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aliceberg's review against another edition
3.5
Fin berättelse om relationer. Dess ytlighet, distans, det osynliga bandet som binder oss samman oavsett om vi ser det eller ej
francienolans's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.0
Idk how I feel about this book (woah deja vu much but this time different) but in a complimentary type of way. Idk. Like the synopsis says who’s doing the talking, what’s the reason behind this trip, will we ever know? Eh prbly knot and I’m ok with that. And I think that’s why I liked the book.
komarov's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
m838499's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
maddyse20's review against another edition
3.0
This is beautifully written, but it left me wanting more. The relationship between the mother and narrator daughter is complicated; there is a distance between them on a deep emotional level, even though they have a perfectly normal surface-level relationship. The daughter wants to bridge this gap, but at the same time she is a passive observer, watching her mother as if she is a fly on the wall. There's lots of internalised contemplation as the daughter remembers her childhood, and snippets from her mother's past, but for the most part this is just two ghostly figures shifting around each other, and Japan.
rikkireads_'s review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I picked this up at @matilda_bookshop late last year and was waiting for some cold weather to read it. It doesn't get cold enough for.snow here in Adelaide but July did have some rain, stormy weather, and cold, perfect for a short, cosy read and a cup of tea.
The story follows a woman and her mother, meeting up with each other for a holiday in Japan. While they wander through cities, and their different sights, and take trains between them, the narrator reflects on a range of formative moments in her youth.
I think it's pretty hard to review a book like this. The writing was pretty incredible though, in the way that sparse writing can be so rich at the same time. Like, surely that's an oxymoron and not possible, but the best, best writers somehow achieve this feat.
I was not blown away, but can imagine others would be, and I was still so impressed and engaged and fascinated by a story where almost nithhg happens but the reflections and observations are so authentic and honest.
If you want a literary read-in-a-rainy-arvo book, this is probably for you!
The story follows a woman and her mother, meeting up with each other for a holiday in Japan. While they wander through cities, and their different sights, and take trains between them, the narrator reflects on a range of formative moments in her youth.
I think it's pretty hard to review a book like this. The writing was pretty incredible though, in the way that sparse writing can be so rich at the same time. Like, surely that's an oxymoron and not possible, but the best, best writers somehow achieve this feat.
I was not blown away, but can imagine others would be, and I was still so impressed and engaged and fascinated by a story where almost nithhg happens but the reflections and observations are so authentic and honest.
If you want a literary read-in-a-rainy-arvo book, this is probably for you!
bmart's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
So much packed in in so few pages.
nattflyn's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
kymteri's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Throughout the book, I questioned why ‘haunting’ was part of the description given but by the end I did come out of it feeling so wanting to differentiate between reality and fiction. The main prose is a bit of a mundane telling of day-to-day in the best way, like looking back on your most distinct memory of a person whether or not it’s your favourite. With each short story embedded, you do question whether it’s still coming from the narrator which I enjoyed because you get to inspect and infer their distance and relationship.
tessrada's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75