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christynhoover's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It took a bit for me to pick up on the author's sense of humor and my enjoyment of the book increased when that occurred. Overall it's a sort of bizarre little book!
feduskie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
everyone should read this.
foxgo's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
pullilou's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
iammmartina_'s review against another edition
5.0
“I genitori del tubo erano di nazionalità belga. Di conseguenza Dio era belga”
“Correre garantiva l’impunità per le azioni più riprovevoli. Era il verbo dei rapinatori e degli eroi in genere.”
“Il soffitto è ciò che impedisce agli occhi di salire e al pensiero di elevarsi. Chi dice soffitto dice tomba: il soffitto è il coperchio del cervello.”
“Per una persona anziana, morire è come andare a letto.”
“Come doveva essermi riconoscente la gente! Come doveva essere triste la loro vita prima della mia nascita!”
“Correre garantiva l’impunità per le azioni più riprovevoli. Era il verbo dei rapinatori e degli eroi in genere.”
“Il soffitto è ciò che impedisce agli occhi di salire e al pensiero di elevarsi. Chi dice soffitto dice tomba: il soffitto è il coperchio del cervello.”
“Per una persona anziana, morire è come andare a letto.”
“Come doveva essermi riconoscente la gente! Come doveva essere triste la loro vita prima della mia nascita!”
polkadot's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4111100's review against another edition
4.0
I laughed very hard at this
incredibly enjoyable read
existential but make it ridiculously funny
this was my go-to when I was at my lowest, I felt like no one could understand what I was feeling (or didn’t want to understand, which I totally get), so reading a piece so short and funny with jokes on suicide and other heavy stuff was, for me, necessary
I carried this all the time with me so that I could open it in case my negative thoughts started to flare up, it helped me change perspectives in a way
I guess this is the literary equivalent to the orangutan videos I watch when I’m not feeling like pertaining to this world anymore
4 stars cause it’s just too short
incredibly enjoyable read
existential but make it ridiculously funny
this was my go-to when I was at my lowest, I felt like no one could understand what I was feeling (or didn’t want to understand, which I totally get), so reading a piece so short and funny with jokes on suicide and other heavy stuff was, for me, necessary
I carried this all the time with me so that I could open it in case my negative thoughts started to flare up, it helped me change perspectives in a way
I guess this is the literary equivalent to the orangutan videos I watch when I’m not feeling like pertaining to this world anymore
4 stars cause it’s just too short
pingin505's review against another edition
4.0
What a weird read! I never would have picked this up unless I was taking a French autobiography course, and I’m glad I did! It’s spunky and creative and sometimes surprisingly poignant. I loved reading an autobiography from the perspective of a precocious 2-3 year old growing up in Japan, to Belgian parents.
jasonfurman's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite as good as the other Amélie Nothomb books I have read, but The Character of Rain is still excellent. It is a memoir of Nothomb's first three years of life, in Kobe Japan, with the conceit that she is a "god" which is what she says the Japanese treat all children as through the age of three. It begins with her as an essentially inanimate tube but then at two she becomes animate and quickly teaches herself to speak both French and Japanese fluently and to read, all by around two and a half. The novel is narrated through her young eyes and is a combination of sophistication (e.g., her thoughts about suicide at age three) and humorous ignorance (e.g., not understanding what her father's job as Belgian consul was, and mistakenly seeing him fall into a storm drain and confuse that with his actual job). As usual, the short novella has some very humorous riffs, a lot of perceptive observations, and a bunch that you cannot quite figure out whether it is true or imagined or somewhere in between--but depicting a two year old with this sophistication certainly feels like towards the imagined end of the spectrum.
jo_an's review against another edition
4.0
Me ha sorprendido mucho. Cuando empiezo un Nothomb siempre me agobia el hecho de que todo sea "yo yo yo yo y yo". Y este libro es otro yoyó, pero esta mujer escribe TAN bien que solo por ello me ha encantado. Obviamente la historia también me ha gustado, aunque la primera parte más que la segunda.