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ohnana_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
gabbydoesntread's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
pasarmalam's review against another edition
3.0
Hardboiled: 4★
Hard Luck: 3★
This was a short and enjoyable read. I didn't know it contains two different stories, and i have to say i like the first one much better. The way Japanese writer combines loneliness and spiritual/surreal plot never fails to amaze me. Banana Yoshimoto's writing is really neat and very melancholic in her own way, it's easy to feel the mood and emotion she wanted to deliver here. I think i just fall in love deeper into her writing now.
Hard Luck: 3★
This was a short and enjoyable read. I didn't know it contains two different stories, and i have to say i like the first one much better. The way Japanese writer combines loneliness and spiritual/surreal plot never fails to amaze me. Banana Yoshimoto's writing is really neat and very melancholic in her own way, it's easy to feel the mood and emotion she wanted to deliver here. I think i just fall in love deeper into her writing now.
subvino's review against another edition
4.0
I loved it! Very short and spare without long descriptions, yet it still set a wonderful world up and I wanted more. I liked Hardboiled better than Hard Luck, but both were well-written and haunting.
ovaltineplease's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cynthiapinewood's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know how I feel about this.
It was a really interesting read and I couldn't put the book down, but both stories were way too short. Everything ended so fast and I couldn't ever truly connect with the characters although they felt so real and complex from the beginning till the very last page. Unfortunately it felt like a short summary of a real novel.
It was a really interesting read and I couldn't put the book down, but both stories were way too short. Everything ended so fast and I couldn't ever truly connect with the characters although they felt so real and complex from the beginning till the very last page. Unfortunately it felt like a short summary of a real novel.
girlglitch's review against another edition
5.0
Hardboiled and Hard Luck is made up of two novellas. Both feature women dealing with loss and grief, though they are quite different in tone. The protagonist of Hardboiled spends a restless night in the haunted limbo of her dreams. For a ghost story, it's surprisingly matter of fact and knowingly gothic - a refreshing take on the genre. Hard Luck is far more melancholy: a young woman visits her comatose sister in hospital, struggling to come to terms with the fact she's not going to wake up.
Yoshimoto's style is so clear and sparse that the emotion in her words almost takes you by surprise. There are hidden depths to both these stories, and it's those moments of wistful poetry that really bring these vignettes to life.
Yoshimoto's style is so clear and sparse that the emotion in her words almost takes you by surprise. There are hidden depths to both these stories, and it's those moments of wistful poetry that really bring these vignettes to life.
bibliorealki's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0