natalierh's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
surupa_m17's review against another edition
4.0
I think more than a review, this will be more of my advent into opinion writing, so bare with me while the point of this review gets a bit unclear. Yes, it is to give this beautiful piece of work a read, but it is also to draw attention to an important, but very often forgotten issue in the world, that of mortality and death, not only of humans, but animals alike.
Today we live in a world of medical advancements, technological uprising, a fast paced life, where humans don't have the time to catch up with their own breath, leave alone someone else, or take care of any harm they might be doing - to a loved one, to the society, to nature, environment - you get my point. It's not a surprise that our previous generation seems to live a life that ends at about 70-75, on an average basis, while the X and Y generations have this varying level of mortality. Some people can't cope with stress and even seem to pass away at 21. Life is more unpredictable now than ever.
So why does this particular Japanese fiction story hold so much relevance? For the simple reason - to start reversing what we're doing wrong. To help us assess and correct our actions. Not only the wrongdoings to our own health or well being, but also to the wildlife around us.
The story revolves around Yoshiro, a man well beyond 100, struggling to keep his great grandson, Mumei, alive everyday. They live in a world where all the generations after him have perished - be it due to contamination, catastrophe, etc. and the geriatric seem to be outliving for decades to come. There is no sign of animals, except for rental dogs and dead cats. Japan is in isolation from the world, with no human allowed in or out of the country. In such a situation, a visit to Mumei's dentist brings back memories of a time when Yoshiro remembered human beings of all kinds, the animals that inhabited the country, a time when life held meaning.
Believe it or not, this might actually be a truth a few more decades down the line. Maybe not as grave as this story was shown, but who knows? Loads of animals are nearing extinction, because of various reasons - natural and human made (poaching for example), and are now only seen and heard of in books and encyclopaedias. Human kind seems to be battling new illnesses everyday, and if not that, then we're battling each other (lets not even get started on the number of wars and fatalities, I'll lose count if I go on a world wide census). But the part that is most astonishing - is that we humans have ceased to bother, let alone do anything about this situation. Why?
Today I see a lot of people trying their best to regain some balance in this world. The other day I saw a video of many circus animals being released back into the wildlife or in sanctuaries, so that they don't have to face the insolence of humans anymore. I see quite a few videos of some people in some societies doing their best to either raise awareness or find solutions to a lot of epidemics that our causing loss to humanity, and no, I'm not just talking about medical illnesses, I'm talking about atrocities and harm done by some groups, for their own benefits or agendas, or sometimes for no rhyme or reason.
But is the solution to this entire problem of survival and respect, for mankind and nature alike, just in the hand of a couple of people? Shouldn't it be the collective responsibility of the global society? Of the citizens of the world? I guess time will tell.
Today we live in a world of medical advancements, technological uprising, a fast paced life, where humans don't have the time to catch up with their own breath, leave alone someone else, or take care of any harm they might be doing - to a loved one, to the society, to nature, environment - you get my point. It's not a surprise that our previous generation seems to live a life that ends at about 70-75, on an average basis, while the X and Y generations have this varying level of mortality. Some people can't cope with stress and even seem to pass away at 21. Life is more unpredictable now than ever.
So why does this particular Japanese fiction story hold so much relevance? For the simple reason - to start reversing what we're doing wrong. To help us assess and correct our actions. Not only the wrongdoings to our own health or well being, but also to the wildlife around us.
The story revolves around Yoshiro, a man well beyond 100, struggling to keep his great grandson, Mumei, alive everyday. They live in a world where all the generations after him have perished - be it due to contamination, catastrophe, etc. and the geriatric seem to be outliving for decades to come. There is no sign of animals, except for rental dogs and dead cats. Japan is in isolation from the world, with no human allowed in or out of the country. In such a situation, a visit to Mumei's dentist brings back memories of a time when Yoshiro remembered human beings of all kinds, the animals that inhabited the country, a time when life held meaning.
Believe it or not, this might actually be a truth a few more decades down the line. Maybe not as grave as this story was shown, but who knows? Loads of animals are nearing extinction, because of various reasons - natural and human made (poaching for example), and are now only seen and heard of in books and encyclopaedias. Human kind seems to be battling new illnesses everyday, and if not that, then we're battling each other (lets not even get started on the number of wars and fatalities, I'll lose count if I go on a world wide census). But the part that is most astonishing - is that we humans have ceased to bother, let alone do anything about this situation. Why?
