A Tale for the Time Being


The group met in bright sunshine to discuss ‘A Tale for the Time Being’ by Ruth Ozeki, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, 2013.

In the wake of the 2011 tsunami, Ruth discovers a Hello Kitty lunchbox washed up on the shore of her beach home in British Columbia. Within it lies a diary that expresses the hopes, heartbreak and dreams of a young girl desperate for someone to understand her. Each turn of the page pulls Ruth deeper into the mystery of Nao’s life, and forever changes her in a way neither could foresee.

The book met with mixed reviews – some people finding it difficult to finish the book as a result of some of the distressing issues raised within it. However, an interesting and general discussion regarding Japanese culture of today and years gone by ensued, comparing this to our own Western values. Generally the book was not considered cheerful and described as complex with many themes – friendship, ecology, Gaia, philosophy. It was, however, considered well written.

Scores varied from an average of 8 by those who had finished it and 4 by those who had not, giving an average of 7.