A review by murderpillow
How Do You Live? by Genzaburō Yoshino

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

3.0

An incredibly mature approach towards typically adolescent and prepubescent experiences. There is an obvious charm to the novel which reveals itself over time, and any viewer of Hayao Miyazaki's work will be keenly aware of the similarities to his exploration of adolescence and its similarities to that of Genzaburo Yoshino's seminal work. For older readers, there will be diminishing returns as the lessons taught aren't exactly revolutionary, but the more inspiring aspect of the part-novel, part-ethics essay will be the fruitful discussions spurred by the reading of the book. As Gaiman eloquently describes in his foreword in the recent republication of this book, wonderfully translated by Boris Navasky, the best parts of the book are the moments where it fuses both fiction and morality together, acting both as a form of entertainment but also as a guide to those naive enough to believe in the world's inherent good nature. Though the story is largely unsophisticated, there is enough in this that, with an open mind, one could largely gain from these formative experiences detailed in the book. 
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