A review by readivine
The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto

4.0

“But I have my life, I’m living it. It’s twisted, exhausting, uncertain, and full of guilt, but nonetheless, there’s something there.”

This was such a soulful read and I was allured by the candor and beauty of Yoshimoto's writing. This book speaks of the awkward yet natural healing of personal traumas to large-scale ones. I was particularly drawn on the characters' way of thinking and how despite their peculiarities, I felt oddly comforted with their bluntness. This book reminds us of the brevity of our lives and that the balance between our good and terrible experiences will always be skewed, and that's okay.

I have only started reading Banana Yoshimoto's works and now I feel more and more attached to her writing. It's just that her books move me in ways I never had experienced from reading before. I don't know if I could accurately call her books to reflect some kind of optimistic nihilism but it kinda does. I particularly like this more than Kitchen, her more prominent work, and I'm so excited to find new gems written by her.