i liked this because i love banana yoshimoto's work, but i do have to admit it's not her best. in many ways, it has the typical elements you'd find in a banana yoshimoto book, and i liked those. especially the atmosphere, she's amazing at crafting an atmosphere that just draws you in. i also enjoyed the more obvious elements of magical realism that she went for here, it's definitely a bit more surreal than her other work. however, my issue is that it's just too long. objectively, it's not a long book, but i feel like banana yoshimoto's style shines and stands out much more when it comes to pieces that are just a bit shorter. still good!