A Tale for the Time Being: A Novel
A brilliant, unforgettable novel from bestselling author Ruth Ozeki, author of The Book of Form and Emptiness Finalist for the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award "A time being is someone who lives in time, and that means you, and me, and every one of us who is, or was, or ever will be." In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decide...show more
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Community Reviews
this was one of the most interesting books i've read in a long time, i can't pretend to fully understand it (the end especially) but nevertheless it left such a strong impression. nao's story was the soul of this book, her witty writing and way of seeing the world as well as her insights into japanese culture and mindsets was what kept me reading. ruth's story was a little slow at times but i appreciated her realism and empathy as well. i highly ...read more
I'm on the fence between 2 and 3 stars for this one. I really did not enjoy it very much. Then it went mystical and totally lost me. I think I'll stick with 2, after all.
Finally done. This was hard to slog thru...alternating between perspectives, adapting Japanese culture with quantum physics and Zen Buddhism....I never felt really connected with the characters or story. The idea that Schrodinger's experiment might be how the world works is intriguing, but that's a short story .
This book is not the sexy Buddhist nun story it promises to be on the first few pages. That was a disappointment. It is also not the realistic story it promises to be for the first 60% of the book as it descends into magical realism madness. But I fell in love with the characters and any book that weaves mindfulness and physics into a narrative about time is likely to win me over.
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