Title: The Lake
Author: Banana Yoshimoto
About the Book: Japan, Art, Strangeness, Delicacy, Mysterious Past
My rating: 8.5/10.
As with many other books, your mileage may vary on this one. Even more so if you start reading in the wrong key. It starts out with a somewhat romance-like setting, which can be quite deceptive.
I went into it not expecting anything, so I had the chance to be quite pleasantly surprised. The writing style is light and delicate and strange. It feels airy and relaxed. I like listening to Chihiro's thoughts - still a bit of a child at heart, essentially uncertain of herself, but wonderfully accepting of other people and very relaxed.
Nakajima, the man who she enters into a strange relationship with, is strange. I can't properly feel him throughout the book, which may be what the author was trying to do. He is closed off and just *there* as somebody who needs acceptance and not much else. He reminds me of a cactus, somehow. Low-maintenance, arid looks.
As secondary characters, Mino and Chii, siblings taken right out of the supernatural realm, are delightful. They have an air of magical realism about them - there's always the question whether they're for real or not, but they fit right in "The Lake"'s world without much fuss.
The ending, where the mystery that is hinted at from the very beginning, is unraveled, feels to me somewhat blunt and sketchy. It is dark, contrasting with the wonderful lightness of the rest of the book - this wouldn't be a problem. However, it's explained in Nakajima's words and his voice doesn't charm me as much as Chihiro's, feeling somewhat too dry and artificial. I like it, but I also don't. The story is interesting, but the style detracts from it.
Anyway, it's a book I'd definitely recommend. Now I want to find "Kitchen", the Banana Yoshimoto book I was looking for when I found this.
You can get it here.
seems to be interestig
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