Zaphoddent’s review of A Tale for the Time Being > Likes and Comments
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Like you, I loved most of it, but the end totally sucked!
I am struggling to read it... everyone had given it 4 or 5 stars!! Why?!
I feel the same way about this book- wish I hadn't bothered to tough it out till the end
I absolutely agree. Ruth and her cat killed what could have been actually a good book.
The Ruth parts and storyline didn't bother me. Except those bloody dreams and the ridiculous disappearing type thing. Why throw in this stuff to an otherwise factual telling?
What was up with the dreams? It totally threw the whole book off. It was confusing and convoluted. I also found the time line hard to follow. I guess most of Nao's part was written around 2001? I assumed they were talking about the earthquake of 2011.
Agreed, this was half of an amazing book but apparently the book we all wished it was is not the book the author envisioned. I think it would have been a far superior book without tbd dual narratives. Just Nao's story (with grandma of course!) would have made for a phenomenal book.
I also agree and the other thing that bothered me was that we never found out how the items in the bag ended up washing up on the beach. Very annoying!!
I also agreed. Bipolar is the perfect description. I too liked the book until Ruth's weird dream came out of nowhere.
From the start of the book we are told time does not simply move forward. The dream sequence plays with this notion. Also, we don't find out how the bag got to Ruth or the fate of Nao because of the principles of quantum physics. To not observe the ending, all possible endings (time lines) are still possible. I really don't understand quantum physics, but this is what I got from the book.
If you want to be challenged intellectually then this is a book you may like. IMO this is a book in part about the relationship between the author and the reader and the author and her writing. A book on the shelf is a book and a non-book, the writing in the author's mind is there and also not there. I have often wondered what it must be like to be an author. The writer gives us something in time, it exists or doesn't exist depending on whether or not someone reads it. It can take over the author's being and transport her into another time and/or another's time. This book has notions of Quantum physics and is also metaphysical. So many layers of meaning and perspectives, it takes awhile to discover them all. It reminded me of " The Elegance of the Hedgehog" because of the centrality of philosophical thought: what does it mean to know and how does one come to know? It explores the meaning and value of living in and perceiving time. In the E o t H the narrator dismisses the notion of phenomenology, in contrast to this story which gives it a prime place. It's also interesting to note that the author is a Buddist Monk and the author and the main character are both Ruth, and the author's husband is Oliver, too. See what I mean? What is the relationship between the author and her story and what does the reader make of it?
What a pastiche. Especially the parts that are about Ruth and her husband are unnecessary, long, boring, uninteresting and filled with irelevant facts. I am having hard time reading and keeping my interest in it. Definitively over rated.
Sorry but the "Quantum physics" part in this book is the biggest error.
I know many people that says thing like "You have an aura because we are energy, Einsteins said this" , but he didn't, he said something different and if you don't understand it (most of us don't) then don't use it for the sake of your argument.
The Ruth chapters were my favorite parts. Nao's narrative was certainly compelling and well done, but it didn't read like any 16-year old I've ever heard speak; the length and coherence of her journal entries stretched credibility more than the ghosts and quantum spiders. Plus, Nao's story was too harrowing for me to really enjoy. I found myself breathing a sigh of relief every time the book returned to Ruth and the inhabitants of the island; I wanted to spend more time THERE, learning about the rhythms of life in that community and Oliver's projects and so forth. That stuff was fascinating to me. The dream traveling and disappearing and reappearing diary pages did get a little too meta for me, but, all-in-all, I'm glad I read it. Never bored.
Debbie wrote: "I also agree and the other thing that bothered me was that we never found out how the items in the bag ended up washing up on the beach. Very annoying!!"
+1
Agree wholheartedly with this review, it was like this book was trying to be philosophical and physical at the same time. Too much zen Buddist stuff and boring dialogues with Ruth and her husband.
YES, I agree with you completely! Ruth's parts added nothing, it was almost painful at times. Her character was boring and moody, and parts of her sections read like dull textbooks. There wasn't closure for Nao - was she in Montreal or Japan at the time of the tsunami? The entire last chapter before the epilogue was awful, harping on about Schrodinger's cat. What a waste of time, as Nao's sections were glorious.
Great review! Exactly how I felt as well. I would have been happy if some things were resolved. I also cringed when Ruth's sections came along.... And I skimmed through quite a bit if that nonsense.
Yup. The decision to get loopy and metaphysical was a mistake and killed what had been a compelling narrative. The eye rolling portions about the quantum bot to erase one from search engines completely lost me and felt like the author had decided to try to wrap the book up and rushed to a zany, overly clever result.
I totally do agree about loving to read Nao's story, but started skipping through the Ruth sections. It got so boring in the middle that I just wanted to get it over with. But, and here is where I have a different opinion, I loved the end. The part where she started to talk about physics, I found great. This lifted the book again and I couldn't decide if 3 or 4 stars. If I could it would be 3.5. In summary, great start, boring middle, and great ending.
I completely agree. I loved Nao's story, thought Ruth's was terrible. Also, the bit about the magic and the quantum mechanics? WTF was that?
Alex wrote: "Sorry but the "Quantum physics" part in this book is the biggest error.
I know many people that says thing like "You have an aura because we are energy, Einsteins said this" , but he didn't, he sa..."
Fully agree with this! People shouldn't be allowed to call their cat Schrödinger unless they can solve the Schrödinger equation.
I am reading this book right now and this review is exactly how I feel about it so far. Love Nao, feel tempted to skip Ruth.
How did the bag end up on the beach? I don't like unfinished stories.
Does the book make sense if one skips over the "Ruth dream series"?
agree. could not stand the Ruth sections
Yes, I didn't like all of Ruth's parts as well.
I agree that the dream sequence ruined it for me too. The way everything felt so detached to what was going on, even what Nao had written irked me. It wasn't a bad idea, but overall I didn't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would
The quantum theory part ! As boring and annoying as the dream ! But I don't think that it's bipolar , it just reflected in a nice way the difference and convergence of these two characters
The ending was boring and I couldn't comprehend what Oliver was babbling about to Ruth. They didn't even find out how Haruki #1's French diary ended up there. I expected Ruth to at least know about Nao's current state and not some quantum theory bull. What was that all about? The book deviated too far from the reality that was in Nao's world and delved too deep into the fantasy (especially the part where her dream affected the diary). Personally, the author tried too hard to incorporate her own life into the book, which I felt uncomfortable about. I didn't like the fact that there was too much of herself (her environment and society). But hey, that's just me. To each his own. And finally, I had expected this book to be a mystery with a concrete solution because upon reading the synopsis, it made it sound like it was. Maybe Ruth wanted us to expect the unexpected. But no, not like this.
Maybe in another world, I would. (:
Could not agree more with your comments.
Ruth was awful. Everything about her should have been edited out TBH.
Interesting comments. A couple counter points in defense of the novel:
I went back and forth between how I felt about Ruth's sections but overall I think they end up strengthening the book a lot by giving us time to reflect on Nao's sections and explore the themes of the novel further. Also Ruth's behavior offered lessons in themselves.
I didn't mind the magical realism with Ruth's dreams (which did not come out of nowhere as dreams possibly effecting reality was a theme earlier in the novel too). Actually the writing in all the dream sequences, Nao or Ruth, was great to me. If they really bother you, the author left it open that Nao's story still can totally stand on its own without Ruth or her dreams (if you imagine only reading the Nao chapters, everything still works). For example, Nao and Haruki speculated that old Jiko could have added the French diary to the box later; Jiko even told Nao very clearly that the original letters were NOT Haruki #1s last words which strongly suggests she knew of the diary and probably thought Nao (or anyone) just wasn't ready to see it earlier on, it was heavy stuff. The only other possible "magical" effect Ruth had on the story was in telling Nao's father to go to Sendai. Nao never told him that she was going there but somehow he knew; it could have been Ruth telling him in the dream or he could have just pieced it together from how Nao was acting. Nao didn't really question this when he showed up so it isn't far fetched. Remember, Ruth seems to be at risk of having some mental disorders (she is extremely sensitive about being called crazy and about her memory) as well which could drive a lot of what she says which sounds crazy. So it can be viewed as "magical" or in a more logical realistic way, the author let's you take your pick!
Another point, while the author did seem to inject a lot of herself and her views in the novel, authors do this all the time but I found it refreshing that she did it in a transparent way (even calling the character Ruth) as to not insult the reader by trying to be clever about it but it being obvious anyway.
I of course was also hoping to know more of Nao's fate but I think he were told enough directly to be satisfied: Nao's parents and Nao have all found their strength and ability to lead happy lives. Since the barnacles on the freezer bags (that were from the temple) were older than the tsunami, I do think that Nao threw the bag into the ocean at the temple during one of her visits a year or two before the tsunami, ready to help someone learn from what she has learned. Since she was still visiting the temple after all those years, she could have unfortunately been there in March which is when the tsunami was but "March" is a big time frame so the odds of her being there when the tsunami hit are relatively low. Like Ruth we will never know which I'm fine with because I can believe she was not there.
I hope these thoughts can help one see the novel in a more positive light!
Great analysis. the thing about this book is that it constructs various levels of reality which requires much from the reader.
I totally agree! I feel bad saying this because Ruth is based off of the author, but she was such a bore!
I completely agree!! Ruth's point of view was terribly hard to get through.
Bipolar is a great way to describe this book! Ruth was such a drag. I think she should take all of Nao's journal entries and re-package them solely as a diary. That would be worthy of 4 or 5 stars!
I agree! Loved naos part and I actually skipped Ruth's part
I agree! I loved Nao chapters and I wanted to skip those when Ruth appeared.
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MaryJeanne
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Oct 04, 2013 07:21PM
Like you, I loved most of it, but the end totally sucked!
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I am struggling to read it... everyone had given it 4 or 5 stars!! Why?!
I feel the same way about this book- wish I hadn't bothered to tough it out till the end
I absolutely agree. Ruth and her cat killed what could have been actually a good book.
The Ruth parts and storyline didn't bother me. Except those bloody dreams and the ridiculous disappearing type thing. Why throw in this stuff to an otherwise factual telling?
What was up with the dreams? It totally threw the whole book off. It was confusing and convoluted. I also found the time line hard to follow. I guess most of Nao's part was written around 2001? I assumed they were talking about the earthquake of 2011.
Agreed, this was half of an amazing book but apparently the book we all wished it was is not the book the author envisioned. I think it would have been a far superior book without tbd dual narratives. Just Nao's story (with grandma of course!) would have made for a phenomenal book.
I also agree and the other thing that bothered me was that we never found out how the items in the bag ended up washing up on the beach. Very annoying!!
I also agreed. Bipolar is the perfect description. I too liked the book until Ruth's weird dream came out of nowhere.
I agree as well! The only reason I was able to get through Ruth's sections was knowing that after I would be able to read Nao's compelling story. The book did end up being on of my favourites never the less, but I absolutely hated the last chapter of Ruth!
From the start of the book we are told time does not simply move forward. The dream sequence plays with this notion. Also, we don't find out how the bag got to Ruth or the fate of Nao because of the principles of quantum physics. To not observe the ending, all possible endings (time lines) are still possible. I really don't understand quantum physics, but this is what I got from the book.
If you want to be challenged intellectually then this is a book you may like. IMO this is a book in part about the relationship between the author and the reader and the author and her writing. A book on the shelf is a book and a non-book, the writing in the author's mind is there and also not there. I have often wondered what it must be like to be an author. The writer gives us something in time, it exists or doesn't exist depending on whether or not someone reads it. It can take over the author's being and transport her into another time and/or another's time. This book has notions of Quantum physics and is also metaphysical. So many layers of meaning and perspectives, it takes awhile to discover them all. It reminded me of " The Elegance of the Hedgehog" because of the centrality of philosophical thought: what does it mean to know and how does one come to know? It explores the meaning and value of living in and perceiving time. In the E o t H the narrator dismisses the notion of phenomenology, in contrast to this story which gives it a prime place. It's also interesting to note that the author is a Buddist Monk and the author and the main character are both Ruth, and the author's husband is Oliver, too. See what I mean? What is the relationship between the author and her story and what does the reader make of it?
What a pastiche. Especially the parts that are about Ruth and her husband are unnecessary, long, boring, uninteresting and filled with irelevant facts. I am having hard time reading and keeping my interest in it. Definitively over rated.
Sorry but the "Quantum physics" part in this book is the biggest error. I know many people that says thing like "You have an aura because we are energy, Einsteins said this" , but he didn't, he said something different and if you don't understand it (most of us don't) then don't use it for the sake of your argument.
The Ruth chapters were my favorite parts. Nao's narrative was certainly compelling and well done, but it didn't read like any 16-year old I've ever heard speak; the length and coherence of her journal entries stretched credibility more than the ghosts and quantum spiders. Plus, Nao's story was too harrowing for me to really enjoy. I found myself breathing a sigh of relief every time the book returned to Ruth and the inhabitants of the island; I wanted to spend more time THERE, learning about the rhythms of life in that community and Oliver's projects and so forth. That stuff was fascinating to me. The dream traveling and disappearing and reappearing diary pages did get a little too meta for me, but, all-in-all, I'm glad I read it. Never bored.
Debbie wrote: "I also agree and the other thing that bothered me was that we never found out how the items in the bag ended up washing up on the beach. Very annoying!!"+1
Agree wholheartedly with this review, it was like this book was trying to be philosophical and physical at the same time. Too much zen Buddist stuff and boring dialogues with Ruth and her husband.
YES, I agree with you completely! Ruth's parts added nothing, it was almost painful at times. Her character was boring and moody, and parts of her sections read like dull textbooks. There wasn't closure for Nao - was she in Montreal or Japan at the time of the tsunami? The entire last chapter before the epilogue was awful, harping on about Schrodinger's cat. What a waste of time, as Nao's sections were glorious.
Great review! Exactly how I felt as well. I would have been happy if some things were resolved. I also cringed when Ruth's sections came along.... And I skimmed through quite a bit if that nonsense.
Yup. The decision to get loopy and metaphysical was a mistake and killed what had been a compelling narrative. The eye rolling portions about the quantum bot to erase one from search engines completely lost me and felt like the author had decided to try to wrap the book up and rushed to a zany, overly clever result.
I totally do agree about loving to read Nao's story, but started skipping through the Ruth sections. It got so boring in the middle that I just wanted to get it over with. But, and here is where I have a different opinion, I loved the end. The part where she started to talk about physics, I found great. This lifted the book again and I couldn't decide if 3 or 4 stars. If I could it would be 3.5. In summary, great start, boring middle, and great ending.
I completely agree. I loved Nao's story, thought Ruth's was terrible. Also, the bit about the magic and the quantum mechanics? WTF was that?
Alex wrote: "Sorry but the "Quantum physics" part in this book is the biggest error. I know many people that says thing like "You have an aura because we are energy, Einsteins said this" , but he didn't, he sa..."
Fully agree with this! People shouldn't be allowed to call their cat Schrödinger unless they can solve the Schrödinger equation.
I am reading this book right now and this review is exactly how I feel about it so far. Love Nao, feel tempted to skip Ruth.
How did the bag end up on the beach? I don't like unfinished stories.
Does the book make sense if one skips over the "Ruth dream series"?
agree. could not stand the Ruth sections
Yes, I didn't like all of Ruth's parts as well.
