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A review by tasleemreads
The Last Children of Tokyo by Yōko Tawada
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
The Last Children of Tokyo is a Japanese dystopian novel by Yoko Tawada, translated in English by Margaret Mitsutani. This book was an interesting read. In the first half, you're given subtle clues as to what's going on and the second half, you're still confused but you're able to unconfidently piece things together 😂 I surprisingly liked that not everything is clear cut and readers have to figure things out for themselves.
Yoshiro, a 108-year-old man lives his simple life as the primary caregiver for his great-grandson, Mumei. The elderly, Yoshiro's generation, seem to live a life of immortality, this generation has the youth and mobility of someone significantly younger. However, the youth are faced with many illnesses and health conditions. There is often mention of an environmental disaster that has caused irreversible damage to Earth. Alongside the condition of the youth, animals are a scarcity in Japan, the earth seems to reject itself as nature grows out dysfunctional and weak. Japan is closed to the outside world and rejecting any produce, ideas and words relating to other cultures and countries. HOWEVER, *pulls out detective magnifying glass* there is also mention of the older generation curating a formula to stop death, which may have caused this imbalance in nature creating irreversible damage to Planet Earth.
You're left to question, what actually happened that has left earth and its people in this state?!
The first half of the book mentions comparisons between language, environments and the aspect of time, following Yoshiro around as he makes these observations and remembers how his youth is totally different from the youth of today. The second half is when you suspect what the older generation has done to cause such catastrophic effects and you follow Mumei around to see how he has to live with the consequences due to the actions of others.
I really admire Tawada's odd, detailed, and sometimes rambling writing style, she definitely knows how much to give you to keep you hooked without giving anything away!
An interesting read that has left me with questions ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Yoshiro, a 108-year-old man lives his simple life as the primary caregiver for his great-grandson, Mumei. The elderly, Yoshiro's generation, seem to live a life of immortality, this generation has the youth and mobility of someone significantly younger. However, the youth are faced with many illnesses and health conditions. There is often mention of an environmental disaster that has caused irreversible damage to Earth. Alongside the condition of the youth, animals are a scarcity in Japan, the earth seems to reject itself as nature grows out dysfunctional and weak. Japan is closed to the outside world and rejecting any produce, ideas and words relating to other cultures and countries. HOWEVER, *pulls out detective magnifying glass* there is also mention of the older generation curating a formula to stop death, which may have caused this imbalance in nature creating irreversible damage to Planet Earth.
You're left to question, what actually happened that has left earth and its people in this state?!
The first half of the book mentions comparisons between language, environments and the aspect of time, following Yoshiro around as he makes these observations and remembers how his youth is totally different from the youth of today. The second half is when you suspect what the older generation has done to cause such catastrophic effects and you follow Mumei around to see how he has to live with the consequences due to the actions of others.
I really admire Tawada's odd, detailed, and sometimes rambling writing style, she definitely knows how much to give you to keep you hooked without giving anything away!
An interesting read that has left me with questions ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5