Tuesday, April 03, 2012

THE BUDDHA IN THE ATTIC

Author: Julie Otsuka
Genre: Fiction, Standalone
Published: 2011
Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)
Format: eBook
Yearly Count: 28


From NetGalley:

In six unforgettable, incantatory sections, the novel traces their new lives as "picture brides": the arduous voyage by boat, where the girls trade photos of their husbands and imagine uncertain futures in an unknown land . . . their arrival in San Francisco and the tremulous first nights with their new husbands . . . backbreaking toil as migrant workers in the fields and in the homes of white women . . . the struggle to learn a new language and culture . . . giving birth and raising children who come to reject their heritage . . . and, finally, the arrival of war, and the agonizing prospect of their internment.

Once again Julie Otsuka has written a spellbinding novel about identity and loyalty, and what it means to be an American in uncertain times.

The unique style in which Otsuka chose to write this book was repetitious and sometimes tedious; HOWEVER, that repetition created a sense of importance and an overall picture of that Japanese community at that time.  The story began as paragraphs of squished lists, and on occasion she would interject a more intimate statement allowing a more personal peek (loved those).  That pattern was prevalent in the first half then it began to wane as the book continued.

The narrator was a collective group, so many, many aspects of their lives were able to be explored.  I envisioned it like a paint-by-number.  Paint this color here and that color there, and eventually with all the parts covered, you have the whole picture.  Overall, I really enjoyed the story and learned a thing or two along the way.





My thanks go to Knopf Doubleday and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

12 comments:

  1. There were only 3 books published last year told in the first person plural and this was one of them. I think it takes great talent to pull it off.

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    1. Bermudaonion ~ interesting. It was definitely unique. Did you read it?

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  2. I have thirty pages left to read this book, which I'm finishing after supper tonight. Such a brilliant way to tell this story - this many stories. I'm enjoying it so much, I have her other book waiting for me at the library.

    This is freaking me out - booklogged and I posted reviews for the same book last night within an hour of each other, and now this. Kindred spirits!

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    1. Raidergirl3 ~ I read her other book, but didn't appreciate it at the time. I was expecting more depth. I think you'll like it, though.

      Isn't it great to see Booklogged posting again!?! :)

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  3. I've read great and not-so-great reviews of this one. I think I might like it but I'll never know unless I give it a try!

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    1. Staci ~ It's a very quick read and worth it, I think. :)

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  4. I have to admit I'm a bit surprised by your rating on this one given some of the other reviews I've read. Think I'll have to give this one a second look (especially given the short length).

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    1. Trish ~ You just need to be prepared that it's written uniquely, and if you go with the flow, I think you'll like it.

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  5. I'm not sure about the repetitious style of this book, but it's fairly slim, so maybe I'll give a chance. I wasn't all that impressed with When the Emperor Was Divine.

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    1. Les ~ We really are so very similar in our reading preferences! I wasn't impressed with When the Emperor Was Divine either, BUT I wasn't expecting what I got. If I had known more about the style of that book, I think I could have appreciated it more. That's the same thing with this book. If you accept the style and try to see the whole picture, it works. It's super short and flies by because of the style.

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  6. This sounds like a novel ;) way to write a novel. I always like when the author mixes it up a bit.

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    1. Stacybuckeye ~ It definitely is good for a change of pace.

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