ARC Review: Flash Gordon Omnibus

Title: Flash Gordon Omnibus

Author: Jeff Parker

Illustration: Evan Shaner

Colour: Jordie Bellaire

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Expected Date of Publication: July 16th, 2015

Number of Pages: 133

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Flash Gordon never fit on Earth. But on the bizarre planet Mongo, Flash's thirst for thrills and daring dangers makes him the perfect weapon against the iron-fisted tyrant Ming the Merciless and his awful inter-planetary swarms of terror! Can the cocksure Man From Earth funnel his overconfidence into saving whole worlds? Will his less-rambunctious allies, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov, force a lasting peace with such savage races as the Beast-Men of Arboria and Hawkmen of Sky City? Or will the universe fall to Ming? The full-throttle, complete Flash Gordon saga is collected here, featuring epic space action from the wildly talented creative team of Jeff Parker (Batman '66, Aquaman) and Evan Shaner (Adventures of Superman). This out-of-sight Omnibus edition also includes bonus stories from faraway Mongo, as well as a comprehensive cover gallery! Collects the complete 8-issue Flash Gordon comic book series, plus the Flash Gordon 2014 Holiday Special and Flash Gordon 2014 Annual.

Review

When I was younger, I watched Flash Gordon. It was probably one of the first sci-fi movies I've ever watched. Later, I found out that it was a comic, but I never got to read it. So, when I found this Omnibus, I thought that the time has come to finally read the story of Flash Gordon. 

The story of the comic is rather ordinary. Earth is threatened by the Mongori. Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov, who have what Ming wants, run through some portals, closing the one that leads to Earth, to different planets in order to save the planet. But they find all the other planets enslaved by the tyrant Ming the Merciless, who has cut off all of their technology and takes advantage of them. Flash, who cannot stand all of this, tries to help them while Dr. Zarkov tries to find a way for them to return to Earth. I would say that this story is rather an old-school, but it works nicely. The comic is fast-paced and it's pumped with action. It's what you would expect when you pick up an edition like this one!

Flash Gordon doesn't have a superpower. He is spontaneous and most of the times he acts without really thinking beforehand. But he is athletic, an excellent pilot and an equally excellent fighter. With his passionate views, he can inspire the enslaved races to try to revolt against Ming. Dale Arden is the most rational one out of the three companions. She always tries to hold Flash back, before he puts them to danger. She is also more diplomatic, which helps them survive numerous times. Dr. Zarkov is the genius. He is the scientist that always finds the solution or has a card in his sleeve, which helps them survive.

The illustration and the general visual design is rather old-fashioned as well. But since it's the original comic book series, this is to be expected. I would actually be disappointed if it looked any different. The action scenes are very well illustrated and all the different planets feel unique. I found the design of Skyworld really impressive.

Flash Gordon Omnibus is a good, action-filled comic book. The nostalgia is also apparent, so I would recommend it to all the sci-fi fans, who want to read something that reminds them of older decades.

So, my advice is...

Review: A Glance Backward by Tony Sandoval and Pierre Paquet

Title: A Glance Backward

Author: Pierre Paquet

Illustrator: Tony Sandoval 

Publisher: Magnetic Press

Date of Publication: May 12th, 2015

Number of Pages: 90

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Eleven-year-old Joey's world turns inside-out when he finds himself pulled inside the walls of his own home, seemingly trapped in a strange and surreal place. As he searches for a way out, he discovers a myriad of strange, intriguing, and frightening characters, who ultimately lead him to complete the greatest journey of them all: growing up.

A fantastical trip through a strange landscape that explores the changing perspective of a young boy facing adulthood. As surreal as Alice in Wonderland, with a powerful truth underneath it all. This beautifully illustrated, watercoloured tale will make readers long for the simplicity of youth while embracing the wonderful complexities of adulthood: RESPONSIBILITY, LOVE, CONSEQUENCE, and ultimately the shocking, inevitable realities of LIFE and DEATH. Written by Pierre Paquet, this honest portrayal of a moment from his own life will take readers to a land of contemplation and adventure. 

Review

A Glance Backward is a bizarre mixture of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and some twisted nightmare. Looking at the summary I never expected it to be this dark and violent, as it turned out to be. It's really short, so it's easy to read it in one sitting, but it's disturbing enough to think about it for quite some time after you've finished it.

Joseph, or Joel as is his nickname, is an 11-year-old child with a great imagination. One day he gets sucked into a world, inside the walls of his home, from where he cannot escape. He tries to smash the bricks in order to get out of there, but each broken brick lead him to a totally different and surreal world. This journey makes Joel realise what it is to be an adult. Until the end of his adventures the young boy, who he is in the very first page, has taken his first steps towards adulthood.

The story is intriguing. I've always liked adventures like that, where the young protagonist learns what is life, sometimes the hard way. When at first Joel was taken into this mysterious world, everything seemed really weird, without any indication as to what purpose they served, or even if there was a way out. I was drawn to this bizarreness and I was curious to see how many different realities there were and where Joel would end up. In most of the worlds, he met various people, from which nobody seemed willing to help him find a way back into his home. Towards the end though I felt that the story had turned into a lot of violence, which was unnecessary. I also didn't really understand how Joel managed to return into his place. I felt that the end of the journey was a little rushed. The ending tried to make up for it and give an explanation for why his imagination had imprisoned him in that weird world, but it was also rushed. The story would have worked better if it was a little longer.

Joel was a likeable child. I liked the fact that he tried to overcome every new obstacle that came his way and he was really fixed on his goal, to return to his home. It's only natural that he had times when his fear and despair overcame him, but there was always something that made him even more determined than before. I can't really talk about the other characters that appear on the graphic novel. We never really get to know them, since Joel only meets them for a while and then he goes to the next world. What I can say is that each one of them depicts a different aspect of an adult's life, the responsibility, the love, the consequence, the way to survive.

The illustration of A Glance Backward is amazing! I love watercolour and it really gives something out of the ordinary to the graphic novel. The colours are mostly dark and cool, which adds to the surreal effect of the story.

A Glance Backward is a graphic novel that is weird and dark. It didn't take long to read it, but it disturbed me, especially the images towards the end. I can understand why many who will read it, won't enjoy much, that's why I recommend it with caution.

So my advice is...

Get lost between reality and fantasy!     

Review: Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Po Tse, Stacy King

Title: Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen

Illustrator: Po Tse

Adaptation: Stacy King

Publisher: UDON Entertainment

Date of Publication: September 17th, 2014

Number of Pages: 377

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Beloved by millions all over the world, Pride and Prejudice is delightfully transformed in this bold, new manga adaptation. All of the joy, heartache, and romance of Jane Austen's original work, perfectly illuminated by the sumptuous art of that manga-ka Po Tse, and faithfully adapted by Stacy E. King.

