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phielanthropy's review against another edition
4.0
gokil, ya. santai banget tulisannya, bisa gue nikmatin tanpa pusing walaupun isunya seberat isu etnis dan rasis.
dilchh's review
5.0
Sugihara or Lee is a Korean national, born and raised in Japan. After deciding to change his citizenship from North Korean to South Korean, he decided that he wants to go to a Japanese High School rather than continuing his study in a Korean High School. What follows is his coming of age story as Korean national in a Japanese High School and society who is prejudiced towards Koreans. •
Been having a reading slump the past months due to my personal issues, which has now been somewhat resolve. I decided to read a short book to get out of my reading slump and this book proved to be a great choice. It's a bittersweet coming of age story that also touches upon the issue on nationality and to what extent one's nationality defined a person. I thoroughly enjoy the book and its ups and downs rollercoaster of emotions. Highly recommend. •
Sugihara as a narrator kinda reminds me of Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye. But then again I might have remembered the book wrong as it has been decades ago since I last read it. But it's definitely refreshing to read the story from Sugihara's perspective. •
Been having a reading slump the past months due to my personal issues, which has now been somewhat resolve. I decided to read a short book to get out of my reading slump and this book proved to be a great choice. It's a bittersweet coming of age story that also touches upon the issue on nationality and to what extent one's nationality defined a person. I thoroughly enjoy the book and its ups and downs rollercoaster of emotions. Highly recommend. •
Sugihara as a narrator kinda reminds me of Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye. But then again I might have remembered the book wrong as it has been decades ago since I last read it. But it's definitely refreshing to read the story from Sugihara's perspective. •
kikix2's review
5.0
Rating: 4.5/5
This book was a pleasant surprise, it wasn't what I expected at all and the synopsis got a lot to do with it. When you read the synopsis you may think this is another love story between high schoolers, but it's more than that. I even dare to say that the love story in this book is not even the main plot but a secondary one.
Our protagonist, Sugihara, does a lot of introspective about identity, nationality, his purpose in life and his relationship with friends and family that --at least for me -- make this novel more of a self-discovery that a romance one. Don't get me wrong, the romance between Sugihara and Sakurai is well written (the hotel scene broke my heart completely), but Sugihara's monology was all I could focus on.
All the discrimination cases present in the novel shooked me. It made me realize that Latins or Afro-Americans aren't the only ones that suffer racist altercates. Even people so "alike" could suffer as well, only because of something so insignificant as a piece of paper that determines that you belong to a certain land that you may have never even stepped a foot into.
I think that this book should be read without reading its brief, and without knowing the first thing about it. Let it surprise you and take your time reading it. You'll see that is worth it.
This book was a pleasant surprise, it wasn't what I expected at all and the synopsis got a lot to do with it. When you read the synopsis you may think this is another love story between high schoolers, but it's more than that. I even dare to say that the love story in this book is not even the main plot but a secondary one.
Our protagonist, Sugihara, does a lot of introspective about identity, nationality, his purpose in life and his relationship with friends and family that --at least for me -- make this novel more of a self-discovery that a romance one. Don't get me wrong, the romance between Sugihara and Sakurai is well written (the hotel scene broke my heart completely), but Sugihara's monology was all I could focus on.
All the discrimination cases present in the novel shooked me. It made me realize that Latins or Afro-Americans aren't the only ones that suffer racist altercates. Even people so "alike" could suffer as well, only because of something so insignificant as a piece of paper that determines that you belong to a certain land that you may have never even stepped a foot into.
I think that this book should be read without reading its brief, and without knowing the first thing about it. Let it surprise you and take your time reading it. You'll see that is worth it.
suvata's review
5.0
• Continuing my TBR project:
This is one of the oldest selections on my TBR list - Originally added February 5, 2018.
• Translated from Japanese
Looking for a short read? At 167 pages, GO fits the bill. This is quite an interesting novel that clearly depicts the power struggle, class injustice and prejudice within Asian countries and society. Although these are quite serious subjects, the protagonist is funny and witty and makes it feel as if you are sitting in a lounge listening to an old friend telling his story. Highly recommended.
This is one of the oldest selections on my TBR list - Originally added February 5, 2018.
• Translated from Japanese
Looking for a short read? At 167 pages, GO fits the bill. This is quite an interesting novel that clearly depicts the power struggle, class injustice and prejudice within Asian countries and society. Although these are quite serious subjects, the protagonist is funny and witty and makes it feel as if you are sitting in a lounge listening to an old friend telling his story. Highly recommended.
cobwebshelves's review
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-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? Yes
2.5
"If I become a model person, more so than any Japanese, I still won't be treated like a proper human as long as I have Korean citizenship. The way a sumo wrestler can't become a stable master while he still has foreign citizenship. Assimilation or exclusion. There are only two choices in this country."
This is a conflicting one, properly leaning more towards a 2.5, and I wonder if it's just that Nieda's translations don't click for me. They work from a technical point but the language kind of feels stifled. While the summary speaks of the relationship between Sugihara and Sakurai as the focal point, it felt more like a B plot to the story and was certainly its biggest weakness. The conversations fell flat and the development of their relationship felt like a confetti gun - fired off in an instant and fizzled out just as quickly. It doesn't help that the dialog between these two in particular felt lifeless, including this gem:
"What kind of music do you listen to?" she asked.
