Customer Reviews

Floating World

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Cynthia Kadohata's brilliant first novel is one of the few works in recent years that can bear comparison to Twain and Salinger's classics. In can be read for simple pleasure, for its subtle, profound depiction of a two- fold journey (both physical and spiritual), and for its exquisite artistry

I enjoyed this book. However, it seemed hurried to me. I noted that most of the chapters were initally published as short stories. It shows. The chapters work nicely as self-contained stories, but the narrative seems to develop amnesia; Olivia will mention things ("my brother Walker," as a minor example) as if she had never introduced them before, when actually, in an earlier chapter, we had spent a lot of time with them. Ultimately, it felt as if I had skimmed the surface of these characters' lives, rather than the deep dive a really lush novel offers. I agree with the readers who say that she's a good writer. I'm interested to see what she does next.

This novel is an intriguing tale of a Japanese migrant family in 1950 told in vignettes
from the eyes of the teenage daughter. The family are Japanese fruit pickers, chicken
sexers and mechanics who travel around the United States merging their traditional
culture with the poor south. The old grandmother is a gem of fear and wisdom.

The book has high emotions and lovely language that is heavy-handed and quick. It
catches the reader, forcing laughter and gasps, sometimes both at once!

I am actually not even able to review the book because I didn't receive the item from the seller. I did get a refund and was told to just keep the book at the seller's expense, but I still didn't get the book. I would actually give this review no star but I guess in order to submit a review you have to.rate it with a star.