Review

I was so excited to review Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice! I'm basically a Janeite, Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books and I've read over the years many of its adaptations and retellings. So when I first learnt that a manga adaptation had been published I couldn't be happier. Some years earlier Marvel had released a graphic novel version of the story, but I was curious to see how this would work in the Japanese style. The result left me totally content.

Do you guys need me to say anything about the story and the characters? This classic love story, which turns out to be a study of the human behaviour as well, is so well known and so much loved, that I couldn't really say anything more. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy have many obstacles to overcome before they can finally be together. But those obstacles come from themselves, like the pride of Mr. Darcy and the prejudice of Elizabeth.

But what's really important here is the adaptation, from which I was impressed. The story remained the same, everything was included, which was a fact that made me really happy. Even though I knew the story, the dialogue was witty and funny and I giggled and laughed almost all of the time. The illustration was also great and it suited all of the characters. It was amazing to see Mrs. Bennet's expression with sparkling background and hearts when she talks about a possible marriage for her daughters, or Mr. Darcy's awkward expression when he sees Whickham for the first time, or his blushing every time he talks to Elizabeth. 

Sometimes though I got the feeling that Mr. Darcy's and Elizabeth's way of talking was more intimate than it would be expected, especially at the beginning when Elizabeth stays at Netherfield Park. There were also some anachronisms, when for example Mr. Bingley entered Jane's bedroom when she was ill, but I can forgive those because it made the story easier to understand for those who are not familiar with the ways of that society. What I really missed though is the complete lack of titles, like Mr, Mrs and Miss. During the whole novel, everyone called the others either by their given name or their surname and this is something that sounded wrong to me. These are all minor things that really don't take much out of the enjoyment this manga has to offer. 

Manga Classics is a very interesting series and I'd like to read the rest of them too. If the adaptation is that good as it is in Pride and Prejudice then I believe that I'll enjoy them a lot. If you are a fan of Jane Austen or want to read a different take on this classic novel, this manga is for you. Don't hesitate to pick it up, you won't be disappointed!   

So my advice is...

Fall in love with Mr. Darcy...again!

  

Review: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula was my lucky choice from the Classics Club Spin, in which I decided to take part for the very first time last April. I won't hide from you that I wanted to read Dracula for a very long time, and I had a copy just sitting on my self. For some reason, all of this time I was reluctant and this spin just gave me the right opportunity to open it and actually read it. It took me, though, an awfully long time to finish it, but I finally did it!

Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor, travels to Transylvania, in order to meet the respectable Count Dracula. The Count has decided to purchase an estate in London, so Jonathan will help him with all of his legal dealings. The trip though is turned into a nightmare for Jonathan when he discovers the true nature of the Count, and from a guest he finds himself a prisoner. When he manages to escape and at last returns to England, he finds out that Dracula is already there and there have already been observed several weird incidents. When Doctor Van Helsing reveals with certainty the identity of the creature they are dealing with, a group of men, who suffer a great loss from the vampire, decide to hunt Dracula and kill him.

What can I say about the story? It's one of the most well-known stories, that basically put the foundation on the vampire's modern image in later literature. What made this novel really difficult to get through was the narrative. The whole book is written as diary entries, memoranda, or newspaper clippings. This would be great if it helped the story go forward, but the greatest part of these entries was taken by the descriptions of the locations, or repetitions as to what has already been said. I would like to read a scene when the Count take action, to know how he lures his victims, not just the result of him feeding on them. Another problem I had while reading this book is how some things didn't really match. For example, when Mina started to get paler each day why wouldn't any of the two doctors in the house examine her throat for possible bite marks? This has already happened with Lucy and they were both witnesses to her mysterious illness, death and her becoming undead, so I believe that it would at least be prudent to examine this possibility first. The last thing that disappointed me was that in the end the story was a little anticlimactic. The group travels to Transylvania finds the Count and it doesn't take long to kill him. I felt that it was a little rushed, especially for a book that was very descriptive up to that point.

Apart from these problems the Count is a character you were afraid of. He was menacing, manipulative, and you never were sure as to what his next actions would be. He was the right image a vampire should have. Even Lucy, when she became one, her characteristics changed and it was great to actually see a difference between the living person and the undead. From the rest of the group Van Helsing was the one I liked the best. He was not afraid to acknowledge the existence of that creature that logic dictated otherwise, he didn't reveal it though very early to the others because he was aware of how they would react. Also, Renfield was a complex character, because he acted mad, although in the end he was as sane as any man could be. The rest of the group, Jonathan Harker, doctor John Seward, Arthur Holmwood and Quincey Morris, were likable enough characters, but I didn't really cared for them that much. Mina proved to be a key character to the story, although I believe that she was depicted much too perfect a woman to be realistic.

Dracula was a major disappointment for me because I was looking forward to reading this novel. I expected to feel the horror since it's one of the classics of this genre. I have to admit that when something actually happened it did build an atmosphere equal to my expectations, but unluckily this wasn't for long. I would recommend it only if you'd be interested in reading the classics, but it might turn out to be a slow and a quite dull read.

So, my advice is...

Sharpen your teeth and fly like a bat!          

Review: MPH by Mark Millar and Duncan Fegredo

Title: MPH

Author: Mark Millar

Illustrator: Duncan Fegredo 

Publisher: Image Comics

Date of Publication: May 5th, 2015

Number of Pages: 136

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Growing up in Detroit, Roscoe and his friends know all about hard luck. But their fates take a different turn when they stumble upon a street drug called MPH - little pills that give them the power of super speed, and the opportunity of a lifetime. Now holding the perfect Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free Card, Roscoe leads Rosa, Chevy and Baseball on a lightning-fast crime spree across the nation. But as a good guy dealt a tough hand, that's not enough for Roscoe. Before long, he and his friends are taking the fat cats for all they're worth, and sharing their take with the masses. But zooming through their riches at super-speed has a downside. The pills are running out, the Feds are cracking down, and a mysterious figure named Mr. Springfield is teaming up with the authorities, claiming to know more about the speedsters than they know about themselves. When time is your only asset, what happens when the clock runs out?

Review

When I first picked up MPH I didn't really know what expect, apart from the fact that it had an amazing cover and an interesting premise. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed at all. This comic is a must-read! You shouldn't be surprised though when you think what Mark Millar has already written, like Kick-Ass, Superman: Red Son and Kingsman: The Secret Service.

This is basically a superhero comic, but it has a realistic twist. Roscoe is a man that grew up in Detroit, is poor and works for a drug dealer. When he ends up in prison someone gives him a pill, called the MPH (does it have to do anything with miles per hour?), which makes him move really fast. The first time he took it, the scene reminded me a little of the scene with Quicksilver in X-men: Days of Future Past. The pill helps him escape the prison  and shows him a way towards a brighter future with his girlfriend Rosa, his best friend Chevy and Rosa's younger brother Baseball. They move in California and they rob banks, knowing that they only have a limited amount of pills available. Roscoe, having it hard all of his life, decides to share the money they had stolen with all the poor people across USA. It's sort of like Robin Hood with a superhuman power.

What makes this graphic novel so interesting is the fact that it feels so real. Roscoe is a man that has always been poor and is struggling to make his life better. Rosa tries to look after her brother, but it's difficult for him to stay away from the gangsters if he wants to survive. The pill offers them an opportunity and they grab it. They would do what every normal person would: they try to make enough money until they run out of drugs. The end of MPH is thrilling. It's one of the best twists and it really made this comic a must-read for me. I won't spoil it though, not even the slightest hint because it's best to be unaware of it, in order to enjoy it as much as I did.

MPH is a graphic novel worth reading. It's fast paced, has a lot of action, and likeable characters. You see the struggle Roscoe makes to be with Rosa, even though he has to go to prison and after that when they do get money and she tells him that this is wrong. Then you wonder if his decision to give all of the money to the poor is genuine or driven only from his desire to satisfy Rosa.

I would recommend MPH to anyone who is interested in comics, I believe that you will enjoy it as much as I did. It's not perfect, by any means, but its good qualities are more than enough to make it a delightful read.

So, my advice is...

Take the pill! 

ARC Review: Powerpuff Girls: Super Smash-Up!

Title: Powerpuff Girls: Super Smash-Up!

Author: Various 

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Expected Date of Publication: August 18th, 2015

Number of Pages: 99

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

After their victory in the Super Secret Crisis War, the Powerpuff Girls take it easy with a rave VIP tour of Dexter's Laboratory! But when tag-along Dee Dee accidentally activates Dexter's newest invention, the fate of the entire multiverse is suddenly at stake! A dimensions-spanning epic into the worlds of Courage the Cowardly Dog, Cow and Chicken, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and Dexter's Laboratory! 

Review

Powerpuff Girls: Super Smash-Up! is a graphic novel that is sure to transfer you back in time. I was so happy to find out that it includes so many characters from many of the most beloved Cartoon Network series, like Dexter, Courage, and Cow and Chicken. Between the main story there were a few short stories with Courage the Cowardly Dog, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, a well as a very special Mojo Jojo story and one with Dexter and Dee Dee. Finally, there is also a small cameo from The Justice Friends. The result is this crazy and totally hilarious graphic novel!

The story isn't the most original one, but it's never dull. The Powerpuff Girls visit Dexter's laboratory, in order to get a tour in exchange for a sample of the famous Chemical X. But Dexter's sister as usual creates a small accident and the Chemical X falls on her. As a result, she turns into a monster and runs into another universe. So, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup follow Dee Dee, in order to save the multiverse from the upcoming chaos. The fact that all those characters don't exist on the same universe, and that Dexter is trying to create a multiverse transporter in order for them to communicate, really was something that fascinated me. It was exciting to try to guess in which universe they were heading next.

Dexter and Powerpuff Girls is a great combination. Adorable superhero girls, along with a boy genius. What could possibly go wrong? Along with Professor Utonium, Dee Dee and Mojo Jojo as the villain the result could never be boring. But why do all the evil ones have the self-destruction button placed in such an obvious place? 

       

To summarise, Powerpuff Girls: Super Smash-Up! is a hilarious graphic novel, with a lot of popular characters. The designs are nice and colourful and it's a book filled with action. I had a great time reading it and I would recommend it to anyone, especially if you are familiar with all those characters.

So, my advice is...

Join Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup! 

ARC Review: Let's Eat Ramen and Other Doujinshi Short Stories by Nagumo and Aji-Ichi

Title: Let's Eat Ramen and Other Doujinshi Short Stories

Mangaka: Nagumo and Aji-Ichi 

Publisher: Gen Manga Entertainment

Expected Date of Publication: August 18th, 2015

Number of Pages: 120

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Doujinshi, otherwise known as independent manga in Japan, is rarely published in English. In fact, it's considered underground and  quite exclusive in its home country of Japan as well. Let's Eat Ramen and Other Doujinshi Short Stories finally gives western readers an exclusive look at the elusive world of contemporary Japanese doujinshi manga. Let's Eat Ramen is a three-part tale of Saeki, a girl who loves ramen noodles. At last, she thinks that she has finally found the perfect ramen shop, but the problem is the shop is completely full of old regulars and she can't get in. Will the timid Saeki ever summon the willpower to reach out and get the ramen that she desperately wants?

Review

Let's Eat Ramen and Other Doujinshi Short Stories is a rather simple, but enjoyable manga. It includes four stories, the first one Let's Eat Ramen created by Nagumo and the rest Plastic Blue, Urameshiya and You Make Me Dizzy created by Aji-Ichi. All of those stories are slice-of-life, focusing more on the everyday lives of contemporary Japanese teenagers, rather than having a strong story. I find that this kind of narrative works perfectly in short stories, so this edition was a pleasant read for me.

The first story, the one that has lent its name and cover to the whole volume, is really unique. Saeki is obsessed with ramen and really wants to try some from a ramen shop, but she's too shy to go there alone. Besides the place is always full with its usual customers. One day after school, while trying to find the courage to walk into the store, she runs into Hozuki, one of her classmates and persuades him to go together. So they begin to regularly go to various ramen places together and it sort of feels like they are dating. The story doesn't go further from this point, but it was sweet and it really made me hungry. I mean, since I've read it, I really want to try ramen, but not the instant one.

Plastic Blue is the second story and it's in a completely different tone from the first one. But it's only natural since they are created by a different mangaka. Here, the protagonists are two high school girls, who are attracted to one another. I like the fact that this lesbian romance hasn't the erotic element that is often seen in other manga and is also enough naive, as would be any romance during high school. 

In the third story, Urameshiya, I'm not sure if the attraction between those two high school girls is just friendly or something more. Anyway, it was a sweet story, but not very original. Hanako is an anti-social girl, who likes to tend the flowers and meets Shibata-san from the swimming club. Every time they meet, they slowly get closer to one another. Meanwhile, there is a rumor in the school that the ghost of a girl that was drowned in the swimming pool has started appearing. In the end though, everything is resolved and the two girls can finally begin their friendship.

