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jadey24's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
iseenologic's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
libraryofaslowreader's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
neverlandstories's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
4.5
__dee__'s review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
slow-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? N/A
4.0
ckfwong's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
ci_reads's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read the English translation after finishing the original Japanese last year because I didn't care enough to read the sequel in Japanese. Quick read. In the English, Yuki doesn't come off as so completely oblivious and out-of-the-loop as he does in the Japanese, so I actually found him not as annoying.
sashas_books's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
I was enchanted by Kamusari, a remote mountain village in modern-day Japan. Kamusari is a place where time slows down and traditions are important.
The Easy Life in Kamusari is a slice-of-life pastoral novel with a touch of magical realism. The story follows Yuki Hirano, a recent high school graduate who doesn’t know what to do with his life. His parents blackmail him (the nature of the blackmail is hilarious) into going to Kamusari to work as a forestry trainee.
Yuki is used to the hustle and bustle of his city, Yokohama. I really liked how the author let me experience the atmosphere of Kamusari through Yuki’s eyes: dense forests, rice fields, and traditional Japanese farmhouses. At first he is bored, he hates the village and the difficult work. Yuki’s transformation from a nonchalant city boy to someone who loves forestry and Kamusari way of life is very touching. The descriptions of the villagers and interactions between characters are quirky and humane. It adds a lot of charm to the book.
“Life here strikes me as pretty unusual. The people are funny in a way. They seem so mild-mannered, but then they’ll quietly say or do something totally destructive.”
“The incoherence of a crazy quilt, the orderliness of spun silk: these two opposites were subtly interwoven into village life.”
I have a lot to say about Miho’s and Yoki’s (Yoki is one of the forest workers) marriage, but I’ll just let Yuki observe instead:
“Miho, walking alongside me, murmured, “I suppose you think I am crazy?” Um, yeah, not being an option, I said nothing.”
The magical realism elements are not a big part of the story, but they add a lovely flavour. There are gods and spirits living on Mount Kamusari – they are essential to village life, but they are only there when the story requires it. Forestry is just as essential to Kamusari and its people – without the forest, there would be no village.
The writing is simple and concise, yet poetic. I loved the descriptions of spring, the summer festival and the awesome drama of the autumn festival. The slow pace lets the reader savour every page.
If you want to read a heartwarming coming-of-age story, then Kamusari is the right place. It made me happy.
The Easy Life in Kamusari is a slice-of-life pastoral novel with a touch of magical realism. The story follows Yuki Hirano, a recent high school graduate who doesn’t know what to do with his life. His parents blackmail him (the nature of the blackmail is hilarious) into going to Kamusari to work as a forestry trainee.
Yuki is used to the hustle and bustle of his city, Yokohama. I really liked how the author let me experience the atmosphere of Kamusari through Yuki’s eyes: dense forests, rice fields, and traditional Japanese farmhouses. At first he is bored, he hates the village and the difficult work. Yuki’s transformation from a nonchalant city boy to someone who loves forestry and Kamusari way of life is very touching. The descriptions of the villagers and interactions between characters are quirky and humane. It adds a lot of charm to the book.
“Life here strikes me as pretty unusual. The people are funny in a way. They seem so mild-mannered, but then they’ll quietly say or do something totally destructive.”
“The incoherence of a crazy quilt, the orderliness of spun silk: these two opposites were subtly interwoven into village life.”
I have a lot to say about Miho’s and Yoki’s (Yoki is one of the forest workers) marriage, but I’ll just let Yuki observe instead:
“Miho, walking alongside me, murmured, “I suppose you think I am crazy?” Um, yeah, not being an option, I said nothing.”
The magical realism elements are not a big part of the story, but they add a lovely flavour. There are gods and spirits living on Mount Kamusari – they are essential to village life, but they are only there when the story requires it. Forestry is just as essential to Kamusari and its people – without the forest, there would be no village.
The writing is simple and concise, yet poetic. I loved the descriptions of spring, the summer festival and the awesome drama of the autumn festival. The slow pace lets the reader savour every page.
If you want to read a heartwarming coming-of-age story, then Kamusari is the right place. It made me happy.
crackercrumblife's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
darumachan's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed this a lot. The seasonal progression of the chapters made for a lovely experience in this remote little community. MC was well-rounded, but the stakes of his adjustment to this life were very low and not a focus of the novel, so I don't think that his experiences really read as deep character development. The flip side of that is that the humor and easygoing nature of the whole community made for a very relaxing and entertaining read. Looking forward to checking out the next book.