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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Sad but true fictionalized account of the treatment of Canadians of Japanese descent during the second world war. Lyrical prose.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I liked her style of writing in certain parts of the book, though overall I must admit I was fairly disengaged. The ending was sad, but it was not enough of a revelation to make me want to reread the whole book in light of it. I think if I did reread the book I'd probably get a lot more out of it...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“A wonderful mix of imagery, history and biography”
Michelle Joy wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Even just randomly thinking about books I've read that I've loved and stand out from the past, Obasan by Joy Kogawa is one of the first that comes to mind. Lyrical and beautify written, this novel is one for the ages!”
Jeanne conte wrote this review Friday, December 30, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Fiction work that could be used in an across-curriculum lesson on WWII.
Mrs. Guinn wrote this review Wednesday, September 14, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This novel is about the plight of Japanese-Canadians during WWII.”
“Obasan, written by Joy Kogawa, is a deeply detailed book that sends the reader on a journey through actual events, dream sequences, and a twisted maze of a Japanese family's struggle in Canada during the 1940's-1970's. Although the book is obviously written with deeply emotional images and events, I found myself completely let down with the ending. With more than 250 pages of build up to what I expected to be a somewhat shocking ending, I was disappointed to discover that I wasn't emotional attached enough to the characters to appreciate their struggles. Although I enjoyed the book to an extent, I can not deny that it took me awhile to get into it, and then slipped in a heart wrenching account of events at the end that just didn't evoke emotions in me. Expect a well written novel with detailed images and poetic flow, yet also expect a slow beginning and an ending that seems to leave the reader hanging. ”
Varsha R wrote this review Wednesday, May 25, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This book is about Japanese Canadians and the discrimination they endured during the Second World War in Canada. It is a good book to use when looking at how different generations of immigrants can experience things differently.”
NACS Canadian literature wrote this review Thursday, March 31, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I liked her style of writing in certain parts of the book, though overall I must admit I was fairly disengaged. The ending was sad, but it was not enough of a revelation to make me want to reread the whole book in light of it. I think if I did reread the book I'd probably get a lot more out of it than I did the first time through, but I can't say I've got a strong desire to start over again in the near future.”
Joel B wrote this review Sunday, February 6, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Another of those books that everyone who has studied English in high school or university has read...”
Regan wrote this review Wednesday, December 15, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Level Z”
sophie m wrote this review Thursday, November 25, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
