rob5ear12's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
songabong's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
marit_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
There were some scenes that the book could (should) have done without, not
the magical realism stuff but others. It also felt a little too try-hard at times. However, I would definitely be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this book and Benny’s story
the magical realism stuff but others. It also felt a little too try-hard at times. However, I would definitely be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this book and Benny’s story
islaybooks's review against another edition
4.0
This book definitely took me a while to get into to, over 500 pages long and the style of writing did make it quite dense and difficult to read.
It follows the difficulties of the Oh family, who suffer a tragedy as the father is hit by a chicken truck while high and it killed. Benny Oh, the son, starts hearing voices from inanimate objects and is subsequently put into a psychiatric unit as he derails due to constantly hearing these voices. In parallel, we follow the story of his mother Annabelle. She struggles in the aftermath of her husbands death and faces difficulties regarding unemployment, eviction, her own health, as well as trying to support her son while he faces his own struggles.
Benny finds some sort of peace at the public Library, with an unlikely group of friends (a girl from the hospital and her mentor, a homeless amputee poet) while Annabelle finds some kind of support from a Japanese Monk who she relates to her own husband. The story is difficult, yet heartwarming and we see Ozeki discuss a range of relevant topics including race, mental illness, religion and substance abuse.
If I'm honest, it took me a while to really get into this. At about 50% of the book though, I was hooked. The wellbeing of the family really got under my skin, and I found myself hoping that they would be okay in the end. I got annoyed at mother and son for their treatment of themselves and others, and wanted to cry while learning about their suffering. The narrative of this book was unlike anything I have read before. The majority of the narrative being done by "the book", but Benny openly converses with this narrator every couple of chapters. This intriguing way of breaking the fourth wall allowed us to learn more information about Benny, which we may not have learned without this dialogue.
Overall, a unique book which tackles a lot of different issues through a seemingly 'normal' family with a lot more going on than first meets the eye. Four stars.
It follows the difficulties of the Oh family, who suffer a tragedy as the father is hit by a chicken truck while high and it killed. Benny Oh, the son, starts hearing voices from inanimate objects and is subsequently put into a psychiatric unit as he derails due to constantly hearing these voices. In parallel, we follow the story of his mother Annabelle. She struggles in the aftermath of her husbands death and faces difficulties regarding unemployment, eviction, her own health, as well as trying to support her son while he faces his own struggles.
Benny finds some sort of peace at the public Library, with an unlikely group of friends (a girl from the hospital and her mentor, a homeless amputee poet) while Annabelle finds some kind of support from a Japanese Monk who she relates to her own husband. The story is difficult, yet heartwarming and we see Ozeki discuss a range of relevant topics including race, mental illness, religion and substance abuse.
If I'm honest, it took me a while to really get into this. At about 50% of the book though, I was hooked. The wellbeing of the family really got under my skin, and I found myself hoping that they would be okay in the end. I got annoyed at mother and son for their treatment of themselves and others, and wanted to cry while learning about their suffering. The narrative of this book was unlike anything I have read before. The majority of the narrative being done by "the book", but Benny openly converses with this narrator every couple of chapters. This intriguing way of breaking the fourth wall allowed us to learn more information about Benny, which we may not have learned without this dialogue.
Overall, a unique book which tackles a lot of different issues through a seemingly 'normal' family with a lot more going on than first meets the eye. Four stars.
ferris_mx's review against another edition
5.0
A great book that made hearing voices real, scary, confusing, and comprehensible. Hoarding too. It's a thin thread that lets us survive and thrive as humans. Worth reading again, especially if I ever read Borges.
unclelazy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
This book affected me in a way that I haven’t been affected by a book in a while. Its creativity in perspective and narration draws you in, but the heart of the characters and the different ways it forces you to look at life in this world is what keeps you reading.
marmaelade's review against another edition
4.0
This book took me a while to read--I'm talking months. You need to sit down and give some undivided attention to it to get all the details and understand what is happening. Despite that, I found it thought-provoking, and the way that Ozeki describes Benny's experience with mental illness and uses The Book as a narrative device was very clever.
I have yet to read a book by Ozeki that I would not recommend.
The only thing that's keeping me from giving this a 5/5 star is the density of it, but just because about midway, the book felt like more of a chore to read to make sure I wouldn't forget about it among the other books I've been reading. However I do also think that this is partially my fault because I was not being consistent with the time I was giving this book.
I have yet to read a book by Ozeki that I would not recommend.
The only thing that's keeping me from giving this a 5/5 star is the density of it, but just because about midway, the book felt like more of a chore to read to make sure I wouldn't forget about it among the other books I've been reading. However I do also think that this is partially my fault because I was not being consistent with the time I was giving this book.
brookmartin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
tea_pots's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
sunnie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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
3.75