Reviews tagging 'Rape'

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

116 reviews

elmei's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective 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

4.25

This would be such a good book club book to discuss because honestly I’m too dumb on my own to process the depth of it all. You can tell there was a lot of thought put into the writing with plenty of layers, symbolism, themes—to the point where after listening to the audiobook (which was recorded with the author’s voice — and she did a fantastic job), I need to buy a physical copy to go back and highlight or underline things to fully grasp it. It had an ambitious main theme tying back to the fundamentals of Zen Buddhism, which were sprinkled throughout the novel but not in an over the top obvious way, which is why I felt it so challenging. It is essentially a book divided into three perspectives: Nao, a funny yet suicidal 16 year old American-Japanese girl, Ruth self-inserted as herself, a middle-aged Japanese-American struggling writer feeling stagnant in a small rural Pacific Northwest town after living in NYC in her previous life, and (through his letters) Haruki #1,  Nao’s great uncle who was a former graduate student turned co-opted Kamikaze fighter during WWII. One interesting motif I did notice was the (very Japanese) utilization of double meaning behind words, and the concept of a double life: with Nao’s name, the most obvious being the ironic tie between her name and the English word “now.” Followed with Nao’s explanation of a “time-being” and the phrase “for the time being.” With the Buddhist notion of “non-self” tied in with the acts of selfless compassion that the characters perform juxtaposed with the prominent “selfish” suicidality of Nao and her father, both desiring to be “not have a self” anymore. With Ruth’s and Nao’s desire to go back to their previous lives in different places and times. With Nao’s parents putting on a show or “fake life” that refuses to acknowledge her father’s mental health issues to her. With Nao’s own double life and alienation from her parents, outside of the home that they are unaware of, nor can they even begin to fully understand. With Hiroki’s letters of which he has to keep 2 versions: a fake, politically acceptable version and the true version written to his mother. With Hiroki #1 and Hiroki #2 living with essentially opposite life experiences: one wanting to commit suicide and the other not. With the quantum magical realism explained at the end. Truely a cool and sensible story telling technique to convey Buddhist principles. While ultimately things may appear to be different, they are (as old Jiko says) the same, they are one. Nit picking some things: I didn’t really enjoy the information/magical realism dump at the end

Spoiler

which I think was attempted to be ameliorated by Ruth’s husband mansplaining facts at her throughout the duration of the Ruth plot line so it wouldn’t seem so out of place when it did come, which somewhat worked but I wish there was more of a similar sprinkling of the magic and/or quantum theory earlier on, or at least more than once, so it didn’t feel so overwhelming and we could digest it more.

While maybe not a crowd pleasing book with its exceptionally dark Nao and Hiroki storyline, and sometimes stagnant-feeling Ruth plot line (which I think is intentional and I personally did not mind), I found this book hopeful and thought provoking at least (pending my deep dive later on) which makes its goal as a piece of literature more than worth the suffering it caused me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Bullying, Dementia, Death of parent, Mental illness, Trafficking, Violence, and War

cowboynixan's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

It has been such a pleasure to read this book; throughout this reading experience from start to finish it has been nothing less of extraordinary. I feel grateful that this book has come to my life the way that Nao's journal has found its way to (book) Ruth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Bullying, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Death, and War

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Classism, Gore, Grief, and Violence

carol_mesq's review

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Bullying, and Dysphoria

yasmin_raev's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and War

Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, and Rape

erinwolf1997's review

dark mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Rape, Bullying, Vomit, War, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Death of parent

Minor: Dementia and Toxic friendship

daretoread's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Bullying

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, War, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Dementia, Mental illness, Suicide, Vomit, and Violence

Minor: Genocide

rhodochrxsite's review

May pick up at another time, just too dark for where I’m at right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

addilynne's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was beautiful! The overall story is very interesting the the context of nao’s story is so informative and moving. I found that although the perspective of Ruth and Oliver were useful as a plot devise for the overall arching story; I had a very hard time getting through these chapters, especially during the first half of the book. It took me awhile to read because of this. I would say when nao gets to the temple is when the story altogether starts to pick up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Rape and War

enoemo's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

this broke my heart and taught me so many things and made me laugh and made me feel so deeply for the characters... truly an amazing read in a way that i find difficult to put into words. the titular theme pops up in so many unexpected and smart ways and despite the magical realism that finds its way into parts of the book the plot feels natural. nao is an utterly believable character and i feel like so many aspects about girlhood that i found so difficult to explain as a teenager come through so well in her diary. i am not entirely sure how i feel about the ending yet, but in a way i suppose the book is built to make you feel that way so... i'll reflect some more and look forward to coming back to this, i'd love to read it again in my lifetime. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Blood, Dementia, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, and Rape

Minor: Sexual violence, Gun violence, Hate crime, Fatphobia, and Pedophilia

maddythide's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Bullying, and Pedophilia