Reviews with content warning for Adult/minor relationship - A Tale for the Time Being

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A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

117 reviews

miak2's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

But memories are time beings, too, like cherry blossoms or ginkgo leaves; for a while they are beautiful, and then they fade and die.

A Tale for the Time Being was the most unique approach to a dual storyline I've seen. Present day, Ruth finds a washed-up lunchbox with a diary and some keepsakes. We follow her as she reads Nao's diary (the second perspective) and tries to uncover what's happened to Nao and her family in the time since. Nao's chapters were such a joy to listen to. She has so much personality right off the bat. Ozeki wrote those chapters in such a believable way, it really felt like listening to a real teenager talk. Nao was energetic and emotional. She spoke about the traumatic things that happened to her in such an introspective way, but also in a way that didn't feel like an adult writing a teenager. At sixteen, she'd already gone through so much, and I was proud to see how she grew in spite of the adversity she faced.

Ruth's chapters were a little less engaging, but no less grounded. She also had a strong voice, and I could imagine I'd react similarly to finding Nao's journal. I especially enjoyed glimpses of her domestic life with her husband, where you could tell there was a lot of love but not without some minor frustrations and squabbles.

One minor criticism I had with the book is that, at times, both Nao and Ruth had this mentality of "look how much harder someone else has had it, I shouldn't be upset over [x]." Despite so much positive discussion on isolation and mental health otherwise in the book, I think that's a dangerous way of thinking. Normal or rational, sure. I'm not mad about its inclusion, but rather that we didn't get any resolution of the characters learning, "no, my struggles aren't invalidated because of the severity of someone else's."

There were some magical realism elements towards the end that also didn't quite land for me, but it may also be something that didn't translate as well in the audiobook format. It got into some Schrödinger's cat analogies that just flew completely over my head. That said, I really enjoyed this reading experience. Nao, especially, is a character that I think will stick with me for a long time.

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joannacharlotte's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a beautiful book. My rating is mostly due to the jump to quantum physics and explaining schrodinger's cat so explicitly to the reader. It took away from the very real and heartbreaking themes that were faced in a very unique way throughout the book. On that note, I felt maybe there were too many themes for one book, but I did feel they were all addressed sensitively. I would want to re-read this when I can go through each part in one sitting (and not on the tube!)

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annabelle42688's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

Very good, but very sad.

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kes813's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

SPOILS!! I have so much to say about this wonderful piece of art. As soon as I read the description of this book in my school library I knew it was for me. Magical realism? Hello kitty lunchbox? Two stories that connect in one? A story where you put the puzzle pieces together as you read? Hell yes. I want to say what I love about this book most and what I got out of it.
1. Nao’s relationship with the people around her, they all represent parts of herself that are different that she is learning to amalgamate into one. Her weakest and most vulnerable, that she needs to work on, with her evil classmates. Her higher self and her curious self/childlike wonder of the world, with Jiko and Muji. Her shadow/wounded self, with her father and mother. Same with the more minor characters too, but I won’t go into detail…
2. Oliver’s insights and interests, while they could be sometimes written mundane and tedious, were so brilliant to be included in. While Ruth is definitely scienc-y and intelligent, she reflects more of the spiritual optimistic side of their relationship, him the logical/real life. She asks the “what ifs” and explores the mystical, while he explains what he can to justify it (quantum physics, etc!). I think I love this because it reminds me of my partner and I’s relationship. The yin and yang. Ruth’s part of the book allowed there to be an extra friend for me to react to Nao’s journal with. I too got so attached and obsessed with Nao’s story.
3. The magical realism is so casually inserted in with no question to it and it’s so natural. I’m like “yes. Of course this would happen.” I loved it. I love nao and her “supapawas”!!
4. I want a Jiko in my life
5. I love Nao’s father, he is the type of passive depressed who keeps everything suppressed inside because he feels useless, as if what he says will not make a difference. And it’s because his conscience is so sensitive and strong, and he was rejected once for being authentic and moral. I love the whole debate on conscience/shame… what is learned/what is inherent.
6. I haven’t read a book that has made me feel so in tuned with the spiritual world in so long. This book has opened me up to a childlike wonder and curiosity that I haven’t felt in very long. This is what a book is supposed to feel like.
7. I like how the buddhists sometimes give in to their bodies desires or their natural inclinations (bathing differently and more comfortably, Jiko dies lying down), and sometimes they make huge efforts to not. Yet they maintain to live a fruitful and spiritual life.
8. Nao’s story is a heroes journey, same with her father
9. I loved the descriptions of the dreams and landscapes. There was one quote which I can’t find or remember exactly about a ghostly voice that sounded like a blow around a glass bottle. Descriptions that you can feel and hear.
10. I was ITCHING every page to read the emails from the professor. I was so happy when he responded. This part had a chokehold over me.
11. I’m so glad how it ended. I was so worried that Nao and her family were just ghosts in the overlap of Ruth reading and it was all not real. I also was scared towards the end that it was gonna all be okay and they’d meet and it would be a forced happy ending. Instead, there is some affirmation that Nao and her family (with the exception of Jiko) are safe and still alive and have a sense of purpose now, the justification for suicide was only an intellectualization for Haruki #2 to dip out of life. Purpose is everything. (He couldn’t sustain a living by being moral, he lost his sense of purpose, he gained it again by embracing creativity that he can have a moral conscience with). We got an ending that left things open, and mystery can be beautiful! Like the message of the book said, sometimes unanswered things are more enticing and beautiful. Think about the journey of life, if we knew why we were here, we wouldn’t really experience the game of life.
I could go on and on and on. But Theres so much!

What was harder to endure (despite it being essential to the plot)
1. Ruth could be so goddamn selfish and persnickety, especially to Oliver. I understand why, shes depressed and stir crazy and resentful because she doesn’t want to be there when meanwhile he is in his element. She’s sacrificed a lot for her mom and for him. She also has a different view of life than Oliver, but his perceptions are necessary for balance. But her reactions to him, her lack of empathy for Oliver’s love of the cat, and obsession and protectiveness with Nao’s story was a little too much sometimes.
2. I think this was necessary to the story and essential, but I really internalized Nao’s sexual abuse from her classmates and the pervy men at the maid cafe. I was heartbroken for her.
3. The descriptions about nasty smells and features were so spot on and vivid that I wanted to gag sometimes.
4. I felt like Ruth and Oliver’s ramblings about nature could be cool at times but other times I just wanted to read Nao’s journal! I felt like they could drag on a bit.

That is all! A five star from me :)

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sayacanread's review against another edition

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informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

absolutely loved this book, i took my time reading it cause it’s a lot to mentally absorb especially considering it covers very serious topics that are hard to handle but it was worth it. i can see how it’s not for everyone since it gets pretty philosophical and is kinda slow paced, but it’s a beautiful story about contemplating human existence from various angles and coming of age as a teen/young adult. i’d also say it depicts issues in japanese society pretty realistically and by that i mean the ugly parts that people tend to not know about or gloss over lol

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