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saoreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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's the innocence of a child that wasn't shying away with curiosity and brimming with youth. At some point, reading it calls for a reminder for adults of how they once were, the way they live their lives, dreams, and purposes. It makes you fall back into deep reflections toward what you hold important in life and what matters. The reality of instances where we have shared experiences, individually gone through but something we can all relate to. This book should be read by people in the stage of their life who may forget themselves or be in a state of transformation; overall, it's a heartwarming reminder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Death of parent
koplomps's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
3.0
I loved Copper's parts, but oh man, his uncle's diary seemed to last endlessly. Especially at the end when he was telling Copper about the Buddha statues (okay that one was a "conversation") but he just kept on repeating over and over the same knowledge with different words. My favorite part was when Copper went to visit Uragawa's home.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Classism
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia, Colonisation, and War
quipo's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
Really loved this book, great advice that I could implement. Would recommend to everyone.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying
aubreyw08's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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
There isn’t much of a plot to this which strays from my normal type of book but I really enjoyed it.
It is a little information heavy.
In so areas it info-dumps on a few topics which I enjoyed but can be annoying if you are just trying to enjoy the story.
It made an impact on me.
I really liked how this book just made me stop and think about the little things in life. It caused me to appreciate things more deeply. I plan to even start a notebook just like Copper and his uncle did.
It was enjoyable to read.
The writing style was good and the translation was done well. It is definitely not a type of book that would be good for someone who is looking for something more of a plot. There is no climax or big thing but I really needed it. It was a good break/refresher to the books I normally read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 Stars
I highly recommend.
It is a little information heavy.
In so areas it info-dumps on a few topics which I enjoyed but can be annoying if you are just trying to enjoy the story.
It made an impact on me.
I really liked how this book just made me stop and think about the little things in life. It caused me to appreciate things more deeply. I plan to even start a notebook just like Copper and his uncle did.
It was enjoyable to read.
The writing style was good and the translation was done well. It is definitely not a type of book that would be good for someone who is looking for something more of a plot. There is no climax or big thing but I really needed it. It was a good break/refresher to the books I normally read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 Stars
I highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
naiu_cs's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying
sarahb919's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Deeply thought-provoking. Wish I had read it when I was younger. But even still, at my older age, I’m unsure of how I will live.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Classism
Minor: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
octopoid's review against another edition
inspiring
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? Yes
3.25
I can't lie, I was very happy to finish this book and didn't enjoy reading it. There are not a lot of significant female characters and some of the uncle's essays tended to drag a little. However, after reading the translation notes at the end and finding out that this book with originally supposed to be an ethics textbook for young readers, I came to appreciate the book a little more.
I originally read this as a way to better understand Hayao Miyazaki's most recent movie, but here's a warning for those who are doing the same: the two are VASTLY DIFFERENT. I will be rewatching the movie soon but as far as I can see the most pressing similarity between the two is that the main characters are in a similar time period and have a dead parent. They may have similar philosophical undertones, but their plot or in no way the same.
Despite this, if you want an easy read with philosophical undertones that will teach you a bit about European history from a Japanese perspective then this is a nice read.
I originally read this as a way to better understand Hayao Miyazaki's most recent movie, but here's a warning for those who are doing the same: the two are VASTLY DIFFERENT. I will be rewatching the movie soon but as far as I can see the most pressing similarity between the two is that the main characters are in a similar time period and have a dead parent. They may have similar philosophical undertones, but their plot or in no way the same.
Despite this, if you want an easy read with philosophical undertones that will teach you a bit about European history from a Japanese perspective then this is a nice read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
kalldaff's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Very lovely. I'm glad I read the translator's note at the end because it provided a good understanding of how Yoshino fit into the broader context of pre-war Japan.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
murderpillow's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
An incredibly mature approach towards typically adolescent and prepubescent experiences. There is an obvious charm to the novel which reveals itself over time, and any viewer of Hayao Miyazaki's work will be keenly aware of the similarities to his exploration of adolescence and its similarities to that of Genzaburo Yoshino's seminal work. For older readers, there will be diminishing returns as the lessons taught aren't exactly revolutionary, but the more inspiring aspect of the part-novel, part-ethics essay will be the fruitful discussions spurred by the reading of the book. As Gaiman eloquently describes in his foreword in the recent republication of this book, wonderfully translated by Boris Navasky, the best parts of the book are the moments where it fuses both fiction and morality together, acting both as a form of entertainment but also as a guide to those naive enough to believe in the world's inherent good nature. Though the story is largely unsophisticated, there is enough in this that, with an open mind, one could largely gain from these formative experiences detailed in the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
nekomata's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying