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A review by charm_city_sinner
Revenge by Yōko Ogawa
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I've been on quite a big short stories kick for over a year now, and Revenge by Yoko Ogawa definitely has a place in my top 10 favorite collections.
You could be forgiven if assuming this was just a normal collection after reading the first story. Ogawa seems to have delivered a very poignant take on grief and sets expectations high right off the bat.
The further you go, Ogawa starts filling in pieces of the jigsaw puzzle and connecting one story to the next. There are entirely plausible connections based on the real world that tie these stories together, but with a very deft sleight of hand you suddenly find yourself immersed in different possible timelines or worlds.
It is VERY hard to assign a genre to this book because Ogawa's writing defies labels. Much like Murakami, any label you try to pin on this book just slides right off. Despite the thematic circles Ogawa spins you in, her ability to create deeply layered characters in such a small amount of space is truly impressive.
This was my first Ogawa book and it definitely won't be my last. Highly recommended!
You could be forgiven if assuming this was just a normal collection after reading the first story. Ogawa seems to have delivered a very poignant take on grief and sets expectations high right off the bat.
The further you go, Ogawa starts filling in pieces of the jigsaw puzzle and connecting one story to the next. There are entirely plausible connections based on the real world that tie these stories together, but with a very deft sleight of hand you suddenly find yourself immersed in different possible timelines or worlds.
It is VERY hard to assign a genre to this book because Ogawa's writing defies labels. Much like Murakami, any label you try to pin on this book just slides right off. Despite the thematic circles Ogawa spins you in, her ability to create deeply layered characters in such a small amount of space is truly impressive.
This was my first Ogawa book and it definitely won't be my last. Highly recommended!