Today I see a lot of people trying their best to regain some balance in this world. The other day I saw a video of many circus animals being released back into the wildlife or in sanctuaries, so that they don't have to face the insolence of humans anymore. I see quite a few videos of some people in some societies doing their best to either raise awareness or find solutions to a lot of epidemics that our causing loss to humanity, and no, I'm not just talking about medical illnesses, I'm talking about atrocities and harm done by some groups, for their own benefits or agendas, or sometimes for no rhyme or reason.
But is the solution to this entire problem of survival and respect, for mankind and nature alike, just in the hand of a couple of people? Shouldn't it be the collective responsibility of the global society? Of the citizens of the world? I guess time will tell.
leojpeg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
what just happened! this book is a total rollercoaster but really amazing. great world building believable and well rounded characters and situations. great read but im left feeling puzzled.. definitely a lack luster ending that the book hadnt really worked enough to deserve
jellyghost's review against another edition
4.0
The beautiful colorful language propelled me through this book toward an ending that I’ll need a while to process, but I’ll be thinking about it for a while, I think.
lostcupofstars's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book was soooo unsatisfying. It felt like the middle section of a novel; there wasn’t enough groundwork laid to really understand what was going on and the ending felt like the turning point you’d usually get when you’re 75% done with a book.
There were likeable characters, but their voices were drowned out by the heavy nothingness of the text surrounding them. It honestly felt like nothing happened for 85% of this book. There are no chapters and very few breaks in the text which somehow made 138 pages feel a lot closer to 300.
The shift from Yoshiro to Mumei to his teacher was also not something I appreciated because it came far too late and it felt like it had no purpose other than maybe to quell some boredom while writing. Without giving any spoilers, there was an event about 15 pages before the end that opened up a chasm of questions that weren’t just left unanswered but also seemed to just be ignored. The concept was there and I’m a big fan of magical realism, but nothing was explored enough for this to be a book that I’ll think about again.
There were likeable characters, but their voices were drowned out by the heavy nothingness of the text surrounding them. It honestly felt like nothing happened for 85% of this book. There are no chapters and very few breaks in the text which somehow made 138 pages feel a lot closer to 300.
The shift from Yoshiro to Mumei to his teacher was also not something I appreciated because it came far too late and it felt like it had no purpose other than maybe to quell some boredom while writing. Without giving any spoilers, there was an event about 15 pages before the end that opened up a chasm of questions that weren’t just left unanswered but also seemed to just be ignored. The concept was there and I’m a big fan of magical realism, but nothing was explored enough for this to be a book that I’ll think about again.
ianridewood's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
medium-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
4.75
cstefko's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This was definitely an interesting read... It was more surrealist literary fiction than sci-fi/dystopia, in my opinion--the worldbuilding is a bit sporadic and doesn't explain everything, so fans of airtight science fiction will probably be disappointed with this one. The dystopian elements are really there to serve as metaphors and comment on some of the issues real-life Japan is facing (aging population, climate change & nuclear disaster, etc.). It's a strange little book, but I found myself really caring about Yoshiro and Mumei. I didn't care for the way Tawada abruptly shifted to the POV of Yoshiro's wife and Mumei's teacher towards the end of the book, after only hearing Yoshiro and Mumei's thoughts in the first two thirds or so. There's some clever wordplay and a lyrical quality to the writing that I really appreciated. I won't say I loved this book, but it made me think, and I'm glad to have chanced upon it at the library. It almost feels like I just experienced a very bizarre dream :P.
This was definitely an interesting read... It was more surrealist literary fiction than sci-fi/dystopia, in my opinion--the worldbuilding is a bit sporadic and doesn't explain everything, so fans of airtight science fiction will probably be disappointed with this one. The dystopian elements are really there to serve as metaphors and comment on some of the issues real-life Japan is facing (aging population, climate change & nuclear disaster, etc.). It's a strange little book, but I found myself really caring about Yoshiro and Mumei. I didn't care for the way Tawada abruptly shifted to the POV of Yoshiro's wife and Mumei's teacher towards the end of the book, after only hearing Yoshiro and Mumei's thoughts in the first two thirds or so. There's some clever wordplay and a lyrical quality to the writing that I really appreciated. I won't say I loved this book, but it made me think, and I'm glad to have chanced upon it at the library. It almost feels like I just experienced a very bizarre dream :P.
sbsterling's review against another edition
3.0
Delightful and irrepressibly funny are not how I'd describe this book but, then again, what do I know?
tronella's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting until the last 20 pages or so. I didn't care for the ending.