A review by sdiaz
The Changeling by Kenzaburō Ōe

4.0

A meandering look at the relationships we have with our loved ones both while they are with us as well as when all that remains are the memories due to their passing. I loved the simple nature of the story and the fact that even when dealing with sort of metaphysical topics the characters remained wholly grounded and would not introduce any fantastical elements.
The pacing is slow and we learn about the world and the characters not through direct exposition but through their interactions with Kogito.
I guess the only aspect I felt frustrated with was the big "action sequence" that the book is leading up to. Kogito frequently muses on an infamous night that he and Goro spent in the mountains, yet

it is then revealed that Kogito has no idea what really happened and the options that are exposed (a willing homosexual encounter or observing a drunken beating of an officer) do not seem to justify the supposed trauma.

Perhaps there is a social aspect specific to the time and place that I am not sensing.