Reviews tagging 'War'

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

176 reviews

mabbysampkins's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, and War

Minor: Bullying and Vomit

thecatmouse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

3.75

uuuuuffffff this book was a lot…
you get swept off with the first two parts, the back and forth of the narration (even though why is Ruth so detestable? really hope the author wasn’t depicting herself fr cause girl that character was boring and flat as hell), the mystery is a page turner 
and then 
it gets so grim… for basically no reason
the topics were heavy but for the first two parts it made sense, after that well suicide, bullying, WWII, a tsunami were enough, rape and prostitution? a bit much if i may 
although the introduction to zen theories and practices was so informative, yeah the ending about quantum physics bored me so much I almost didn’t finish the book 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and War

suitcaselife's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Book club read, a star less as I'm not a big fan of magical realism - but other than that, the book total swallowed me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and War

spec_tacles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I know that I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. The themes explored here are ones that I’m personally invested in, and it feels like the quintessential story about time. I do feel there could have been very slight improvements to Ruth’s sections and to the end to enhance my investment in her character, but they would be minor changes. Overall, I think this book is really something special. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, War, and Injury/Injury detail

ghilimei's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and War

kaydot's review

challenging dark funny inspiring reflective medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent

Minor: Rape and War

tofudoom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and War

bronteide's review against another edition

inspiring mysterious reflective 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

3.75

Albeit I'm not really keen on Eastern philosophy/religion, I found this book really interesting. I loved both Nao's and Ruth's chapters, and Haruki's diary is a cherry on the top. I also really liked how the author explains the philosophical topics from the point of view of a teenage girl. This book also made me learn a lot more about the Japanese culture and about immigrants's struggles in Japanese society. Interestingly, reading about life in the rural Canada was just as captivating as reading about Japan, So, even though this book isn't completely my cup of tea, I still really appreciated it.

Jiko's lifestory is just so amazing! Being a feminist, burying a son, becoming a monk and managing to let go of all this grieve somehow, seeing the world as a good place! Such a role model.

Favourite quotes:

It made me sad when I caught myself pretending  that everybody out there in the cyberspace cared about what I thought, when really nobody gives a shit. And when I multiplied that sad feeling by all the millions of people in their lonely little rooms, furiously writing and posting to their lonely little pages  that nobody has time to read because they're all so busy writing and posting, it kind of broke my heart.

Patience was part of his nature, and he accepted his lot as a short-lived mammal, scurrying in and out amid the roots of the giants.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: War

jessiedoodah's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Suicide attempt, and War

Minor: Alcoholism and Pedophilia

szuum's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, and War

Minor: Animal death, Rape, Sexual content, and Dementia