The last story, You Make Me Dizzy, along with the first one, were my favourites from this volume. A yet another high school girl is drawn to another girl, who is hanging out at the school library and reads many difficult books. This dizziness she feels around her, we don't get to understand what it means, but most probably it's not just a friendly feeling. This story too wasn't very original, but both of the characters were really likeable. They way they tried to approach one another even though they were so different, was something that got my attention.

Let's Eat Ramen and Other Doujinshi Short Stories is a welcome read to all those who want something light, pleasant and quick. I don't know if someone who hasn't read a manga before will find it enjoyable since a lot of things might seem a little bit weird. If you are familiar with manga and want to explore something more independent than the well-known titles, this is one volume you should pick up. 

So, my advice is...

     Enjoy a plate of ramen!

Review: Puella Magi Madoka Magica by Magica Quarter and Hanokage

It's not a secret that Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a deconstruction of the magical girl genre. Indeed, it's nothing like you would expect it to be. Contrarily this is a manga that not only isn't targeted to a young female audience, but also feels very mature, almost heavy at times. ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

Madoka Kaname and her friend Sayaka Miki are approached by a magical creature, Kyubey, who urges them to become magical girls. In exchange, they will have one wish, whatever that is, granted. But the mysterious transfer student Homura Akemi tries to stop them from making a contract with Kyubey. So, in order to help them a veteran magical girl, Mami Tomoe, takes Madoka and Sayaka with her to watch what their responsibilities will be. When things start to go wrong another magical girl appears, Kyouko Sakura and things get really complicated while the truth is slowly revealed. ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

The story starts off really nicely, but the pace picks constantly up. In that way, things go forward quickly but luckily never rushed. In the beginning, there isn't any indication as to what this story is all about, just some girls that thinking about becoming magical girls.  But, it becomes quickly obvious that this is a perilous job and sadness is part of the deal. For what wish would anyone be willing to risk losing everything they have and everyone they love? By the time the final chapter is finished, so much has happened that it's sure that no-one will remain unaffected. ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

The characters in Puella Magi Madoka Magica are all well developed. Each of the five magical girls has its own personality and the way she sees the world. Madoka is a sweet girl, the perfect child, as her mother declares, Sayaka tries to fight for justice, Mami is similar but feels terribly alone, Homura is distant and tries to protect Madoka no matter what and Kyouko seems to care for nothing else than herself. There is also a significant difference on what each of them wished, and each wish has brought an equal amount of pain to all of them. Kyubey at the beginning is a cute creature that the girls are consulting, but by the end the hatred towards it is just too much. Indeed, from the second volume and onward I just couldn't stand it! If I could, I would be violent against it, so much hatred! ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

The illustration is absolutely amazing! These two pages are just a small part of the manga, but you can see how unique it is. All the characters are slightly different from their anime version, but what I really liked is the change in Kyubey's design after we begin to hate him. The witches, the creatures that magical girls have to kill, are very stylish, some of them are even cute. The only thing that I missed from the anime version is the change of atmosphere in the mazes, the places where witches live, they are some of the best visual scenes I've ever come across. Oh, and the music! ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

Now, the time has come to talk about wishes. What kind of wish would make anyone fight for it while putting his life in danger? Eternal youth, happiness, money, all things are included, but there are also wishes that help someone you love. The thing is when you do help someone else, what do you expect of him? The motives may be pure, but we all seek something in return, even if we can't admit it to ourselves. When all these girls wished for something, they put a curse on themselves at the same time. It's sad, but the world needs to balance. ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ 

Puella Magi Madoka Magica didn't disappoint me at all! To be completely honest, I made a significant effort not to sound like a fangirl in the review. But I can't help it, it's amazing! During the third volume, I didn't stop crying and in the end I was saying only one thing "It's such a good story". I would recommend it to everyone without any exception. It's only three volumes and if you need a specific reason to read it chapter 10 is one of them. ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

So, my advice is...

Will you make a contract with me and become a magical girl?

／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

Review: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

When I read the summary of this book, I thought that it would be weird. Nothing prepared me though for this bizarre journey it turned out to be. Kafka on the Shore begun as a coming-of-age novel, but by the end of it I was not actually convinced that it was. 

On one side, Kafka Tamura is a fifteen-year-old who runs away from his home and thus from his fate, as he believes. On the other, Nakata is a man in his late sixties who can't read or write, but can talk to cats. Both of their lives are bound to intervene, as the events that occur seem more and more predestined. The final act is the one that can restore the balance in the heroes' lives.

The story in Kafka on the Shore, at least in the beginning, is nothing out of the ordinary. A teenager, who has no mother, runs away from home because he cannot go on living with his father. So he plans it very carefully and leaves the day of his fifteenth birthday. A few blocks away from him lives Nakata,  who with his special ability to talk with cats, he helps to find lost ones. But as the story slowly progresses, both of the protagonists find themselves into complicated dilemmas, especially Kafka, who has a tendency to overthink things.

There is a definite analogy of this story to the ancient greek tragedy. Indeed, the book focuses on the theme that man cannot choose his fate. Just like Oedipus the King, Kafka is prophesied (or cursed as he considers himself) that he will kill his father and be with his mother and sister. Along the way, he meets both a young and an older woman and he believes that they are his sister and his mother, but metaphorically. In fact, most of Kafka's theories are based on metaphors but does this fact make them truth? In dreams begin responsibilities, is a quote by Yeats that the young hero often repeats but are dreams sufficient enough to become reality?

There is a great variety of characters in this novel. Kafka is a very troubled youth, who has various issues. This journey is for him a way to realise and come to terms with them. Nakata has a really lovable way of looking to the world. Because he is simple he cannot think of abstract terms, time is very relative to him and his way of talking is unique. But the characters I loved the most are the ones that helped the main protagonists, Oshima and Hoshino. They couldn't be more different than those two are, one is an intellectual library attendant and the other is a truck driver that feels the need to help the old man without an apparent reason. Apart from them there are also Sakura and Miss Saeki and cameos by Johnnie Walker and Colonel Sanders.

Kafka on the Shore was a weird and a little disappointing read for me. It took me almost half of the book to start to connect with the characters, and near the end I often felt the urge to skip the chapters concerning Kafka, because I was more interested in Nakata and Hoshino. But I have to admit that this book is the one I took the most notes from lately and I'm quite sure that it will continue to torment me for a long time.  For all these reasons, I would recommend Kafka on the Shore to all those who like demanding reads and don't really mind the general bizarreness of it. I wouldn't recommend it though if you haven't read any other work by Haruki Murakami before, it might seem a little overwhelming.  

