Scan barcode
mathman329's review against another edition
3.0
Summer Book Review - Book No. 5: “Memoirs of a Polar Bear” by Yoko Tawada (translated by Susan Bernofsky)
Date started: 7/2/22
Date finished: 7/16/22
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading at some point, especially if you wonder what it’s like to write from a polar bear’s perspective)
Spoiler free review: One of the things I’ve been consciously trying to do with my reading is branch out and read more diverse works. When this book popped up in another IG feed I follow, I thought this would fit the bill. Tawada was born in Japan, but currently lives in Germany, and she writes works in both languages. “Memoirs of a Polar Bear” chronicles the lives of 3 generations of the same Polar Bear family - the eldest a retired circus performer who records her own memoir, the middle bear a newly minted circus performer, and the youngest a rising star at a Berlin zoo. The first third actually seems a bit autobiographical, as the unnamed bear learns to write her memoirs first in her native Russian before fleeing to Germany and learning to speak and write in a second language much like Tawada has done in her own life. I enjoyed this memoir the most, while the middle portion of the book is weighed down by the minutiae of circus life from both the perspective of a bear and her trainer. Tosca, the middle bear, might have been more interesting if more of the writing had been focused on her than the trainer. The final third returns to focus, though, as young Knut (based on a real Polar Bear cub born at the Berlin Zoo in 2006) begins his life in the spotlight at the zoo. His relationship with his caretakers and how he interprets their interactions is one of the more interesting parts of the whole book. All in all, it was wild to read the book while attempting to keep in mind that, no matter what vocabulary was used or what the character experienced, this was supposed to be a POLAR BEAR’s experiences for us to enjoy. If all of that isn’t crazy enough for you, there may or may not be a cameo from a deceased pop star in the final third that seems a strange addition. Believe me, I realize how odd that sounds - what an odd trip.
Date started: 7/2/22
Date finished: 7/16/22
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading at some point, especially if you wonder what it’s like to write from a polar bear’s perspective)
Spoiler free review: One of the things I’ve been consciously trying to do with my reading is branch out and read more diverse works. When this book popped up in another IG feed I follow, I thought this would fit the bill. Tawada was born in Japan, but currently lives in Germany, and she writes works in both languages. “Memoirs of a Polar Bear” chronicles the lives of 3 generations of the same Polar Bear family - the eldest a retired circus performer who records her own memoir, the middle bear a newly minted circus performer, and the youngest a rising star at a Berlin zoo. The first third actually seems a bit autobiographical, as the unnamed bear learns to write her memoirs first in her native Russian before fleeing to Germany and learning to speak and write in a second language much like Tawada has done in her own life. I enjoyed this memoir the most, while the middle portion of the book is weighed down by the minutiae of circus life from both the perspective of a bear and her trainer. Tosca, the middle bear, might have been more interesting if more of the writing had been focused on her than the trainer. The final third returns to focus, though, as young Knut (based on a real Polar Bear cub born at the Berlin Zoo in 2006) begins his life in the spotlight at the zoo. His relationship with his caretakers and how he interprets their interactions is one of the more interesting parts of the whole book. All in all, it was wild to read the book while attempting to keep in mind that, no matter what vocabulary was used or what the character experienced, this was supposed to be a POLAR BEAR’s experiences for us to enjoy. If all of that isn’t crazy enough for you, there may or may not be a cameo from a deceased pop star in the final third that seems a strange addition. Believe me, I realize how odd that sounds - what an odd trip.
ad1t1s's review against another edition
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
runaroo's review against another edition
1.0
Only finished this because of book club... Very disappointed. The writing style left so much to be desired. The use of descriptive language was inconsistent. The word building was chaotic at best. It could be that it was poorly translated.
tand00riknight's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
buckyeahice's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
xtie's review against another edition
4.0
I love how weird Yoko Tawada gets - although I felt that as it moved closer to contemporary reality, the less direction it had - but maybe that was intentional.
jasoncfish's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-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
4.5