ryowl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Let me start by saying I don't objectively think this is a bad novel. I personally just didn't connect with it the way I was hoping, for some reason or another.
Maybe the translation was partially to blame? It made the story feel very flat, a very monotone and straight-laced translation.
Additionally, a good chunk of the book being a story in a story didn't work for me, and didn't seem to be incredibly significant, but a way to pad the pages.
Underwhelming is the best word I could use, not terrible, not good. Just there.
Maybe the translation was partially to blame? It made the story feel very flat, a very monotone and straight-laced translation.
Additionally, a good chunk of the book being a story in a story didn't work for me, and didn't seem to be incredibly significant, but a way to pad the pages.
Underwhelming is the best word I could use, not terrible, not good. Just there.
cwtchcherie's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
mthebau's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
annakim's review against another edition
3.0
Slow to start, interesting middle section, pretty abrupt ending. I struggled a bit with the sentence flow because this is a translated text and I was thrown off a bit by the story within a story, but once I got into the rhythm of the plot, I was engaged.
lostcupofstars's review against another edition
2.0
This book felt like it was translated very literally; none of the language flowed and it was actually quite awkward to read.
The ending was really abrupt and while I liked the story within the story I felt like it took precedence over the original plot.
Not sure I’d recommend it tbh.
The ending was really abrupt and while I liked the story within the story I felt like it took precedence over the original plot.
Not sure I’d recommend it tbh.
mat_tobin's review against another edition
5.0
This was a beautiful ghost story. Translated from Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa, I bought it after seeing it reviewed on a website. Kashiwaba has been a muse for director, Hayao Miyazaki and the themes and style of the book made that connection abundantly clear. Kashiwaba has a very clever way of seeing the world through the eyes of a child in the same way that Kate Di Camillo (and Miyazaki) does.
It would be silly to summarise the story as to do so would give too much away. Needless to say that this is a story with deep moral questions about life and justice and love and hope; all woven in a rich tapestry of a story. I was worried that the ending would come to too abrupt an ending but it absolutely did not.
It would be silly to summarise the story as to do so would give too much away. Needless to say that this is a story with deep moral questions about life and justice and love and hope; all woven in a rich tapestry of a story. I was worried that the ending would come to too abrupt an ending but it absolutely did not.