A review by saltydough
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was honestly mind-blowing. Though it's somewhat of a slow read, Ozeki writes with such grace and clarity that never for a moment was I bored. Though I love both main characters, Ozeki really nails the teenage voice with Nao, and I enjoyed her chapters immensely. The ending was cathartic, and though it left me with some questions, they were the good kind -- the kind we all should be pondering at the end of a book, or really any time. The book really dove deep into big concepts -- of time, of memory, of morality and war -- but it did so in a delicate, understated way, drawing on both Buddhist theology and scientific theories, but making them comprehensible to any ordinary reader. The prose had a beautiful rhythm, really just such a joy to read.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings