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williamg's review against another edition
5.0
Rating three separate novellas is tricky, but I think this deserves truly deserves 5 stars. I think these will stick with me for a long time, especially the final one. There were atmospheric elements of these novellas that were similar, but I still think they were all quite different from one another. By this I mean they were all very unsettling.
I recommend this if you like short fiction, Japanese literature, like unsettling and haunting stories that will stick with you, or want to read something a little strange.
I recommend this if you like short fiction, Japanese literature, like unsettling and haunting stories that will stick with you, or want to read something a little strange.
jade_flynn's review against another edition
3.0
Quietly disturbing with a prose that haunts.
**** - Pregnancy Diary.
*** - The Diving Pool, Dormitory.
**** - Pregnancy Diary.
*** - The Diving Pool, Dormitory.
mistressofroses's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting, if not a little hard to get into at first. `Dormitory` is by far the most interesting story in this collection.
dnglvr's review against another edition
4.0
The Diving Pool is another strong work by Yoko Ogawa. Each of the three unusual and dark stories continue to get progressively better. Found I had to finish them all in one sitting!
frogcakes's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
marisolea's review against another edition
1.0
Está claro que lo mío con los escritores japoneses no funciona. Este relato del embarazo de una mujer contado por su hermana es tan extraño... porque ambas viven ese embarazo sin ninguna emoción positiva, como si en vez de un embarazo fuera un golondrino, porque son totalmente pueblerinas a la hora de ir al médico, por tantas cosas... (tampoco muchas, el relato es corto).
Y luego ese final. Que no das crédito a que sea el final. Vamos, un libro perfectamente prescindible de cabo a rabo.
Y luego ese final. Que no das crédito a que sea el final. Vamos, un libro perfectamente prescindible de cabo a rabo.
treegirl28k's review against another edition
4.0
Three short stories that seemingly describe simple events, but something sinister bubbles just beneath the surface. These stories are haunting in a way that is hard to describe. The Diving Pool, Pregnacy Diary, and Dormitory each give a window into new characters where something isn’t quite right. And after reading, I keep asking myself, “what did I just read?!?!”.
sprwblvm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
binmi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0