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kristenhg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Car accident
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
There's no use sugar-coating it--this book is sad. It follows Kazu, an aging man experiencing homelessness in a park near Ueno Station in Tokyo. A working class everyman from a dialect-speaking region of Japan, he spends most of his life laboring in faraway cities, dutifully sending money home to his family. Now that he's dead, he can't seem to leave the park where he spent his final years. He reflects on the events that lead him here, including coincidental connections to the imperial family which fail to bring him good fortune. This slim, chapterless volume reflects primarily on class disparity and grief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death and Suicide
Minor: Animal death, Violence, and Death of parent