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wildgeese's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
melancolire's review against another edition
4.0
Clairement, je ne pensais pas aimer autant ce roman. Les thèmes qu'il aborde ne sont pas toujours très représentés dans la littérature et c'était aussi passionnant qu'émouvant. On découvre non seulement le Japon des années 70, la condition de la femme à cette période-là, mais aussi le rapport aux personnes âgées au Japon après la fin de la guerre, alors que le pourcentage de personnes âgées dans la population explose. Je me suis énormément attachée à Shigezo, j'ai été émue par sa situation, par les souffrances que ça implique pour sa famille, par les réflexions que se fait Akiko, sa belle fille. Le roman interroge le rapport à la vieillesse, la peur de "mal vieillir", la difficulté pour la société de cette époque à accepter la faiblesse et la vulnérabilité de toute une population, ainsi que le manque cruel de prise en charge médicale.
Plusieurs fois, ce roman m'a déprimé : on est sans cesse confronté à la vieillesse, ça nous fait réfléchir sur notre propre vie autant que les différents personnages. Pour autant j'ai adoré ma lecture et c'est un second coup de cœur de la même autrice.
Plusieurs fois, ce roman m'a déprimé : on est sans cesse confronté à la vieillesse, ça nous fait réfléchir sur notre propre vie autant que les différents personnages. Pour autant j'ai adoré ma lecture et c'est un second coup de cœur de la même autrice.
ruthiep's review
5.0
In "Twilight Years", Sawako Ariyoshi mesmerizes with detail. The reader is forced to confront the mundane, the bizarre, and the often appalling aspects of growing old, and empathizes with the family who must care for "Grandfather" as his physical and mental condition continue to deteriorate. We sympathize especially with the wife, Akiko, who seems close to losing her own sanity at several points, realizing her frustration and despair as she comes to understand that the societal system in place is not equipped to deal with the steadily rising number of elderly who cannot live independently. If the father-in-law who spent decades tormenting her mercilessly is to survive, it must be through her own efforts. The crux of the novel is her journey to redemption through sacrifice, and until the final pages, the reader wonders which whether Akiko and her family, whose daily life had been so neatly mapped out, will themselves survive the chaos that descends when caring for Grandfather becomes their communal responsibility.
To a non-Japanese reader, this book may seem hopelessly outdated and far-fetched at times, but to those who have lived in a Japanese extended family for any amount of time, the details ring true. Ariyoshi-san's novel was first published in 1972, but with the steadily declining birthrate in recent years, the issues it raises bear re-examining. Will society be able to shoulder the burden of yet more and more "Grandfathers", especially those without family or reliable networks?
Approach this book cautiously, and be prepared to face the inevitability of your own death. Yet if the subject matter is dark, Akiko's struggle is uplifting; readers who persevere till the end will be uplifted as well. An excellent and thought-provoking read.
To a non-Japanese reader, this book may seem hopelessly outdated and far-fetched at times, but to those who have lived in a Japanese extended family for any amount of time, the details ring true. Ariyoshi-san's novel was first published in 1972, but with the steadily declining birthrate in recent years, the issues it raises bear re-examining. Will society be able to shoulder the burden of yet more and more "Grandfathers", especially those without family or reliable networks?
Approach this book cautiously, and be prepared to face the inevitability of your own death. Yet if the subject matter is dark, Akiko's struggle is uplifting; readers who persevere till the end will be uplifted as well. An excellent and thought-provoking read.
invertible_hulk's review against another edition
3.0
A decent, if kinda slow-moving, novel about a woman dealing with her father-in-law's dementia; as well as her own mortality.
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