A review by luxsona
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is a slow burn of a book. It's a wonderful read though. Very introspective and philosophical. There were moments where I felt angry, sad, and hopeful, all within the same reading-session. I highly recommend this one if you are in a good headspace.

What I enjoyed
  • Characterization: Ozeki characterizes everyone in such realistic ways. These characters are flawed people with wants, desires, strengths and weaknesses. There were many moments where I strongly disagreed with some of the characters and I feel like that's always a good thing in a book.
  • Word Choice: I loved the word choice throughout this whole novel. There were moments where I could practically feel myself transported to the woods of the Pacific Northwest or the streets of Tokyo.  
  • Authorial Voice: I don't know how to describe this one, but really the whole story felt... confident, for lack of a better word. The voice throughout the whole novel felt completely cohesive. The footnotes add to the sense of authority, and the
    connection to quantum mechanics
    really inspired a lot of philosophical thought.

Overall, this book was a fantastic read. I enjoyed all the little things that made this novel unique. The footnotes, the dual-perspective, the playing around with the concept of time and time-beings. All lent themselves to this book's identity. A fantastic read!


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