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A review by lipka
Dandelions by Yasunari Kawabata
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The bridge was hardly long enough to say you had crossed it.
This reads like a twilight. It fits that so much of the dialogue takes place in the dwindling light, then in darkness around the nine o'clock bell. And the book is just so: a precious few conversations about Ineko, Inako.
The dialogue is cradled in a holding pattern, or maybe circling a drain far in the middle of a manmade river. But it does spin. It does ripple, distorting and calming in turns the waves of memory, trauma, and responsibility.
It's odd, maybe, but it's very Kawabata. The Dandelion is paused in the half-light, looking forward to dawn.
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Body horror, Child death, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Murder, and War