"All different kinds. But I guess I don't listen to a lot of Japanese music."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I never really thought about it. What kind of music do you listen to?"
"I listen to all different kinds. But I guess I don't listen to a lot of Japanese music."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I never really thought about it."
"I guess that makes us the same."
"I guess it does."
This would be effective portrayal of awkward teenagers early in a relationship were it not for the fact that plenty of other dialog instances really shone, especially concerning discussions of ethnicity and xenophobia. That's really where "Go" shines - it's raw in its discussion of the social predisposition of Zainichi and how they're perceived by the Japanese society. Kaneshiro captures the sense of alienation, of belonging everywhere and nowhere, beautifully. It's only a shame that such scenes were little isles of gold in between what was otherwise a slog to get through.
Structurally, the novel felt a little disorganised, as time skips and flashbacks often occurred suddenly, with little warning, making the timeline muddled sometimes, though I will commend that all loose ends tied together. I don't mind the protagonist being an annoying violent teenage boy but some instances of violent bordered on the line of impossibility.
Though the strength of "Go" lies in its depiction of social struggle and little dips into philosophy, it falls short when it comes to convincing characterisation.
This is a conflicting one, properly leaning more towards a 2.5, and I wonder if it's just that Nieda's translations don't click for me. They work from a technical point but the language kind of feels stifled. While the summary speaks of the relationship between Sugihara and Sakurai as the focal point, it felt more like a B plot to the story and was certainly its biggest weakness. The conversations fell flat and the development of their relationship felt like a confetti gun - fired off in an instant and fizzled out just as quickly. It doesn't help that the dialog between these two in particular felt lifeless, including this gem:
"What kind of music do you listen to?" she asked.
"All different kinds. But I guess I don't listen to a lot of Japanese music."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I never really thought about it. What kind of music do you listen to?"
"I listen to all different kinds. But I guess I don't listen to a lot of Japanese music."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I never really thought about it."
"I guess that makes us the same."
"I guess it does."
This would be effective portrayal of awkward teenagers early in a relationship were it not for the fact that plenty of other dialog instances really shone, especially concerning discussions of ethnicity and xenophobia. That's really where "Go" shines - it's raw in its discussion of the social predisposition of Zainichi and how they're perceived by the Japanese society. Kaneshiro captures the sense of alienation, of belonging everywhere and nowhere, beautifully. It's only a shame that such scenes were little isles of gold in between what was otherwise a slog to get through.
Structurally, the novel felt a little disorganised, as time skips and flashbacks often occurred suddenly, with little warning, making the timeline muddled sometimes, though I will commend that all loose ends tied together. I don't mind the protagonist being an annoying violent teenage boy but some instances of violent bordered on the line of impossibility.
Though the strength of "Go" lies in its depiction of social struggle and little dips into philosophy, it falls short when it comes to convincing characterisation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Child death, Murder, Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide
kimberly3838's review
3.0
It was a nice, short story set in Japan. However, I didn't like how the story was told as it often felt monotonous and just a reproduction of events. I wished for more depth and character development. Sometimes, I got confused with all the names but at the end it was all right. What I liked is that it mentioned many important topics like physical abuse but it often just scratched the surface. Moreover, born and living in a country where its people don't recognize or see you as foreign can be understood by many immigrant children. That was a constant topic in this book and it showed how it is to be a Korean in Japan. There were many things mentioned about the japanese culture and society that was very interesting.
nandakandabooks's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
namj00nie's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ka_schulze's review against another edition
Just was having a hard time sticking with it. Not that it’s a bad book, just not right mood
twicomb's review against another edition
4.0
A slim novel with a lot to think about packed within its pages. This book won Naoki Prize, in part for how it "tackles issues of ethnicity and discrimination in Japanese society" (quoted from author's bio). This might sound like a dry topic but it's all told through the lens of a high school kid who's struggling with figuring out who he is and who he wants to be, all while navigating the ups and down of his first romantic relationship. At the core of the book is the question - what determines if someone is Korean or Japanese or anything else? Is it your nationality? Can you choose your nationality? Is it your roots? If so, how far back do you trace your roots to determine what you are?
But as we move deeper into the book, we realize that the real question is none of these. The real question is - "Does it even matter?" And the answer to the protagonist is "no." But the answer to everyone in the society that he lives within is "yes, it matters more than perhaps anything else."
So what happens when these two views collide - when someone lives in a society where your nationality matters above all else - and you will be judged accordingly - and yet this person refuses to accept that judgment and insists that he will choose his own identity. Well, especially if you're a hot-headed young adult as the protagonist is, it leads to a lot of fistfights and rash decisions. But it also leads to a lot of eye-opening moments as we see him try, one fight at a time, to carve out his own path in the world.
But as we move deeper into the book, we realize that the real question is none of these. The real question is - "Does it even matter?" And the answer to the protagonist is "no." But the answer to everyone in the society that he lives within is "yes, it matters more than perhaps anything else."
So what happens when these two views collide - when someone lives in a society where your nationality matters above all else - and you will be judged accordingly - and yet this person refuses to accept that judgment and insists that he will choose his own identity. Well, especially if you're a hot-headed young adult as the protagonist is, it leads to a lot of fistfights and rash decisions. But it also leads to a lot of eye-opening moments as we see him try, one fight at a time, to carve out his own path in the world.