I agree that the dream sequence ruined it for me too. The way everything felt so detached to what was going on, even what Nao had written irked me. It wasn't a bad idea, but overall I didn't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would
The quantum theory part ! As boring and annoying as the dream ! But I don't think that it's bipolar , it just reflected in a nice way the difference and convergence of these two characters
The ending was boring and I couldn't comprehend what Oliver was babbling about to Ruth. They didn't even find out how Haruki #1's French diary ended up there. I expected Ruth to at least know about Nao's current state and not some quantum theory bull. What was that all about? The book deviated too far from the reality that was in Nao's world and delved too deep into the fantasy (especially the part where her dream affected the diary). Personally, the author tried too hard to incorporate her own life into the book, which I felt uncomfortable about. I didn't like the fact that there was too much of herself (her environment and society). But hey, that's just me. To each his own. And finally, I had expected this book to be a mystery with a concrete solution because upon reading the synopsis, it made it sound like it was. Maybe Ruth wanted us to expect the unexpected. But no, not like this.Maybe in another world, I would. (:
Could not agree more with your comments.
Ruth was awful. Everything about her should have been edited out TBH.
Interesting comments. A couple counter points in defense of the novel: I went back and forth between how I felt about Ruth's sections but overall I think they end up strengthening the book a lot by giving us time to reflect on Nao's sections and explore the themes of the novel further. Also Ruth's behavior offered lessons in themselves.
I didn't mind the magical realism with Ruth's dreams (which did not come out of nowhere as dreams possibly effecting reality was a theme earlier in the novel too). Actually the writing in all the dream sequences, Nao or Ruth, was great to me. If they really bother you, the author left it open that Nao's story still can totally stand on its own without Ruth or her dreams (if you imagine only reading the Nao chapters, everything still works). For example, Nao and Haruki speculated that old Jiko could have added the French diary to the box later; Jiko even told Nao very clearly that the original letters were NOT Haruki #1s last words which strongly suggests she knew of the diary and probably thought Nao (or anyone) just wasn't ready to see it earlier on, it was heavy stuff. The only other possible "magical" effect Ruth had on the story was in telling Nao's father to go to Sendai. Nao never told him that she was going there but somehow he knew; it could have been Ruth telling him in the dream or he could have just pieced it together from how Nao was acting. Nao didn't really question this when he showed up so it isn't far fetched. Remember, Ruth seems to be at risk of having some mental disorders (she is extremely sensitive about being called crazy and about her memory) as well which could drive a lot of what she says which sounds crazy. So it can be viewed as "magical" or in a more logical realistic way, the author let's you take your pick!
Another point, while the author did seem to inject a lot of herself and her views in the novel, authors do this all the time but I found it refreshing that she did it in a transparent way (even calling the character Ruth) as to not insult the reader by trying to be clever about it but it being obvious anyway.
I of course was also hoping to know more of Nao's fate but I think he were told enough directly to be satisfied: Nao's parents and Nao have all found their strength and ability to lead happy lives. Since the barnacles on the freezer bags (that were from the temple) were older than the tsunami, I do think that Nao threw the bag into the ocean at the temple during one of her visits a year or two before the tsunami, ready to help someone learn from what she has learned. Since she was still visiting the temple after all those years, she could have unfortunately been there in March which is when the tsunami was but "March" is a big time frame so the odds of her being there when the tsunami hit are relatively low. Like Ruth we will never know which I'm fine with because I can believe she was not there.
I hope these thoughts can help one see the novel in a more positive light!
Great analysis. the thing about this book is that it constructs various levels of reality which requires much from the reader.
I totally agree! I feel bad saying this because Ruth is based off of the author, but she was such a bore!
I completely agree!! Ruth's point of view was terribly hard to get through.
Bipolar is a great way to describe this book! Ruth was such a drag. I think she should take all of Nao's journal entries and re-package them solely as a diary. That would be worthy of 4 or 5 stars!
I agree! Loved naos part and I actually skipped Ruth's part
I agree! I loved Nao chapters and I wanted to skip those when Ruth appeared.
