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puzzleguzzler's review against another edition
4.0
Even as Tetsuyuki blundered around every turn, I was still rooting for him, I guess just like he believed in his speared lizard.
sapuche's review against another edition
3.0
The novel's ending endeared me to the protagonist only slightly more than in the rest of the story. I found him unlikable throughout and utterly unworthy of his girlfriend's love and loyalty (which ultimately made her less likable, too). I could find no reason for her to remain so devoted to him, and to me this was the novel's biggest failing. By the end I was rooting for neither of them, and only for the lizard. I loved Miyamoto's other translated novels and short story collections (Kinshu, Phantom Lights, and Rivers), but this one I could have passed on. If I could rate a book on Goodreads with only 2.5 stars, I would have done so for this.
corvidquest's review
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
"You are a kindhearted egoist."
So says a random stranger to our protagonist, and it's on the mark. A college kid with an incredibly complicated life, Testuyuki struggles with doing the right thing – how can he even know what that is? – and fulfilling his own desires, oscillating between self-knowledge and self-delusion.
The lizard at the heart of the novel may seem like a heavy-handed metaphor at first blush, but Tetsuyuki's relationship with it is ever evolving, and the lizard becomes a much more mysterious entity, bearing the weight of many concepts. The novel is more concerned with ideas than plot, and Tetsuyuki makes for a surprisingly petty protagonist, and still I found it an interesting read providing much to ponder.
So says a random stranger to our protagonist, and it's on the mark. A college kid with an incredibly complicated life, Testuyuki struggles with doing the right thing – how can he even know what that is? – and fulfilling his own desires, oscillating between self-knowledge and self-delusion.
The lizard at the heart of the novel may seem like a heavy-handed metaphor at first blush, but Tetsuyuki's relationship with it is ever evolving, and the lizard becomes a much more mysterious entity, bearing the weight of many concepts. The novel is more concerned with ideas than plot, and Tetsuyuki makes for a surprisingly petty protagonist, and still I found it an interesting read providing much to ponder.
barrynorton's review
5.0
Masterful writing. A lizard, accidentally nailed to a pillar, becomes the backdrop to a story about class, debt, life, religion and love.
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