as you read
anasothershelf's review against another edition
4.0
Fifty Sounds alludes to the 5 x 10 grid system used to organize Japanese syllabaries by the phonemes that comprise them, something akin to Western alphabetical order. Polly Barton adopts this concept to produce fifty vignettes about her life, headlined by a Japanese mimetic, a way-marker of her language and cultural immersion journey. The book is a deeply personal, self-indulgent memoir heavily influenced by Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language. Despite delving into linguistics and philosophy, Barton’s witty and relatable narrative remains approachable and inviting to the reader. At certain moments, it feels like trespassing through places and moments that you have not been invited to. Even so, I can’t help feeling a special pull towards translation and languages, “a rope leading all the way back” to a childhood learning a foreign language, to adulthood as I pursued my studies at University, and, finally, to a career I briefly dipped my toes into.
Full review here: https://thelagomfiles.com/2021/06/17/the-languages-that-speak-to-us/
Full review here: https://thelagomfiles.com/2021/06/17/the-languages-that-speak-to-us/
yukirats12's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
4.0
This was an absolutely breathtaking book.
A perfect meld of part Japanese language book, part Japanese history, and part memoir.
Written by one of my favorite Japanese --> English translators.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I loved the 50 words and their meanings too.
Polly's writing is so well done. Descriptive, artistic, and almost poetic.
An excellent companion book to [b:Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan|260944|Learning to Bow Inside the Heart of Japan|Bruce Feiler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425768516l/260944._SY75_.jpg|2536303] - both books had a lot of parallels.
Polly's way of writing is something unique. I found the content of this book very open and candid. Barton has a way with words. I also really loved reading about different Japanese customs and traditions, cultural differences between US/UK and Japan, and how language is used.
I got a lot out of this, and learned a lot of new Japanese words along the way!
4.6/5
A perfect meld of part Japanese language book, part Japanese history, and part memoir.
Written by one of my favorite Japanese --> English translators.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I loved the 50 words and their meanings too.
Polly's writing is so well done. Descriptive, artistic, and almost poetic.
An excellent companion book to [b:Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan|260944|Learning to Bow Inside the Heart of Japan|Bruce Feiler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425768516l/260944._SY75_.jpg|2536303] - both books had a lot of parallels.
Polly's way of writing is something unique. I found the content of this book very open and candid. Barton has a way with words. I also really loved reading about different Japanese customs and traditions, cultural differences between US/UK and Japan, and how language is used.
I got a lot out of this, and learned a lot of new Japanese words along the way!
4.6/5
madrtz's review against another edition
Not engaging, wasn’t interested enough to keep reading
queenofglitches's review against another edition
The author is very upfront about her background in philosophy and it shows throughout the book. I have essentially none and this made the book honestly a bit too challenging for what I ultimately wanted. The structure is interesting, and I enjoy the focus on Japanese onomatopoeia, which is something that does not get discussed enough.