Title: A Tale For The Time Being
Author: Ruth Ozeki
Rating: 5/5 stars
Series? No
Book Depository // Dymocks // Booktopia
A Tale For The Time Being is an audiobook I picked up on a complete whim. I have been hearing about the novel over the past year, and was intrigued by its premise: alternating between the life of a teenage Japanese girl and an American woman, separated by both space and time. Utterly unique, intelligent, and moving – this book has climbed onto my Top of 2015 list, possibly Top of All Time – for it’s a tale I’ll remember for not just the time being, but for years beyond this.
You need to be a little bit crazy. Crazy is the price you pay for having an imagination. It’s your superpower. Tapping into the dream. It’s a good thing not a bad thing.
The audiobook was beautifully narrated by the book’s own author, Ruth Ozeki. It might sound odd, but I am at times dubious of the author’s ability to narrate their own tale (some just don’t have the vocals for it, truth be told), but Ruth did a beautiful job with each of the different voices. As she’s ethnically Japanese, this meant that the occasional Japanese phrases in the novel were beautifully conveyed with feeling. While I missed out on seeing the appendices and footnotes with the audio version, the experience was extremely rewarding as Nao’s chapters were made for audio. The narration between the two characters were distinct, yet it also managed to weave in a sense of inescapable destiny between them. I would love to go and reread this book in its physical form, but the audio version is definitely special and highly recommended.
I am a time being. Do you know what a time being is? Well, if you give me a moment, I will tell you. A time being is someone who lives in time, and that means you, and me, and every one of us who is, or was, or ever will be.
What I enjoyed most about A Tale For The Time Being was its sense of connection and fate. The story introduces us to Nao, who’s writing in a diary detailing the last days of her life – ranging from being bullied at school to her dad’s suicide attempt. Ruth discovers Nao’s diary some years later, as part of a collection of artifacts which drifted to her remote island home. As we unravel Nao’s story, we also become pulled into the story of her father, her great uncle, and her great grandmother. With each day, Ruth becomes more entranced with Nao’s story – and sought to solve the ending of the story on her own. This may sound confusing, but even in audiobook form, the story remains clear and engaging. I loved the sense of mystery and wonder which shrouded the events of Nao’s life. The book also weaves in tragedies of the real world into the tale, with the 2011 Japan Earthquake, 9/11 and WWII all making a grand impact to the plot. This results in the book’s events being palpable and realistic, despite its near fantastical turn.
The main characters of the book is incredibly well-fleshed out. I quickly took to Nao and her irreverent, often uncomfortably honest narrations. Her chapters are humorous, yet hidden beneath it all is a profound sense of loss and numbness – and Nao is almost at her breaking point when we meet her. I loved seeing her complicated relationships with her parents, yet it’s Nao’s respect and love for her great-grandmother which is the most moving. I adored their scenes together, and how the elderly woman has helped shaped Nao into the person she is today. Nao is also often intrigued by the loft concepts of time, space, and being – all aspects which the book explores in details. Nao’s character arc is wondrous, at times harrowing, but ultimately hopeful and heartwarming.
An unfinished book. left unattended, turns feral, and she would need all her focus, will and ruthless determination to tame it again.
Ruth largely plays as an observer to the events in Nao’s life – and her chapters are, if possible, even more desolated and bleak. Stranded on a remote island where electricity is unstable, and the everyone knows each other’s business – Ruth was feeling increasingly trapped. When she finally discovers Nao’s book, Ruth finds an escape from her own world and finally emerges from her writer’s block – here was a story that she truly wanted to see the ending of. I enjoyed the nuances to Ruth’s character, as well as her relationship with her husband – Oliver. However, I felt they – like us – remain readers rather than players of the story for the most part. I loved how the book came together in the end, though!
The writing style is atmospheric and haunting – especially in its Japanese chapters. It’s at once ponderous and humorous, at times chilling while at others, inspirational. While I usually struggle with epistolary formats in book, I found A Tale For The Time Being utilised different media format in an apt and poignant ways. From the journal diaries of Nao or Haruki I, to the email exchanges between Ruth and her various correspondences. Each of these formats pieced together to form an intricate and moving puzzle.
Life is full of stories. Or maybe life is only stories.
I also loved how this book explored the themes of time and of identity. There are endless observations about the minutiae of life in this novel, some humorous, some heartbreaking. This is one of those rare books that speaks to my heart, and I know I will visit it time and again, in both audio and physical form. It’s raw, honest, affecting, and makes me believe in cosmic connections – one of the best magical realism books I’ve ever read!
Have you read this brilliant novel? Do you often enjoy books which play on the concept of time?
Read at Midnight 
I’ve heard wonderful things about this book, and the author, and I really need to read this! Thanks for the lovely review, you’ve made me want to go buy a copy:-)
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Thanks Tammy! I hope you’ll give the book a chance and enjoy it!
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I want to read more books that have Asian characters so I picked this one up last year after checking it on Goodreads (there’s so much praise). And that’s great that the author did a fantastic job with the narration. When listening to audiobooks (which isn’t very often admittedly), the narration is very important to me. I digress but I actually “reread” part of A Little Life via listening to it on an audiobook. I know you mentioned that ALL is intimidating but it may help if you listen to it. The guy that narrates is brilliant! Anyway, lovely review, Aentee. ^.^
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Ahhh this one has such an accurate portrayal of Japan! No exoticising or rose tinted tourist lens here. An excellent diverse read that I must recommend to all! I think the audiobook version is also very suitable for people who don’t usually listen to audiobook because there’s a lot of life in it! And omg I have to get the audio version of A Little Life to help me conquer that massive tome.
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Wow, I really need to read this book! I hadn’t heard of it before your review, but you have really persuaded me to try and pick it up. The cover and title are really intriguing, and I love the sound of the synopsis. I’ve never listened to an audiobook before, but this makes me wonder if I should start with this one. The author narrating it makes it so much more personal and touching (I’m sure it would be a breath taking book anyhow!) too. Thank you for the recommendation, Aentee! ♥
Denise | The Bibliolater
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Yes I really hope you’ll pick it up and enjoy it! This audiobook is very easy to get into and the emotions are conveyed very well – so it makes a perfect first audible book, too! Can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
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I read this and loved it! (Although I can say I was unsatisfied with the ending but I am always unsatisfied with endings like this). You’re making me want to reread it (or maybe listen to the audiobook) because this is just bringing back lots of memories! Have you tried reading anything by Haruki Murakami?
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Personally I thought the ending was perfect even though I’m not a fan of open endings. I think it’s a book I can reread time and again. And omg Val I am like a Haruki Murakami devotee 😂
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This was the first book I read in 2016, and oh my gosh, it is amazing! I wish the library had more of her writing. So glad you loved it!
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Ahhh I’m glad you loved it as well! I am definitely looking out to buy more of her novels 💕
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Hello- I was just wondering; do you have any gaps in your reviewing schedule? I’m always on the look out for more reviewers for my novel, ‘The Defeatist’ 🙂
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Sorry Sophie, I am really behind on my blogging schedule at the moment so I can’t take any unsolicited reviews. Thank you for considering me!
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Never mind. Thank you anyway.
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Oh, Aentee, this was such a lovely review! I did give this one a brief try, maybe the year before last, but was a mixture of too rushed and not in the mood and sent it back to the library with only some brief skimming. I’m think, very much so, that that was the wrong decision- or perhaps the right decision, but only for that moment. I think it’d be an excellent decision to put this book back on my tbr. Listening to it on audio also sounds like a perfect choice, so I’m going to scour my library to see if I can get it in that format!
Nao’s parts of the story, particularly, sound heartbreaking and simuntaneously gorgeous, and I’m so intrigued to learn mroe about this character and find out what happens to them.
Aah, truly. This review was gorgeous. Each of the quotes you picked complimented it and made me all the keener to read this book for myself. xx
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Ahh I’m glad to hear this review makes you want to pick the book up again! I just love it so much 💕 definitely try the audiobook, I think it’s easier to get into for epistolary type format books. This one is so special I hope it works for your the second time around.
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So glad to have found the review too. I agree, it ia amzing if the author is able to narrate/read the story as effectively as she can write it. I think I will greatly enjoy the book. I am so looking forward to the book getting delivered.
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This sounds like an absolutely stunning book with a great Japanese protagonist and setting! I love the way they interact with each other and it plays with the concept of time and everything. Beautiful review as always Aentee, and great graphics too!
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Oh wow. The concept always reminds me of The Lake House, being able to emotionally connect with someone beyond your own time and realm. Even as poignant as Nao’s story sounds, there’s such a romance about having someones life entwine with your own even through the art of words. I love that the author didn’t create a male character in place of Ruth, as I think it may not have translated into the beautiful book that this one truly is. I’m not a big fan of audiobooks as they can be pretty time consuming, but buying the paperback edition on Booktopia as we speak. Beautiful review Aentee, you’ve completely sold me ❤
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