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A review by snailslowreader
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Book 2 for 2024 (wrote a paper on it!):
A Tale for the Time Being is nothing short of a masterpiece. I've never read anything like it before and I don't think I'll read anything like it ever again. It covers a massive range of topics—Japanese culture, spirituality, the art of being a writer, family legacy, depression, sexuality, philosophy—but doesn't feel like it's spreading itself too thin. I understand that the self-insert character for Ruth Ozeki (as one of the main dual POVs is 100% a reference to her) may turn some people off from the book, thinking that it's a sign of ego, when in reality it works really well for the concept of the book and how reality and fiction can blur together. I've also seen some reviews that found the sections with Ruth boring or the ending dissatisfying, which may be the case if you're extremely invested in Nao's story, but as someone who loves to write I was wholly invested in Ruth's arc as well. The symbolism and thematic richness of this book would make it an excellent candidate for an English class in high school or college—probably the latter, since it's a bit long, but it would still be amazing as a book to read for pleasure. Just make sure that you're not having an existential crisis before you do.
A Tale for the Time Being is nothing short of a masterpiece. I've never read anything like it before and I don't think I'll read anything like it ever again. It covers a massive range of topics—Japanese culture, spirituality, the art of being a writer, family legacy, depression, sexuality, philosophy—but doesn't feel like it's spreading itself too thin. I understand that the self-insert character for Ruth Ozeki (as one of the main dual POVs is 100% a reference to her) may turn some people off from the book, thinking that it's a sign of ego, when in reality it works really well for the concept of the book and how reality and fiction can blur together. I've also seen some reviews that found the sections with Ruth boring or the ending dissatisfying, which may be the case if you're extremely invested in Nao's story, but as someone who loves to write I was wholly invested in Ruth's arc as well. The symbolism and thematic richness of this book would make it an excellent candidate for an English class in high school or college—probably the latter, since it's a bit long, but it would still be amazing as a book to read for pleasure. Just make sure that you're not having an existential crisis before you do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Xenophobia