jam'n toast
I do not know how to feel about this book. I just felt like the vibe was completely off and I just could not connect with the characters like I had with their minor roles in the previous books. I think a reason for this being the case is that it feels as though points are constantly being rehashed extending the story to the point of boredom. I think that it could have been cut shorter especially now that I'm reading the sequel to this one. I did really enjoy both Joey and Aoife's characters and was super excited to delve into their past but I do not think that this whole book had to be focused on just the beginning of their friendship and every trivial moment in between. It felt a little too much like filler it became drawn out and tiresome rather quickly. Could have definitely been cut shorter maybe a novella plus a book definitely no need for this couple to have two books that are each over 600 pages long.
I was in a really bad reading slump before picking up this book and I really think that impacted the way I feel about this book.
Was this book amazing?
No not exactly, but I will say that it was quite enjoyable and I did end up developing a soft spot for the large cast of characters.
I went into this book not expecting much and it ended up delivering a heartfelt bittersweet story that really caught me by surprise. My only real complaint is that the repetition was very tedious to get through and was borderline horrendous because of how long the story is. However, I didn't mind the length and found the mundane conversations between the main characters to be sweet.
After having read the second book in the series, I have come to rethink my opinion on this book. At first I gave it two stars because there is a sense of passivity in Eilis' character, she felt detached even from the reader; so when she makes decisions that hurt those around her she becomes quite unlikable. However, I cannot disregard the fact that the author quite subtlety sets the foundation for what is to come in the second book. The pacing of this book doesn't feel slow but it manages to appear reserved, just like Eilis. I think this book reflects the diffident or uncertain nature of Eilis as she goes through the trials and tribulations of a life thrust upon her. Though there was a questionable scene that was irrelevant to the overall story, most of the story was quite compelling.
This book feels as though, through whispers, someone is confiding in you about an untold life lived long ago, it is fragmented, dulcet and intimate. Her prose are reminiscent of an impressionist painting. It presents a stripped portrayal of form that exudes evocative and abstract imagery using the repetition of dappled memories that weave in and out of the writers consciousness, accentuating the dreamlike quality that memories often evoke.
Her prose remind me of Marguerite Duras' writing, it is not exactly my cup of tea, but I cannot deny the thought provoking nature of this style of writing. I think the themes are so vivid and she brings so much tenderness and sincerity, it is a soulful story that resonated with me. Yoshimoto masterfully writes a seemingly simple story that carries so much spirit and hope.
Overall it was a sweet story, but I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I did enjoy the plot even if it was cheesy because that was the point, but at a certain point in the book I felt like dropping it. It completely lost my interest and the only reason I finished it was because I had already read about 65%.
This book meanders in the mundane, dwelling on the atmosphere of a dystopian world where memories are taken away. It is a surreal portrayal of the importance of memory, the loss of autonomy once we begin to forget and the dangers of passivity. I enjoyed the parallels to the story within the story and how though the ending is quite vague the themes are apparent, but the stylistic choice of ambiguity did leave me questioning the integral substance of the story. The ending made the decisions that pushed the narrative feel redundant; however, I believe that overall the story can be seen as contemplative and maybe with another read I'll uncover an interpretation I had not seen the first time around, on!y time will tell.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book and the journey it took me on. I read this book because I had heard others praise it, but I didn’t really know much about the story. All I knew was what the synopsis vaguely mentions. While reading book one, I was a bit confused on how this book planned on covering such a small yet deep conflict in so many pages without overusing it. I was getting a bit weary and was just hoping the author wouldn’t drag it out. However, that small conflict was only the beginning, the catalyst, it was just the foundation and the set up to a much deeper and heart wrenching issue that the main character is dealing with.