So, my advice is...

Review: Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

How can such short stories be filled with so much emotion? This was the first thought that came to mind when I finished reading Kitchen and indeed this book was an emotional rollercoaster. Both of the stories were deeply touching and heartfelt, although they were short and concise.

Kitchen, the first and longest story included in the publication, is about a young woman named Mikage, who has lost her grandmother. She struggles to get over the grief, but it's too difficult for her because she's left alone in the world, without another blood relation. But she finds hope when she moves in with a young friend of his grandmother, Yuichi, and his mother Eriko. After that she slowly gets closer to both of them, she finds a job and a new apartment. When tragedy comes to Yuichi she has to make an important decision if she will stand beside him or let him deal with it alone. 

In its core Kitchen is a love story, although death and loss and how to go on living after such a difficult situation are present all the time. But there is not a great dramatic gesture or a confession, or even sweet loving words. The feelings develop under the surface and the understanding comes from little gestures, like sometimes happens in real life. Sometimes to bring a takeout is enough, in order to convey the feeling of wanting to be together even if everything is so uncertain.

While Mikage is dreaming she has a deep conversation with Yuichi and they end up singing the above song. A simple act and a simple dream, but the next morning she learns that Yuichi himself had the same dream and their conversation was real in a telepathetic kind of way. It's fascinating to see how at home they feel with each other, even though they are in tough situations.

Mikage, Yuichi and Eriko are all likable characters. Although this isn't a novel in order to get to know their personalities very well, there is a deep connection with them. Their loneliness is profound and their thoughts on death are the ones that move them. They all had terrible losses and that's the reason why they can truly feel alive. Eriko is the most perplex character, as a transgender her life has been complicated. When she was a man she had met her true love, Yuichi's mother, but when she lost her she decided that she didn't want to be a man anymore. When Mikage meets her, she is a woman that always tries to achieve the things that she wants and is making everyone feel happy with her positive aura.

Moonlight Shadow as the author informs us was inspired by the song of Mike Oldfield with the same title. The theme is similar to that of the one in Kitchen. But, what is more important in this story is closure, a chance to say a proper goodbye to the loved ones you have lost. Indeed, Satsuki has lost her boyfriend in an accident and she barely deals with the fact. One day she meets a mysterious woman, who invites her to a peculiar phenomenon. The last time ever she saw him/ Carried away by a moonlight shadow and how much do regrets hurt. If only she had talked to him and told him not to go as he walked away, he would still be alive. But his back fading in the mist is her last image of her boyfriend and that peculiar phenomenon lets her say goodbye to him in that very spot. If she manages to ever let go we don't learn, but now we feel that the possibility is there.  

Kitchen is a book that touched me, made me cry and feel hope at the same time. It's highly recommended to anyone who is in for an emotional read. 

So, my advice is...

A lighthouse in the distance

To the two of us in the night

The spinning light looks like

Sunshine through the branches of trees 

Review: The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe

Niki Jumpei is a teacher, but his true passion is entomology. His biggest dream is to discover a new type of insect and have his name written in the encyclopedias of that science. After a thorough study, he has decided that his luck will be in the desert. In the sand, it's possible that a beetle would have involved in order to survive. So he decides to take a trip and search in the desert. After many hours of walking and searching in the sand, he meets a villager that informs him that the last bus has already left and he agrees to stay the night in one of the houses in the village. 

This is when his nightmare begins. They accommodate him in a house in the bottom of a pit created by the sand dunes, in which only a woman lives. Every night she has to dig through the sand walls in order to protect the house and that very first night he helps her. But the dawn comes and no one lets him out of the pit, neither a word is said of him going away. This is when he understands that something is amiss. As the days go by he tries various ways of escape, but all of them fail. 

The story of this novel is very intriguing. The horror of this man's situation creeps under the skin, the futility of all his endeavours make the whole novel a nightmare put down to words. But the flashbacks and the illusions of the man makes it in some parts a little difficult to follow. The too much argumentative way of writing, although it reminds a lot Kafka's The Trial, is tiring and difficult to enjoy.

I also couldn't really connect to Niki Jumpei. His fascination with the sand is peculiar, his imagination though is exceptional. With the limited things he has available he tries to escape and almost manages it. The woman, on the other hand, is very mysterious. You can never understand what she's thinking about. She is always shy and never talks too much, but most of the time she seems without a will of her own, eager to serve a man she has never met before.  

To sum things up, The Woman in the Dunes although it's considered a classic, wasn't the most enjoyable book I've read lately. The story and the feel of the novel were intense. In the end, I almost felt the sand in my mouth. But it would work much better for me if the narrative was more straightforward. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a more argumentative way of writing.

So my advice is...

At least it has a nice cover!

ARC Review: The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan

Once upon a time the world was a big, endless ocean. There were only a few islands left, from the old world as we know it. The people who lived on those islands, the landlockers, were privileged compared to the ones that lived on boats, the damplings. Besides they were afraid of each other, they worshiped different gods and they rarely associated. The cases where a landlocker fell in love with a dampling and chose the sea were scarce. In fact, the people of the land considered the sea cursed and those of the sea felt unsteady on the steady land.

That was the way of the world where two girls, worlds a far from one another, grew up and tried to find what it means to be home. North was born and raised on the sea, making her living as a bear dancer in a circus. Her bear was her only true companion, the one who understood her and turned to keep herself calm during the nights. But she carries a secret that puts her position in the circus in danger, a baby that grows inside of her. On the contrary, Callanish was a landlocker. She was born with some physical peculiarities that connected her to North's baby and for that reason she was always wearing gloves and slippers. A terrible mistake, more likely a normal reaction for a small girl, made her leave her home island and she became a gracekeeper, the one that performed a resting for those who died at sea. The two girls met briefly but connected in a special way. This connection filled both of them with the hope that they can find the home they both longed for and a new beginning.

The story is relatively slow paced, although in the last ten chapters it speeds up. This fact though doesn't make the story less compelling. From the beginning you want to get closer to the characters, reveal their secrets and see them find what they've been looking for. The narrative, being from different points of view, allows you both to understand the way of thinking of each character and the way he behaves as seen from an observer. 

The characters are all well developed. North and Callanish are so likeable that you almost feel like you have known them for a very long time. Their hopes and their disappointments become your own. I really like the way that each character's motive is revealed, not only those of the two young women, but of the people surrounding them as well. Avalon, the wife of the ringmaster and the one that hates North, is one of the most complex characters in this book. In a way, you can even say that she is a tragic one too. Although in the end she gets what she wanted from the beginning, you never get the feeling of closure. The only thing is that I'd like to see more of the bear, to have a little more active role as the book processed.

What I really love about this novel, and it actually surprised me, is its theme. To find where you belong, the place you can call home and feel most comfortable in, is something that all of the characters desire. There are those that think they have found it, those who have lost it, and those that are on the way of obtaining it. This is not an easy journey and the obstacles are big because it's so easy to confuse what you really need with that you think that you need. Callanish is one of the characters that fall in this trap and is bitterly disappointed by the reality. 

No one would ever know what happened out there. Such small crimes.

I would recommend The Gracekeepers to anyone. I really enjoyed reading it and I basically couldn't put it down. I found this novel refreshing, well written with a fairytale-like feel. Don't expect a story filled with action, except for the climax which is pretty intense. The characters and the theme are what makes is worth the while. 

So my advice is...

Sail the world through its pages.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.

Review: Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa

When I first read the summary of Hotel Iris I didn't know what to expect. The pain and pleasure, would it be that of Marquis de Sade or something soft and mildly shocking? Either way, it managed to grab my attention and I dug into it with great interest. 

Mari is a seventeen-year-old girl, who lives with her controlling mother. They own an old and neglected hotel, the Iris. One night a past-middle-aged man checks in with a prostitute, but during the night they cause a disturbance and they are turned out of the hotel. Mari is drawn to the tone of the voice of that man, which is firm and commanding. Some days later she meets him outside and they start talking. Eventually they form a relationship, hidden from Mari's mother and the man, who we learn is a translator, initiates Mari to pleasure and pain.

The story is not something exceptional. On the one side, there is a middle-aged man who is widowed for many years and is taken with a girl much younger than him and so he feels much livelier. On the other side, there is a young adult who has dropped school and is trapped in a hotel with a mother too controlling. They both have their issues and their relationship has even more, but it's also a remedy to all those problems and they try to break free from. 

Both the man and Mari are difficult characters to explain. They both have likeable and unlikeable sides to them. The translator away from his house is very kind, he's shy and thoughtful. He's one of those men that try their best not to make the other feel uncomfortable in any way. But he has a tendency to violence when he feels threatened, for example when they don't let them into a restaurant. When at home he is completely transformed. He is authoritative, commanding and cruel. Mari is very observant, having grown up in a hotel. She is also very tolerant towards her mother and the translator, although being raised to such a controlling environment she seems familiar and even drawn to the cruel behaviour against her. Sometimes she even tries to make the man mad at her, for example when she betrays him with his nephew and when he finds out she admits it and hopes that he will humiliate her some more. 

The romance in Hotel Iris is bipolar as well. In his letters, the translator is very kind and gentle and professes his love in an amazing way. Anyone who saw me would think me odd indeed, but those with impoverished hearts cannot recognize simple miracles writes in one letter, and who can deny that those are some beautiful words to say and mean. Also, when they are together outside, they hold hands, they talk and they fall in that comfortable silence that you can only share with the one that truly understands you. If it was the only case I wouldn't mind the age gap between them, but it's not the only one. When they go to the man's house he disgraces her and humiliates her in every possible way, but Mari finds pleasure in it.

This pleasure though is brought with a cruel way. The man ties Mari in a way that she cannot move, he hits her with a whip, he slaps her and he even chokes her. He makes her put on his socks using only her mouth, she makes her move in the house and do several chores but without using her hands and she ties her in a way that her body forms different furniture in order to take nude photographs of her. But Mari enjoys it, even when she was losing her consciousness from the lack of air she felt pleasure. When she was putting on his socks she was turned on because it was the only occasion that she touched his skin. Ultimately they didn't have sex, the translator never took any of his clothes off. He explored Mari's body and she was enjoying it, but the act was never complete. 

To sum things up, Hotel Iris is a sexually-explicit novel. Both the sex scenes and the romance are disturbing and some might find them shocking. Cruelty doesn't bother me, so I was able to enjoy this book, although I would recommend it with caution. If you can get past this the narrative is excellent and there is so much to discover in both of the protagonists' psychology.

So my advice is...

Beware of the cruelty.   

Review: Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Battle Royale is fierce, intense and violent. It creeps inside your skin and makes you tremble with the directness all this violence is described. And what makes this feeling even more horrible? The fact that all this violence concerns fifteen-year-olds. But it would be a lie to say that this novel is just about a violent game in a dystopian equivalent of Japan. For me, it felt like a study of human behaviour, friendship, morals, trust and love. Just like a miniature version of a civil war, or even life itself (minus the extremities). 

The third class of Shiroiwa Junior Highschool is selected to participate in this year's Program. The students though are unaware of the fact, they think that they are departing for a school trip, but instead they get drugged in the bus and wake up in a school building in a deserted island. They are informed that they indeed take part in the Program and they have to kill each other, in order to have a winner, the last student standing. They also find out that they wear collars that will explode if they try to take them off, attempt to escape or get caught in the forbidden zones. There are no other restrictions, they can hide, they can run from one part of the island to the other and they can form groups in order to help each other. But eventually they will have to kill each other because if 24 hours pass without a single kill then all the collars will detonate and this year's Program will be declared a failure. 

So, each student departs from that school receiving a single daypack, in which there is a random weapon, supplies of water and bread, a map and a list of the students participating. The weapons given can be from totally useless ones, like darts or a fork to extremely powerful ones, like automatic guns and rifles. All hell breaks loose even before they start departing the building. And thus the game begins.

At first everyone denies that they are in such a situation and they think that the best would be to wait outside of the premises for their friends, in order to protect each other and try to find a way out. But some of the classmates already have decided that they would participate and so seeing the dead body of a former classmate they all get scared witless and run. And those who do find their friends, they always have in the back of their mind the possibility of them being betrayed. It's so terrifying to learn that two students are friends for many years, but when they find each other they are so scared that they reflexively pull the trigger and fight each other. In the class, it's only natural to exist couples, or guys and girls that have a crush on a classmate. For those, this situation is the worst. Their options are either to see each other die or decide to die together by committing suicide at the same time.  

As you have already understood Battle Royale is filled with violence. And I mean that students get killed with every possible way. The question here is whether it bothered me or not. No, it didn't. There were moments where I was holding my breath, others that I was yelling at the characters "Don't go there!", "Stop!" or "It's all a lie, don't be fooled!" and others that I nearly cried. Actually I tried all the time so hard not to like some character because I was sure that I'd end up crying. Even with this precaution, I was still sad at the end of some chapters. But the violence itself never bothered me, it was raw and direct but never pretentious. The action scenes were so well-written that I couldn't stop reading. My favourite scene would definitely be the one where Kazushi tries to rape Takako and they end up fighting.

The characters are all interesting and unique, although some of them are not fully developed. Each one gets to be a narrator, thinks about his past and so we get to know the personalities and their way of thinking. There are those who hate to take part in such a game and think that it would be best to unite and revolt and there are others that are cold, merciless and try to be the winner. The main protagonist (because among those 42 students there is one that gets the attention), Shuya, is really likeable. He has a strong sense of moral, he trusts too much his classmates and has a strong love for the forbidden rock'n'roll music, which he thinks can bring revolution to his country. On the other hand, Kazuo is a guy who doesn't have any feelings, is merciless and he is, in fact, the biggest threat of Shuya and his company.

The writing of this novel was excellent. It manages to balance between intense action scenes with deep emotional ones. The only thing that left me wondering was the fact that so many girls had a secret crush on Shuya. I mean at least five girls out of an entire class had a crush on Shuya. Was it because he was good at sports and played electric guitar? Hmmm...

All in all, Battle Royale turned to be one of my all-time favourite books. In fact, it is possible that it's in that particular category such as The Ocean at the End of the Lane. For me, books like that make me see life in a different light and the feelings stay with me no matter how many time has passed. So, I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to read an action filled, adrenaline-pumped book and doesn't mind a little bit of violence. 

So, my advice is...

Together, Wendy, we can live with the sadness/

I'll love you with all the madness in my soul/

Someday girl I don't know when/

We're going to get to that place/

Where we really want to go/

And we'll walk in the sun/

But till then tramps like us/

Baby, we were born to run 

Review: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Buried Giant placed in a post-Arthurian era is filled with dragons, ogres, pixies and fiends. No, they are not the main theme of the novel, but they are part of the scenery. Moreover, every dragon has its knight, whose mission is to kill him. The she-dragon of this book is not an exception, there is a knight, a warrior and even villagers and small kids who wish her dead. Up to this point, this book isn't anything different from the typical fantasy novel. There is though an interesting twist to it. The protagonists, Axl and Beatrice, the knight, Sir Gawain and even the she-dragon herself, are all advanced in age. This fact adds more obstacles in their ways and different kind of worries. 

Although the age is a major factor in this novel, the most important thing is what the elderly couple call the mist. There is something in the land that steals everyone's memories, both the good ones and the bad. People wander the land without remembering the purpose for it and they forget even their once beloved ones, like their children. Through this mist one morning Axl remembers his son and so he begins a journey with Beatrice to go and find him in the village he lives, which is a few days away. On their way, while they take shelter of a sudden storm they meet a boatman. He informs them that there is an island, in which a lot of couples wish to go together, but only those who can prove the strength of their love can do it. The proof seems quite simple, they have to share with the boatman their most happy memory they possess with their partner and the boatman judges the strength of their bond. Beatrice becomes troubled with the news since the mist prevents them from remembering almost anything from their past.

Later on their journey they meet a Saxon warrior named Winstan, who takes a curious interest in Axl. He declares that he remembers him from when he was a little child, being a man of authority among the Britons, but Axl doesn't remember being anything else other than a farmer. Their party is complete with a 12-year-old Saxon boy, Edwin, who is rescued from his villagers after been bitten by some ogres. Although they form a strange party, they travel together until they reach a monastery. On their way, they meet Sir Gawain, an old knight and cousin of King Arthur, who was charged with the duty to slay the she-dragon, Querig, and has failed to do for many years. The party eventually breaks and everyone goes on his way, but they meet again before the dragon's lair, where everyone has a different reason to see Querig dead.

When Arthur was alive he tried to make the war between the Britons and the Saxons end, without much success. Then Merlin cast a spell on Querig, so that her breath would steal the memories of the people. That way the hatred that was cultivated would cease and peace would come to the land. But with her gone the people would remember and Saxons would seek vengeance once more. As Winstan says "The giant once buried, now stirs. When soon he rises, as surely he will, the friendly bonds between us will prove as knots young girls make with the stems of small flowers". The main question of this book is whether it is best not to remember sometimes the past and let the buried be undisturbed. Even a couple who appears happy is threatened by the past. The end of this book left me numb.

The characters in The Buried Giant weren't the most loveable I've encountered in literature. Axl's devotion to Beatrice was touching and his way to approach such different people was astonishing. But Beatrice seemed at times unnatural, although it was she that suggested the questions of this book, in order to get answered by Axl much later. Edwin really got on my nerves, most of the times his motives were obscure and his actions careless. Winstan was one of the most likeable characters, caught between his feelings and his duty. Sir Gawain although at first seemed like a coward his role in the story is an important one and I won't spoil it. 

The main problem of the book is that I never really connected with the protagonists. When finally I started to feel something about them, it was near the end of the book and as I've already said this left me numb. I would also like to learn more about each one's past. We learn some fragments of the long forgotten past of Axl and Beatrice, but when the mist is finally lifted and we hope to know some more we are disappointed.  

To sum things up, The Buried Giant is an interesting read. Its ideas and questions are sure to trouble you for quite some time and the writing is good. At times, it even has the feel of a myth. The characters are mostly unrelatable and that spoiled it for me. So my advice is...

Turn the pages with caution!  

Review: The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

Have you ever wondered what would be like to be immortal in a world, like ours, where mortals live? To be Atemporal in a world so temporal, to watch all those bone clocks age and die, while your body doesn't age and you see the centuries go by. But it's still not that simple. What if you were an atemporal that aged and died but your soul kept returning to other children bodies and you were caught up in a neverending life cycle? The Bone Clocks is a book about life and death, love, vanity and loneliness.

Holly Sykes is a teenage girl growing up in a small town in Britain. Since she was a little girl she heard voices, the Radio People as she calls them. When she runs away from home she meets a strange old lady that asks her for asylum. The circumstances come in a way that she has to accept. Years later and when she has almost forgot about it, this becomes the reason she gets involved in a war between natural atemporals and artificially made ones. This is also the point where she questions what is real and what is not, what does her psychic powers really mean and whether she can trust these people. Once she is convinced that the anchorites, the artificial atemporals, are the ones that kidnapped and killed her brother she is ready to take part and finally help the horologists.

But Holly doesn't have a metalife or any particular powers apart from getting glimpses of the very near future some periods of her life. As the years pass she grows old, she has a daughter and eventually becomes a grandmother. When life on earth becomes difficult again due to oil shortage she strives to make a comfortable enough life for her grandchild, although she is no longer young and suffers from several pains. In that stage of her life even her experiences with the horologists seem like a dream.

The Bone Clocks at first reminded me of Ghostwritten since each part is narrated by a different person and up to some point the parts are episodic. This at first made me worried especially when the first part ended and I didn't know what happened to Holly's brother and I really wanted to know more and all of a sudden we transfer to six years later, in a different place, through the eyes of a guy that didn't have anything to do with the story up to that point. But luckily all of the narrators meet and interact with Holly in some way or another so there are neither plot holes nor unaswered questions.

Not everyone in this book is a stranger to us though. To be precise, three chatacters from previous David Mitchell's novels appear in this one and two of them are quiet important for the story. First appears Hugo Lamb, the slightly older cousin of Jason's in Black Swan Green that was acting too cool. Well, his character hasn't changed at all and the role he has in The Bone Clocks suits him perfectly. From very early on the book we meet a certain Dr. Marinus, but only until he becomes the narrator we learn that he is Dr. Marinus from The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. I loved this character from the previous book and this didn't change for this one. He has grown to be one of my all time favourite characters. Lastly, scientist Mo Muntervary from Ghostwritten appears to be Holly's neighbour, both in advanced age trying to protect themselves from outlaws and other difficulties when the times get tough.

The Bone Clocks is a thrilling novel and at some points I just couldn't stop reading it because I was so worried about the characters. Holly is a lovable character and there are plenty of chances to grow strong bonds with her and being concerned about her well-being. As in real life unpleasant things happen to Holly and the people around her. These times the book gets heavy, but feels surprisingly real. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interesting in a realistic novel with strong fantasy elements. So, my advice is...

Get lost in this amazing story!    

    

Review: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

The fifth novel by David Mitchell is a historical one. The hero is a Dutch clerk working in Japan at the beginning of the 19th century, a country also called the Land of the Thousand Autumns. So, these are, in a sense, the unwritten memoirs of clerk de Zoet of all those years he spent in the Orient. And what story do these memoirs tell!

Japan at the end of 18th century, when our hero arrives, is a very closed country. In fact, the Dutch are the only Europeans "allowed" in Nagasaki. The truth is that they are strictly prohibited from entering Nagasaki or have any kind of relation to any local, apart from the interpreters. Moreover, upon their arrival they have to give to the authorities any kind of religious symbol, any Bible, cross or rosary they might possess. Under such circumstances Jacob meets Orito Aibagawa, a japanese midwife who is one of the apprentices of dutch medicine. 

If a romance should develop between those characters, it should be pretty impossible too. A dutch could not marry a local, he could only have a concubine. Miss Aibagawa was a scholar, from a family well-established in the japanese status, so such thoughts were unacceptable. Despite all those obstacles Jacob proposes to her, with the help of an interpreter, and then the least possible thing happens: she disappears! 

This is the point where the novel gets complicated. It's more like a crossroad between two different timelines. The first, which unravels in the second part of the book, is related to what happened to Orito Aibagawa and the second storyline, which returns with the third part of the book, follows Jacob's actions and a conflict with a british frigate. This is also the part when I was most disappointed with this book. Although both of the storylines where interesting and thrilling and I genuinely wanted to know what happens next I was torn in half. Jacob didn't appear in the story of Orito, although I was waiting for it and eventually he was the one that gave her her life back. For me the catharsis didn't actually happen. The resolution was determined through the course of events and chance (once again in a David Mitchell novel), not from the initiative of the hero.

When eventually everything ends the story goes a decade later. Jacob is still in Japan, he had a son with a local and became chief of the dutch establishment in Nagasaki. The mother of his son though isn't Orito, in fact he hasn't met her up to this day. And when they do meet, it's just for a few minutes and a brief explanation from Jacob's part as to what had happened. 

Then we go another five years later and we find Jacob on a ship leaving Japan. It's quite an emotional chapter, it devastated me to be honest. He will never return to Japan or meet his son again. Back in the Netherlands he will make another family and spend his days wishing he could find some time to write his memoirs. And when he finally dies the last image will be that of a japanese woman with a half burnt face.

The world is a vale of tears.

I would consider this novel the most difficult one comparing it to the others of David Mitchell. The author's language reminded me of that in various japanese novels I have read from time to time. The descriptions of Japan and of this particular era were amazing. Furthermore there were some of my favourite characters in this book. I adored Dr. Marinus with his scientific ways and his groundbreaking ideas for the japanese minds and Lord Abbot Enomoto is one of the most interesting villains I have encountered in literature. 

All in all, this is a novel strongly recommended for those who love both demanding and devastating reads. But if you haven't read anything by David Mitchell before I would advise to turn to his other novels first. 

So, my advice is...

A historical thriller to exercise the brain!

      

Review: Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

Do you remember how it's like to be thirteen? You are neither a child nor a grown-up and you constantly try to persuade everyone that you have indeed grown. This is the age when you experience your first love, your first kiss, your first cigarette. You feel that the world is against you and you struggle to be accepted by those around you, especially if you are a boy. But if you happen to be different in some way, or possess a unique trait, you are sure to be bullied.  

This is exactly what our hero, Jason Taylor, has to face during his adventures in a year that proved to be critical for his growing up. And what a year it was! After trying so hard to be accepted by the cool and tough guys at school he ends up being bullied, turning his life at school a living hell. But he breaks through, making his friendship with the not-so-cool kid even stronger and handling the whole situation in a surprisingly mature way. Even when things get really tough, when his parents get a divorce and he has to leave the house of his childhood, his friends, his school, he tries to remain calm and finally realises that this is the road to growing up. 

The structure of this novel is simpler compared to the rest of David Mitchell's other works. It's a book containing 13 chapters and each one is a short story. In one of them we meet a somewhat familiar character, Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, a character first appeared in Cloud Atlas that introduces Jason to french literature and the Cloud Atlas Sextet by Robert Frobisher. 

My favourite parts of this novel were the most emotionally charged ones. The chapter in which Jason feels guilty about the injury of his worst bully is one of them and it's so hard not to feel bad for him, because it is obviously not his fault. How can a thirteen year-old boy react to the consequences of consequences? But the scene that made me cry was the one in which he was sitting in his empty bedroom. The memories he shared with his sister, their games of hide and seek and him thinking of another kid sitting in that very same room in the future makes it really hard not to shed a tear.

So, my advice is...

A coming-of-age journey worth taking!