kelliebell's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Rape, and Xenophobia
katjalainen's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? N/A
5.0
A beyond beautiful story of a collective experience of immigration told from the perspective of young japanese women traveling to San Francisco to meet their japanese husbands, and the lives they led. The writing is poetic and the stories told are heartbreaking, dealing with issues such as lying husbands, hard labour, racism, poverty, raising second generation immigrants, the wish to honour traditions, the white people around them, and the anti-japanese sentiments that arose during the second World War. This book will stay with me for ever.
Content Warnings
Minor: Xenophobia, Rape, and Racial slurs
goldenflame852's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Death, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicide
balfies's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Beautiful little book about Japanese immigrants to America in the first half of the twentieth century, told from the collective perspective of the women. Otsuka is quickly becoming one of my favourite writers, she has such a unique voice and her storytelling collages are so deftly constructed.
One of the chapters appeared as a short story in a 2011 edition of Granta magazine, and I had used it as one of my HSC Belonging texts, so it's good to have finally read the full thing.
One of the chapters appeared as a short story in a 2011 edition of Granta magazine, and I had used it as one of my HSC Belonging texts, so it's good to have finally read the full thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, and War
bookish_wanderer's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Death, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child death and Rape
astridmalmhester's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Suicide
waqupi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Miscarriage, and Suicide
Minor: War and Child death
madyreadsig's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Miscarriage, Child death, Sexism, Rape, Infertility, War, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Pregnancy, and Abortion
melinum's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Racism, and Rape
Moderate: Abortion, Child death, and Death
valandthegianttbr's review against another edition
dark
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? No
5.0
julie otsuka is a fucking genius oh my GOD
i loved the swimmers & after a recent re-read, i finally thought to pick up another of otsuka's novels. although BUDDHA has an entirely different genre & premise, it absolutely brought the same sparse prose, unique narrative style, and quietly devastating vibe that i loved so much in swimmers.
as a reader, you are thrown into the lives of the japanese picture brides -- women whose only avenue to leave japan (for whatever reason) & come to america was by marrying a man they only knew through a picture from a matchmaker. it immediately feels like you are experiencing all of their traumas firsthand (MAJOR rape tw for chapter 2), from their boat journey to america to their lives as issei wives & mothers to their eventual forced evacuation/kidnapping to the internment camps during wwii. the first person plural pov is so freaking immersive.
it's an especially effective narrative device because otsuka introduces us to many characters & shows us their uniqueness through their hopes & dreams & fears (sometimes even their names) but then uses the "we" or "they" pronouns to collapse the group into a monolith. we know intimate details about all of them, but aren't afforded the opportunity to ever see them as individuals. the pov also gradually shifts over the course of the book with the japanese women all first being grouped into the "us," but then slowly more and more become referred to as "them" & eventually the "us" becomes another group entirely. it's hard to describe, but just know it is so effective & you simply must experience it yourself.
i am just truly obsessed with how MESMERIZING otsuka's writing is!!!! it is unbelievable how she can literally destroy me in phrases as short as 6 words, like??? BRILLIANT
this book was devastating in an unrelenting way but not in a "sob with your whole chest" kind of way or even a "let the tears slowly roll down your face" kind of way. it was just this ongoing pressure & heaviness that i found so haunting but could not step away from. i feel like i now must go into an emotional coma, but the second i emerge, i *will* be picking up another otsuka novel
i loved the swimmers & after a recent re-read, i finally thought to pick up another of otsuka's novels. although BUDDHA has an entirely different genre & premise, it absolutely brought the same sparse prose, unique narrative style, and quietly devastating vibe that i loved so much in swimmers.
as a reader, you are thrown into the lives of the japanese picture brides -- women whose only avenue to leave japan (for whatever reason) & come to america was by marrying a man they only knew through a picture from a matchmaker. it immediately feels like you are experiencing all of their traumas firsthand (MAJOR rape tw for chapter 2), from their boat journey to america to their lives as issei wives & mothers to their eventual forced evacuation/kidnapping to the internment camps during wwii. the first person plural pov is so freaking immersive.
it's an especially effective narrative device because otsuka introduces us to many characters & shows us their uniqueness through their hopes & dreams & fears (sometimes even their names) but then uses the "we" or "they" pronouns to collapse the group into a monolith. we know intimate details about all of them, but aren't afforded the opportunity to ever see them as individuals. the pov also gradually shifts over the course of the book with the japanese women all first being grouped into the "us," but then slowly more and more become referred to as "them" & eventually the "us" becomes another group entirely. it's hard to describe, but just know it is so effective & you simply must experience it yourself.
i am just truly obsessed with how MESMERIZING otsuka's writing is!!!! it is unbelievable how she can literally destroy me in phrases as short as 6 words, like??? BRILLIANT
this book was devastating in an unrelenting way but not in a "sob with your whole chest" kind of way or even a "let the tears slowly roll down your face" kind of way. it was just this ongoing pressure & heaviness that i found so haunting but could not step away from. i feel like i now must go into an emotional coma, but the second i emerge, i *will* be picking up another otsuka novel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape