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A review by annreadsabook
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
I had heard really good things about this book for years and am so glad I was finally able to get around to it! Let me just say that this book is not at all what I expected, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The main gist is that the current-day protagonist, an author living in Vancouver, BC, named Ruth happens upon set of personal effects that are washed up on the beach, including a diary and a set of old letters. Given that the diary is written by a teenaged girl named Nao from Japan, she is unsure how the items wound up in Canada, but suspects it may be debris from the recent Tōhoku tsunami. Ruth is quickly consumed by her intrigue (obsession?) with finding out more about Nao’s life and what happened to her, all while struggling to write a novel.
This book is a very heavy read, and examines questions of family, grief, depression, and isolation, and I wonder if my current headspace was part of the reason why I really clicked with this book. Nao as a narrator isn’t interested in sparing her readers from her own raw emotions, and I actually really appreciated that. While I have to say I was a bit more invested in Nao’s storyline (she felt a bit more interesting and fleshed-out as a character), I was interested in what Ozeki seems to be considering about what it means to be an author and engage with a character.
If you’re someone who likes a bit of surrealism and doesn’t mind a plot that meanders a bit, I’d suggest you take a look into A Tale for the Time Being! I would also suggest looking at other spoiler-free reviews to get a better sense of whether this might be your cup of tea, because I definitely can see why this is a bit of a polarizing writing style.
Please also be sure to check content warnings for this book, as it deals with some heavy subjects.
The main gist is that the current-day protagonist, an author living in Vancouver, BC, named Ruth happens upon set of personal effects that are washed up on the beach, including a diary and a set of old letters. Given that the diary is written by a teenaged girl named Nao from Japan, she is unsure how the items wound up in Canada, but suspects it may be debris from the recent Tōhoku tsunami. Ruth is quickly consumed by her intrigue (obsession?) with finding out more about Nao’s life and what happened to her, all while struggling to write a novel.
This book is a very heavy read, and examines questions of family, grief, depression, and isolation, and I wonder if my current headspace was part of the reason why I really clicked with this book. Nao as a narrator isn’t interested in sparing her readers from her own raw emotions, and I actually really appreciated that. While I have to say I was a bit more invested in Nao’s storyline (she felt a bit more interesting and fleshed-out as a character), I was interested in what Ozeki seems to be considering about what it means to be an author and engage with a character.
If you’re someone who likes a bit of surrealism and doesn’t mind a plot that meanders a bit, I’d suggest you take a look into A Tale for the Time Being! I would also suggest looking at other spoiler-free reviews to get a better sense of whether this might be your cup of tea, because I definitely can see why this is a bit of a polarizing writing style.
Please also be sure to check content warnings for this book, as it deals with some heavy subjects.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, and Rape