A review by kafkaonthebrink
All Over Creation, by Ruth Ozeki
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Right after I read this book, I googled "Does Ruth Ozeki have ADHD?" and the answer is yes. Yes, she does. I love how she finds these topics she's interested in, usually scientific in nature, and writes creative fiction about them. She really knows how to share information in a palatable and digestible way. My Year Of Meats tackled the meat industry and what separates human from animal, and All Over Creation tackles the vegetable industry, ruminating on growth and life as a whole. But both books have a common point: they're reflections of what it means to be human, which sounds so pretentious but Ozeki really does it well.
Like most Ozeki books, this was funny, depressing, horrifying, and even disgusting. The relationship with Yumi and Rhodes was so revoltingly abusive, and well the book doesn't necessarily condemn it as much as it should, it doesn't glorify it either. There's a certain stillness to Ozeki's books, an acceptance of what is while also celebrating growth and change. It's quite paradoxical and I don't know how she pulls it off. This book makes you hate all of the characters a little, and through that, makes you love them just a little bit too. I don't think any of these characters were likable, and that's what makes them so relatable. Even Yumi, the protagonist, is overall cruel and a "bad person". I don't think I could see anyone liking her.
Yes, it's long, and it's a bit tiring, but overall, it was a good read and nowhere near as disturbing as My Year of Meats, though the first half is a little bit nauseating. I really enjoyed it, and though I don't think I'll be coming back to it anytime soon (there are some books that I start over right as I finish them), I can definitely see myself enjoying this book again in the future.
Like most Ozeki books, this was funny, depressing, horrifying, and even disgusting. The relationship with Yumi and Rhodes was so revoltingly abusive, and well the book doesn't necessarily condemn it as much as it should, it doesn't glorify it either. There's a certain stillness to Ozeki's books, an acceptance of what is while also celebrating growth and change. It's quite paradoxical and I don't know how she pulls it off. This book makes you hate all of the characters a little, and through that, makes you love them just a little bit too. I don't think any of these characters were likable, and that's what makes them so relatable. Even Yumi, the protagonist, is overall cruel and a "bad person". I don't think I could see anyone liking her.
Yes, it's long, and it's a bit tiring, but overall, it was a good read and nowhere near as disturbing as My Year of Meats, though the first half is a little bit nauseating. I really enjoyed it, and though I don't think I'll be coming back to it anytime soon (there are some books that I start over right as I finish them), I can definitely see myself enjoying this book again in the future.