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A review by thisotherbookaccount
Inheritors by Asako Serizawa
2.0
You can say that Inheritors by Asako Serizawa is a short story collection, but it really is a series of interconnected stories not unlike another recent book I read called Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. And while Homegoing is about the impact of slavery through multiple generations, Inheritors is about WW2 and its ramifications on generations of Japanese before, during and after the war.
The difference between the two books, however, is that most of Serizawa's stories left me cold and indifferent to whatever's happening on the page. One reason is because Serizawa's characters mostly speak with the same voice — her voice, I reckon. Another reason is that the first half of the book is written in a rough, obtuse style that's hard to penetrate for the most part. Even though both Inheritors and Homegoing provide a helpful family tree at the front of the book to help readers keep track of who's who, I never had to refer to it for Homegoing. Over here, though, I find myself being confused half the time as to how everybody is related, and it doesn't help that Inheritors is largely told without a chronological order.
In the end, the general indifference to the story, the obtuse style of writing and the lack of chronology made this a tough read for me. I honestly did not enjoy any of the stories.
The difference between the two books, however, is that most of Serizawa's stories left me cold and indifferent to whatever's happening on the page. One reason is because Serizawa's characters mostly speak with the same voice — her voice, I reckon. Another reason is that the first half of the book is written in a rough, obtuse style that's hard to penetrate for the most part. Even though both Inheritors and Homegoing provide a helpful family tree at the front of the book to help readers keep track of who's who, I never had to refer to it for Homegoing. Over here, though, I find myself being confused half the time as to how everybody is related, and it doesn't help that Inheritors is largely told without a chronological order.
In the end, the general indifference to the story, the obtuse style of writing and the lack of chronology made this a tough read for me. I honestly did not enjoy any of the stories.