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cturek93's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
rayamoon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.25
rmur's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
pasarmalam's review against another edition
3.0
Hardboiled: 4★
Hard Luck: 3★
This was a short and enjoyable read. I didn't know it contains two different stories, and i have to say i like the first one much better. The way Japanese writer combines loneliness and spiritual/surreal plot never fails to amaze me. Banana Yoshimoto's writing is really neat and very melancholic in her own way, it's easy to feel the mood and emotion she wanted to deliver here. I think i just fall in love deeper into her writing now.
Hard Luck: 3★
This was a short and enjoyable read. I didn't know it contains two different stories, and i have to say i like the first one much better. The way Japanese writer combines loneliness and spiritual/surreal plot never fails to amaze me. Banana Yoshimoto's writing is really neat and very melancholic in her own way, it's easy to feel the mood and emotion she wanted to deliver here. I think i just fall in love deeper into her writing now.
jannavanilla's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.75
Yoshimotos writing is graceful. She’s able to write about sad feelings like grief and unravel them into heartfelt words. Some parts were weird like about when she lays her head on her dad’s lap she said some weird shtuff lick why she would say that 😭 but nice and peaceful read. I liked listening to piano music while reading it
xegc's review against another edition
3.0
least favourite banana yoshimoto book i‘ve read this far but at least the cover is cute
memoirsofra's review against another edition
5.0
Hardboiled and Hard Luck by Banana Yoshimoto is a novel consisting of two novellas, both about young women who lose loved ones; Hardboiled is about an unnamed narrator who loses her ex-lover, and Hard Luck is about a woman whose sister is in vegetative state due to cerebral haemorrhage.
In Hardboiled, our woman reminisces about her life when she was still with her ex-lover until her death —which was very unexpected. But in a very beautiful, moving and very heartwarming way. In Hard Luck, we get to know the feelings of a sister who slowly accepts that her sibling is about to die and chooses to continue living her life.
This novel really reminds me of Kitchen or Amrita, both also works by Yoshimoto. I really, really recommend this novel to those of you who are quite familiar with Yoshimoto’s work, but before that, please check the Trigger Warning!
In Hardboiled, our woman reminisces about her life when she was still with her ex-lover until her death —which was very unexpected. But in a very beautiful, moving and very heartwarming way. In Hard Luck, we get to know the feelings of a sister who slowly accepts that her sibling is about to die and chooses to continue living her life.
This novel really reminds me of Kitchen or Amrita, both also works by Yoshimoto. I really, really recommend this novel to those of you who are quite familiar with Yoshimoto’s work, but before that, please check the Trigger Warning!
fabulousdave's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0