bchang's review against another edition
4.25
i seriously love the writing in this book and the way banana writes about grief and how it manifests into different aspects of someone’s life without their knowledge is so crazy to me?? I’m not sure I like the idea that yocchan decided to sleep with men that in some way had a connection to her father but for her it helped her come to terms with why she was pursing these relationships and how it helped her understand her grieving. with these relationships it also her acknowledge her growth as a women trying to navigate her life with the people she is loved by.
I think with bananas books, you really have to be in the mood to get through these books and a lot of the time while i was reading moshi moshi, I felt is was a slow start while trying to read but i would eventually get sucked into the story.
I think with bananas books, you really have to be in the mood to get through these books and a lot of the time while i was reading moshi moshi, I felt is was a slow start while trying to read but i would eventually get sucked into the story.
charo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
3.5
lilyog_13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
anahhs's review against another edition
4.0
loved, loved, LOVED. it's official, banana yoshimoto is my favorite author!
about grief, about a mother and daughter dealing with the loss of a husband and father respectively, in tandem and apart. so, so, so beautiful and comforting.
"But life went on, even at times like this, and it was surprising how easy it was to keep going as though nothing had changed. I found it strange that I could walk down the street and appear normal, just like anyone else. That I could be in complete turmoil inside, and yet my reflection in a shop window could look the same as it ever had."
"But perhaps they held themselves together by acting as though they were happy with their own choices, because they'd fall apart if they didn't at least aim to be, and it was too uncomfortable to admit that they weren't."
"Pathetic, I thought. I wasn't recovering, just dragging this around. Dawn wasn't coming, regrets couldn't be redeemed, words left unsaid stayed unsaid. It had been nearly two years, and I was still stuck in the same place - and might be forever."
"The force of this palm pressing on me was a good power. Fallible, uncomfortable, odious, and aggravating as it might have been at times, it was a fundamental energy that had held me, nursed me, and nurtured me."
"Everywhere else in this country seems to tell you Go faster. So just while you're here, take your time; hesitate; lose your nerve; give up, sometimes. Everyone has troubles and weaknesses, and you can only try so hard. You'll be who you are. We're all of us different from one another."
about grief, about a mother and daughter dealing with the loss of a husband and father respectively, in tandem and apart. so, so, so beautiful and comforting.
"But life went on, even at times like this, and it was surprising how easy it was to keep going as though nothing had changed. I found it strange that I could walk down the street and appear normal, just like anyone else. That I could be in complete turmoil inside, and yet my reflection in a shop window could look the same as it ever had."
"But perhaps they held themselves together by acting as though they were happy with their own choices, because they'd fall apart if they didn't at least aim to be, and it was too uncomfortable to admit that they weren't."
"Pathetic, I thought. I wasn't recovering, just dragging this around. Dawn wasn't coming, regrets couldn't be redeemed, words left unsaid stayed unsaid. It had been nearly two years, and I was still stuck in the same place - and might be forever."
"The force of this palm pressing on me was a good power. Fallible, uncomfortable, odious, and aggravating as it might have been at times, it was a fundamental energy that had held me, nursed me, and nurtured me."
"Everywhere else in this country seems to tell you Go faster. So just while you're here, take your time; hesitate; lose your nerve; give up, sometimes. Everyone has troubles and weaknesses, and you can only try so hard. You'll be who you are. We're all of us different from one another."
__dee__'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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? Yes
3.5
spacedlaw's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
valocz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0