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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
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:
No
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I honestly admit that I don't quite know what to think of this booklet. It contains many attractive aspects: the poetic style, the wise message, the pent-up tension in the scenes on Japanese soil (which reminded me of the style of the Japanese Grandmaster Kawabata), the beautiful images on nature, the smooth narration ... But at the same time, there are several things in the story that made me hesitate: the main character Hervé is in the beginning a man who let’s life "happen” to him and he remains impassive at his rather adventurous life; therefore it is very incredible to me that he suddenly gets a crush on a concubine in Japan that he knows only by sight; also the relationship with his own wife Hélène, which will ultimately prove crucial to the plot, is not as bad as suggested, on the contrary; and so there are more things that make the story falter.
Also in the reviews on this site, one can see that this short story provokes very different interpretations. Some read it as beautiful love story, for others it’s about the absurdity of having aspirations for things that can never be, or about the tragedy of desiring something far away while one remains blind for the beauty that is nearby; and still others interpret it as a symbolistic story about the tension between being and aspiring. There’s something of all this in it, and of course that is a feat in itself. But again, I'm not entirely convinced. I postpone my final verdict, until I have read more by Baricco.
Also in the reviews on this site, one can see that this short story provokes very different interpretations. Some read it as beautiful love story, for others it’s about the absurdity of having aspirations for things that can never be, or about the tragedy of desiring something far away while one remains blind for the beauty that is nearby; and still others interpret it as a symbolistic story about the tension between being and aspiring. There’s something of all this in it, and of course that is a feat in itself. But again, I'm not entirely convinced. I postpone my final verdict, until I have read more by Baricco.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Es ist ein sonderbarer Schmerz.
Vor Sehnsucht nach etwas zu vergehen, das man nie erleben wird.
I am lost for words. This is one of the very rare books that leave me staring into nothingness as soon as I finish the last page. So many emotions are boiling in me, but all of them in a tenderly manner. What a beautiful novel.
The story takes place in the 19th century France. A happily married man, who is a silk breeder, suddenly has to travel to Japan in search of healthy silkworms during epidemic. There, he meets a girl whose eyes "didn't have an Oriental shape" and although they exchange no words, he falls in love with her deeply. So deeply, that his desire for her threatens to ruin his life.
"It's a strange grief… to die of nostalgia for something you will never live."
The story takes place in the 19th century France. A happily married man, who is a silk breeder, suddenly has to travel to Japan in search of healthy silkworms during epidemic. There, he meets a girl whose eyes "didn't have an Oriental shape" and although they exchange no words, he falls in love with her deeply. So deeply, that his desire for her threatens to ruin his life.
"It's a strange grief… to die of nostalgia for something you will never live."
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Een boek over heimwee naar onbereikbare liefde, en hoe dat het leven van de mensen eromheen beïnvloedt. Ondanks dat het korte hoofdstukjes heeft, en snel leest, roept het beelden op van emoties en beschrijft het rake aspecten van het leven van het hoofdpersonage.
Een beetje zoals Japanse schilderijen die meer zeggen door de leegte dan de drukke lijnen en verf.
Een beetje zoals Japanse schilderijen die meer zeggen door de leegte dan de drukke lijnen en verf.