“You can’t build a car that violates the laws of physics. Same goes for a time machine. You can’t go just anywhere, only to places it will let you go. You can only go to places that you will let yourself go.”
…
“But the reason I have job security is that people have no idea how to make themselves happy. Even with a time machine. I have job security because what the customer wants, when you get right down to it, is to relive his very worst moment, over and over and over again.”
I want to read more books like this one — philosophical, humorous, a little ‘techy,’ and demonstrating a great use of the English language. I really loved it. It reminded me a lot of how much I loved Rivka Galchen’s Atmospheric Disturbances, also a NYT Notable book. But, just as with Galchen’s novel, this one won’t appeal to everyone.
It’s really so difficult to even describe what’s going on in this story. Guy works at a job fixing time machines. Not only does he fix time machines, but while he does it, he’s in a time machine so he can travel to wherever the problem is. His operating system, TAMMY, and his not-really-alive dog, Ed, are the only ones to keep him company. He’s been living in the time machine for a long time. Some incidents happen (don’t want to spoil it), and he gets caught in a time loop. While in the time loop, he waxes philosophical about his parents, in particular his father, and just life in general. The book has all kinds of crazy diagrams and intended blank spaces to illustrate his points. (See pics below)
I really, really loved this book. I borrowed this from the library, so I plan on buying it when it comes out in paperback just so I can mark it up like crazy. Highly recommended for fans of offbeat, philosphical fiction.
Some have said that Richard Yates’ books is an indictment of marriage, suburbia, or both. Yates himself said in an interview that it is actually more about aborted dreams.
Frank and April are young and successful suburbanites with two children. Well, successful to others, but not to themselves. Frank hates his job and finds it excruciatingly boring. April hates the suburbs and finds her life as a wife and mother excruciatingly boring. When the couple (mostly April) devise a plan to get out of their present circumstances, they seem to relax and enjoy each other again — until a few glitches come their way.
My sisters and I read this together for our bookclub, and I have also seen the movie so it was interesting to compare the two. While the book was mostly from Frank’s and their neighbor Shep’s points of view, the movie had more of April and Mrs. Givings’ perspective. Also the endings were a bit different.
I found the book to be well-written but depressing. It’s definitely thought-provoking.
“The place I like best in this world is the kitchen.”
I didn’t quite get to Kitchen for the Japanese Challenge, but I’m still glad I read it shortly afterwards. I liked the book, but I didn’t love it.
Food and kitchens play a central role int he book, but it’s essentially about two people finding their way through the grief process. Mikage has recently lost her grandmother, whom she lived with, and her friend Yoichi and his mother Eriko take her in. Yoichi ends up losing someone close to him as well, and the bond between the two of them becomes even closer.
Note: This book has been added as one of the new titles in the latest edition of the 1001 list.
1988, 1993 for the English translation;105 pp. 4/5
Hurray for Dewey’s graphic novel challenge as I probably never would have read this book or Maus without it. Maus has been my best read all year, and this one was very good as well.
Told in three separate stories that come together nicely in the end, Yang takes us through the challenges of growing up with a Chinese heritage. This book won the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, and it was very well deserved. I’d love to have my sons read it, and I would definitely read another one by Yang.
I read Strangers by Taichi Yamada for the Japanese literature challenge. This was my first book for the challenge, and I don’t recollect ever having read a book translated from the Japanese before. I first heard about it from kimbofo at Reading Matters, who gave it a perfect 5 star rating.
It’s very atmospheric. I found myself thinking about it long after reading the novel, and the story somewhat reminded me of an M. Night Shyamalan movie. Harada lives in a building on a very busy street in Tokyo. However, most of the units in the building have been converted to office space and, consequently, there are only two tenants there after hours. He’s a little spooked by the quietness in the building at night but chalks it up to being recently divorced and unused to being alone.
One night he decides to go to his hometown where he meets a couple who are the spitting image of his long-dead parents. He keeps going back to see them to try to determine who they really are. There are other strange happenings in his life that I won’t spoil for you here.
It’s a short book that can be read in a few hours, and I encourage anyone interested in world literature to read it. The ‘quiet suspense’ of the novel impressed me and made me want to read more by this author.
This book tells Amos’ story from his capture in Africa to his years of being a slave and finally to his final years as a free black man. Amos was the prince of his tribe in Africa, and it is a shock to him when he is captured for slavery. He is very lucky, though, as his owners treat him very kindly. He serves them well, saves his money, and is able to “buy” his freedom. He also buys his wives’ (he was twice a widower) freedom. Amos is a gentle and kind man who respects both God and others. I highly recommend this story to both children and adults.
"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? (1 Peter 3:12-13, ESV)
“You can’t build a car that violates the laws of physics. Same goes for a time machine. You can’t go just anywhere, only to places it will let you go. You can only go to places that you will let yourself go.”
Some have said that Richard Yates’ books is an indictment of marriage, suburbia, or both. Yates himself said in an 
I read Strangers by Taichi Yamada for the Japanese literature challenge. This was my first book for the challenge, and I don’t recollect ever having read a book translated from the Japanese before. I first heard about it from 
