Scan barcode
not_another_ana's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I had been alone. I rode the bus alone, I walked around the city alone, I did my shopping alone, and I drank alone. And even when I was with Sensei now, I didn't feel any different from when I did these things on my own.
Tsukiko is living a very normal and boring life. At 38 she works in an office, has no friends, and lives alone. One day, she crosses paths with her former high school teacher "Sensei" at a bar, and the two start an easy relationship where they share drinks, food, and share a simple camaraderie that develops into a romance as the seasons change.
This wasn't something I would ever pick on my own, it was a book club pick and I was willing to at least have an open mind but nope, I did not like this at all. The main pillar of this book is the age gap relationship. At first I was trying to be non judgemental since they were both grown adults, even thought he had been her HIGH SCHOOL teacher, but more and more parts of the romance didn't sit right with me and it just ruined the book completely.
Besides the age gap, there were other aspects of the plot that bothered me, one of them was the drinking. Every chapter they are drinking alcohol, and not just having a beer they are constantly getting wasted and it's presented as normal.
TL;DR: Tsukiko you don't need old man dick, you need a Zoloft prescription and a hobby.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content
power imbalance,alexandrabelze's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
not really my cup of tea, but the writing was wonderful; i’m excited to read more of kawakami’s work!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Grief
ellionora's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Death
gillthequill's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
2.5 Stars. A Reddit post recommended this book for me. I really enjoyed the first stretch of this book. I thought it was going to be a nice look through a series of vignettes of an intergenerational friendship. I enjoyed the loving descriptions of eating and drinking, the focus on environmental details and descriptions, and the moments between the two characters. But as the story went on (really from the chapter The Cherry Blossom Festival), I felt like the novel was losing me. Was it the sudden halting and uncertain romance? Was it the acknowledgement that whatever these two have, it will not last? Was it the sense of... smallness I felt towards the protagonist, childish and aimlessly drifting through her own life? I'm not sure. Either way, it was a well written book... just to me, fell flat towards the end. I don't know what I was expecting (digging deeper into the alcoholism between the two characters, maybe a more overt discussion of their loneliness, maybe even an expansion of the Beach chapter, dreamlike and symbolic to make the implied explicit, I don't know) but I'd recommend borrowing this one instead of buying if you have the chance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Minor: Death
americattt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“‘That’s how love is,’ she used to say. ‘If the love is true, then treat it the same way you would a plant—fertilize it, protect it from the elements —you must do absolutely everything you can. But if it isn’t true, then it’s best to just let it wither on the vine.’”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Death and Sexism
itsheyfay's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Car accident
theothergrl's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
An interesting prose that's simple, though not bad. There are two scenes of surrealism in the second half that make this book worth the read, though at times it trudged along quite slowly. This is not the sort of love story you'd think about if someone said romance. The love between the characters is told like the love that grows between two lonely people who feel very content in each other's company. It's a very understated passion, a slow-burn passion that asks you to rethink what passion means to you. I think these are the sort of love stories that we miss out on - comfortable love that is full of imperfections, that at times feels boring and tired, that is between people you wouldn't think to match. Honestly, I appreciate this book now more than I did when I was reading it. If it were longer I'm not sure I would've stuck with it, but it's a short story with a beautiful, surreal ending and therefore im glad that I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Sexism and Abandonment
Minor: Death, Infidelity, and Sexual harassment
frenchfry_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tender. honest. emotional. light read but can get heavy at some points. i found the premise to be a bit peculiar especially since i’m not the most comfortable with wide age gap relationships. but this was a comforting and sensibly written story. the protagonist at times only narrated matter-of-factly, but her pov of the situations she faces are still made rather crystal clear. though i expected it because of the foreshadowing, the timeskipped was quite abrupt. but perhaps that was intentional and the entire story itself worked as the tribute to sensei.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Alcohol
tarajoy90's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
sandramarinis's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Loved this book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Car accident, and Alcohol