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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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:
Yes
Sicher kein schlechtes Buch - der Schwermut der sich bei der Konklusion der Geschichte eines Sommers auch bei mir eingestellt hat, zeigt, dass die Autorin schreiben kann - aber auch sicher nicht mein Thema, Yoshimoto sagt im Nachwort selbst:
"Ein persönlicher Mikrokosmos sollte enstehen, der je nach Leser zum unmöglichen Weib, aber auch zum Engel werden kann. [...] Mit N.P. habe ich einen kuriosen, auf wenigen Charakteren und engsten städtischen Raum beschränkten Schauplatz geschaffen, in den ich sämtliche Themen meiner bisherigen Romane und Erzählungen (lesbische Liebe, inzestuöse Beziehungen, Telepathie und Sympathie, Okkultismus, Religiosität etc.) hineinzwängen konnte."
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
solid 3 stars- enjoyed the characters however would’ve liked the themes mentioned in the afterword to be expanded on a bit more.
it’s not much compared to kitchen i’m ngl because i haven’t stopped thinking about that since i read it
it’s not much compared to kitchen i’m ngl because i haven’t stopped thinking about that since i read it
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Unfortunately, this book was the definition of average: I don't feel like I wasted time reading it but wasn't moved by it in any particular way (though the ending is interesting, I'll give you that).
I think the blur hinting at something sinister about the translation of the short-story collection is deceiving, and not in a good way, as it sets you up to one thing while the book tries to deliver something very different. Far from a supernatural or eery mystery, this is basically just the story of a highly dysfunctional family, witnessed by an outsider who is drawn to it by a set of circumstances.
I'm left wondering if something fundamental was lost in translation, because the characters and their dialogues often come across as rather flat, despite some beautiful turns of phrases in the description of scenery, of some characters, and even of some of the situations they find themselves in.
And I mention something being lost in translation because, like others have noticed before, there's something a bit off with the translation, when a character who's supposed to be a half-brother is described as a stepbrother (which throws the relationship in question into a different direction if you don't stop to consider that the word is probably not the right one), and some dialogue feels off either because of the distribution of lines or because of the tags that at times makes it feel like a character is responding to themself rather than to the person they're speaking to.
TW: suicide, incest, sex with minors
I think the blur hinting at something sinister about the translation of the short-story collection is deceiving, and not in a good way, as it sets you up to one thing while the book tries to deliver something very different. Far from a supernatural or eery mystery, this is basically just the story of a highly dysfunctional family, witnessed by an outsider who is drawn to it by a set of circumstances.
I'm left wondering if something fundamental was lost in translation, because the characters and their dialogues often come across as rather flat, despite some beautiful turns of phrases in the description of scenery, of some characters, and even of some of the situations they find themselves in.
And I mention something being lost in translation because, like others have noticed before, there's something a bit off with the translation, when a character who's supposed to be a half-brother is described as a stepbrother (which throws the relationship in question into a different direction if you don't stop to consider that the word is probably not the right one), and some dialogue feels off either because of the distribution of lines or because of the tags that at times makes it feel like a character is responding to themself rather than to the person they're speaking to.
TW: suicide, incest, sex with minors
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes