Reviews

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

perskaiciau's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

dbartelt's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

My only complaint is that it was a bit wordy, especially the very end (but also reading about quantum mechanics is draining anyways). Besides that, I thought this book was good! I liked the different POVS in the story, from the diary to Ruth to the letters. It connected all the characters well and did a good job of connecting events that you wouldn’t have thought were related. I think it was fitting that there was no real “ending” or discovery, because I think it adds to the messages in the book and doesn’t take away from the plot at all.

kintanakely's review against another edition

Just not in the mood

sensitive_egg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

sarahanwar's review against another edition

5.0

Not sure i’ll ever emotionally recover from this

mayrad's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

For the most part, I really liked this book. I found Nao's chapters to be engaging and powerful. Ruth's chapters were less so, but they were necessary to drive the message through of the "now." And the magical realism toward the end that made time converge so that the now could exist for both Nao and Ruth across time was pretty brilliant. I also love learning more about quantum physics. That being said, I would get bored when I would get to Ruth's chapters and some of the plot dragged, which is why I couldn't give this 5 stars. 

kelsied's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

bookwormer2's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

avesmaria's review against another edition

4.0

This was thoughtful and interesting, but the ending felt a little too conveniently “solved” and happy and tied up neatly. I almost wanted less of an explanation or probable reason for everything. Although I guess the author never really does “explain” out how the length of the diary changes spontaneously.

ocsheridan1's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5