A review by boxcar
The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

One of my favorites. The tragic and beautiful lives of three people being told at once; a treatise on aging and growing old, loving and allowing yourself to love. There are some absolutely devastating themes and ideas in here. Strong strong strong characters who suffer from what has happened to them, but manage to live on. The end felt a little hasty, though I thought the idea was powerful. Almost like a gotcha! that feels contrived, but at the same time works. The setting being a retirement home was interesting. I think this book takes aim at so many great injustices that it might not be able to devote enough time to any particular one. However, the characters aren't stereotypes or charicatures of anything, and their identity, personality and trauma aren't the means to an end story-wise, but seem to be treated with the gravity they deserve. Dunno if that makes sense. One of those bittersweet stories, equally suffusing me with sadness and happiness, achieved through characters crafted with a great deal of empathy, hard not to feel what they feel. The ending was bittersweet as well. Allende is very good at making me feel something, which I think is her greatest strength.