Leigh

I think the back cover description is a bit misleading, as it makes it sound like the story is from Majime's perspective. The story is actually told through multiple viewpoints by people in his orbit. I loved The Easy Life in Kamusari, and I was onboard for The Great Passage until about midway through, when I couldn't really connect with it anymore. I did really like the premise, especially getting an insider's view into the creation/evolution of a dictionary.

Many useful techniques, though more examples of those techniques at work would have been helpful to me.

I listened to the audiobook and it was a pleasure to hear Stanley Tucci narrate. While I have very few aspirations in the kitchen, this book held my attention from beginning to end (even listening to the recipes scattered throughout). It will be on my list to revisit again someday.

This book is a new favorite - it had me hooked from start to finish. I was so impressed with how vivid the characters, culture, and world were. I listened as an audiobook and enjoyed it so much that I bought the hardcover so I could go back and savor the writing. I look forward to additional work by the author (as well as the narrator).

I loved the movie Klaus, but reading this book unfortunately didn't add to my enjoyment of it. The writing felt hastily thrown together and basic, I was surprised by how much of the art didn't seem to be print quality, and the font choice and color were difficult to read. A few pages of my book were also improperly cut.