kellynkell's review
mysterious
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
3.5
teseyasfalcon's review
4.0
3.5*. I'm not going to pretend I understood what was going on; I could tell it was incredibly intricately constructed, but it needed more brain cells to parse than I currently had, especially with the many many first person POVs and overlapping characters. It's definitely the kind of novel that's more about the overarching themes and journey rather than one narrative, and every POV was interesting and engaging, but it just wasn't the kind of book I had the brain space to connect with atm.
verychrisums's review
5.0
i rmb this book very fondly bc i read it at the back of a stuffy van in thailand. very very nice world building and plot writing. very well planned out and very well executed. kinda mind-blowing how everything ties together and every time u see it ur brain melts a little.
starduest's review
4.0
Loved this novel formed of loosely intertwined chapters - reminiscent of David Mitchell's Ghostwritten in that sense, as there's always a thrill in figuring out who this character was in a chapter that came before. Set across Singapore and Japan but neither country would appear that familiar to those who know them. Crisp, clear prose, though I didn't understand the story - if you know what Akiko's agenda was, do tell me.
bearunderthecypresses's review
5.0
Congratulations Daryl on a fine piece of craftsmanship here, and I thoroughly enjoyed the various philosophical considerations of possessing (or not possessing) a soul. As is my Goodreads-cheesy-ritual, I'll share my favorite non-spoiler lines here:
"We walked past a house. I could hear the sounds of somebody washing dishes in the sink, the sharp clatter of plates being arranged on a rack. A child calling for its mother. They were sounds of an inner life, a world shut away from prying eyes, and I wondered, for just a moment, if a restaurant of any sort could exist in this neighborhood at all." pg. 102.
"Twenty minutes we spent, seated over the top lip of the cave, between the roots of a tall cypress tree. The air moved powerfully there." pg. 174.
"At that moment I realised that there are people out there who look like love, and then there are others for which love looks just like them. The difference was unmistakable." pg. 228.
There are many other lines of note, but those lines are just for me to keep and are not for sharing.
Thank you Daryl! What a wonderful birthday surprise. X
"We walked past a house. I could hear the sounds of somebody washing dishes in the sink, the sharp clatter of plates being arranged on a rack. A child calling for its mother. They were sounds of an inner life, a world shut away from prying eyes, and I wondered, for just a moment, if a restaurant of any sort could exist in this neighborhood at all." pg. 102.
"Twenty minutes we spent, seated over the top lip of the cave, between the roots of a tall cypress tree. The air moved powerfully there." pg. 174.
"At that moment I realised that there are people out there who look like love, and then there are others for which love looks just like them. The difference was unmistakable." pg. 228.
There are many other lines of note, but those lines are just for me to keep and are not for sharing.
Thank you Daryl! What a wonderful birthday surprise. X
apollosmichioreads's review
4.0
Kappa Quartet is a rather peculiar and profound novel that is hard to describe. It basically centres around a group of characters whose lives are intertwined in ways that they might not even be aware of. These characters include humans and kappas—the “river demons of Japanese folklore”.
In his holiday in Tokyo, Kevin Lim, a young Singaporean man without a soul, meets one of these kappas and this chance encounter leads to reverberations within the complex web of characters who surround him. Weird things happen, souls are lost, and they all seem to be related to the kappas. While reading, I even had to research a little on kappas in Japanese folklore before I was able to attempt to understand the story.
Surreal, supernatural and dreamy, this is one novel that I believe fans of Haruki Murakami might enjoy.
4/5
In his holiday in Tokyo, Kevin Lim, a young Singaporean man without a soul, meets one of these kappas and this chance encounter leads to reverberations within the complex web of characters who surround him. Weird things happen, souls are lost, and they all seem to be related to the kappas. While reading, I even had to research a little on kappas in Japanese folklore before I was able to attempt to understand the story.
Surreal, supernatural and dreamy, this is one novel that I believe fans of Haruki Murakami might enjoy.
4/5
haoyang's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Beautiful concept: the intertwining of lives across space and time.
myeonghopabo's review
5.0
honestly,,,,,,, was seriously contemplating a 5 star review for this one for the sole reason of THE LAYERS!!!!!! THE WRITING!!!!!! THE WONG-KAR-WAI-ESQUE SERENDIPITY DONE RIGHT!!!!!! but i settled for a four star bc this book has given me much to ponder about and it wouldn't feel right to give it 5 stars when i have not made up my mind entirely about what this book means to me,,,,,, so. will update.
update: okay, i've made up my mind. this was everything i could have wanted in a book. by no means perfect but this book is *whole* to me and so 5 stars~
update: okay, i've made up my mind. this was everything i could have wanted in a book. by no means perfect but this book is *whole* to me and so 5 stars~
books_blackcats's review
3.0
Trippy
The writing is lyrical but the plot is trippy and confusing. The best parts were the hints at kappa and references to the legend of the kappa.
The writing is lyrical but the plot is trippy and confusing. The best parts were the hints at kappa and references to the legend of the kappa.
reggikko's review
2.0
2.5 stars. While this novel has elements that remind me of Murakami, the narrative is disjointed and uneven and never really comes together. In the end I just didn't see the point. Yam seems to be trying for some level of profundity but he doesn't quite pull it off. Disappointing.