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

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad 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

3.5

I wanted to like A Tale for the Time Being much more than I did. I loved the chapters from Ruth's perspective, and I would read an entire book based on Ruth and Oliver's lives. I felt that those chapters were stronger because Ozeki was writing about something she knew; the way she described the island, the dynamic between Ruth and Oliver, and Ruth's character, in general, were written better. Nao's chapters fell short for me, I couldn't really connect with her character, and the only time I really enjoyed reading from her perspective was when she was with Jiko. I love when books add real-life information to the storyline, it makes me feel smart for learning new things while also enjoying the story, so bonus points for that. I really wish I loved this book, and I thought it would be right up my alley, but it was only slightly enjoyable for me and took me a long time to finish. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings