A review by phoenix2
The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto

4.0

After reading "Kitchen" by Banana Yoshimoto, I started reading her short stories, but didn't find enything that could be compared to "Kitchen". However, "The Lake" is straight up that alley. Although, at first, I've found the main character childish and selfish, slowly her real character was revealed and she became more likable. Her boyfriend was a complicated character too and it was interesting to follow the main character's path to discover the reason's why he became who he was. Also, the story had a nice, reassuring message that people can heal other people and that none is perfect, on the contrary, we all have imperfections and we are broken one way or another. There were some odd moments in the story, like Chii and her brother, but the characters came in terms with it and somehow it didn't feel important to try to understand it any further.

So, overall, quick pace, lovely writing, realistic characters and a heartwarming, but tragic, story.