Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - A Tale for the Time Being

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A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

57 reviews

mahimachawla's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A brilliantly written story of two lives across oceans and time periods weaving together that leaves the reader feeling simultaneously inconsequential and supremely important in this world.

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sestout's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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doofusphd's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Maybe I should have read this before <i> The Book of Form and Emptiness </i> which comes across as a more tightly woven tale. That being said, Ozeki guides the reader deep into a magical realist novel and allows us to flounder in there just as her characters do. There are some warm moments, but it's mostly on the darker side of being a human, and the peace one can find with a zen outlook.

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maidinnah's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Tale for the Time Being is an ode to the superpowers of literature — the power to connect souls across time and space, to create worlds of possibilities, and to instill comfort in moments of unknowing. The alternating perspectives of the troubled Nao and the contemplative Ruth (who may or may not be the author herself) created a novel that was equally zen as it is charming, meta as it is human. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long while.

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thyprincess's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

"And yet, at night I lie on my bed, counting my beads, one for every thing on earth I love, on and on, in a circle without end."

A Tale for the Time Being is perhaps best regarded as a tale across time and space, with the voices of Nao, a young Japanese schoolgirl, and Ruth, a quiet islander (also writer). This magical realism novel explores themes of Zen Buddhism, Quantum Mechanics, and Conscience, though most times you'll have to think real hard about what it's trying to get at.

Nao's voice is witty and quick, whereas Ruth is a more slow and soft voice, which acts as a buffer for the horrible experiences Nao details in her diary. The build up is slow, but once the mysteries of Nao's family begin to unravel themselves, the pace picked up and it became an enjoyable read, though at times stilted given the amount of context you have to contemplate on to understand the feelings conveyed.

Still, I enjoyed the lesson it was sharing - one grounded on our individual and collective Time Beings, and it will leave me pondering on these fleeting moments in time.

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