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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Goodbye Tsugumi is the story of young Maria, who returns to the coastal village she grew up in one last time before her relatives want to sell their Inn and movie away as well. She and her two cousins Yoko and Tsugumi (Yoko gentle, graceful, kind and helpful - Tsugumi sickly, brattish, crude and...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I really didn't like this one much. The story didn't hold together well. It was less sad than whiny. I wanted to slap Tsugumi and tell her to grow up.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“I really didn't like this one much. The story didn't hold together well. It was less sad than whiny. I wanted to slap Tsugumi and tell her to grow up.”
Sorella M wrote this review Friday, July 3 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Beautiful tale of love, loss, and regret.”
Jamila C wrote this review Friday, June 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Actually I returned this book not having finished it. Although some of the best phrases I've ever read come from the mind of Banana I just didn't want to wade thru this book because her books are all about "her" ["me"] and I need a vacation from her, ya know what I mean?”
Mark V wrote this review Sunday, June 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“An amazing book full of such beautiful descriptions of nature (the beach, the city, the sun, etc) and feelings.
Tien H wrote this review Thursday, November 27 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
It speaks of transitions of life and it resounds so deeply within me and I feel like shouting yes, that was exactly how I felt each time there has been a change in my life. Absolutely well written.
As well the above, it is also about life (as opposed to death) and one's will to live and what to make of that life. How life changing a brush with death could be. ”
“The story is told by Maria, looking back at her youth in a Japanese sea side town, where her mother worked in the inn of her aunt. Maria and her mother live at the inn, and she is best of friends with her two cousins, Yoko and Tsugumi.
JudithAnn wrote this review Sunday, August 31 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Tsugumi has been ill since she was a baby and was not expected to live long. As a result, she's very spoilt and not always nice to other people. The main part of the book dealts with one particular summer, when Tsugumi has a boyfriend, the son of rival hotel-owners.
It was a good read, but not compelling.”
“Absolutely dreamy and surreal.”
nunuuu wrote this review Thursday, April 10 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Goodbye Tsugumi is the story of young Maria, who returns to the coastal village she grew up in one last time before her relatives want to sell their Inn and movie away as well. She and her two cousins Yoko and Tsugumi (Yoko gentle, graceful, kind and helpful - Tsugumi sickly, brattish, crude and cruel at times) meet a young man, Kyoichi, who changes their dynamics a little - especially for Tsugumi and who's company changes their summer.
Laila wrote this review Tuesday, January 29 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Its really very much a growing-up, coming of age kind of story, but because it is set in Japan and because of some unexpected devices in the plot it doesn't really read like one at all. It actually kept surprising me - I always came up with ideas how this would pan out and they never, not once, I think were what actually happened.
What is wonderful about this is the way it is told. Lately I've been into Japanese literature a lot and I can't quite put a finger on what it actually is that's different to our western stuff. I think when you read books from developing countries, the differences in life-style are so vast, that even though its interesting to read about people in these circumstances, it keeps (me at least) from truly getting lost in the story because I tend to feel guilty for the small things I complain about compared to that endless, dreary misery. With Japanese books, they actually aren't very different than western books at all, their people have the same troubles and ideas and dreams as we do - but the writing has some sort of atmosphere that is different. Sometimes blunter and more sensitive at the same time. I hate to use the word 'poetic' because I think its a bit over-used in describing literature but I think that's what it is. Maybe someone else goes and reads it and then helps me out with this question. :)
But I really enjoyed it, even though there were (especially at the start) some slightly slow spots.”
“poor translation -- especially the dialogue, which is crucial to creating the enigmatic character of the title. i'm only about 50 pages in, but it's been painful to read, and i've decided to pass it on. this isn't worth the time.”
encyclosophia wrote this review Thursday, December 13 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I read this book in 2003. I used to travel quite frequently between India and Japan for my job. I picked this book in Narita airport when I was browsing the book shops (thats my favorite hobby in airports). When I started reading this book, I had no idea who the author was, what the novel was about. But when I finished the book, I was overwhelmed. This is one book that made me realize why I love books so much. The book creates a world. A world of a teenage girl. Set in a Jananese seaside village, the vivid descriptions of the scenes reminded me of Kalki (a great tamil author whose epic novel Ponniyin Selvan is dearest to the hearts of many). After reading certain paragraphs, I couldn't do anything but sit and let the emotion overwhelm me quietly. The central character Tsugumi, a physically weak teen-age is one of the liveliest characters that I've ever read. Depending upon your age, you would want the character to be a part of your life - you may want a girlfriend, friend, daughter or granddaughter like Tsugumi. Some of the lines from this novel where you would stop reading and start thinking "On rainy days like this both the past and future dissolve quietly into the air and hover there" "Nighttime turns people into friends in next to no time." This sentence may just be summarizing the essence of this novel "It didn't matter what she put us through, or what awful things she said to us just because she happened to be in a crummy mood?Beyond her words and beyond her heart, much deeper than all that, supporting the snarl of who she was, was a light so strong it made you sad " If you live in US, chances are quite high you can find this in a library. In India, some of the famous book stores may have this in stock.”
venky77 wrote this review Friday, October 5 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“banana yoshimoto's books will really leave the reader feeling sad and melancholic after.but i really like her way of presenting unique love stories in each of her novels.they will really tug at your heart.not to mention the gloomy imagery of her novels.depressing but fun to read.=)”
mona17 wrote this review Friday, October 5 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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