The Lantern of Lost Memories
Ratings13
Average rating3.7
"I reckon you had a decent life and died a decent death. Ain't that enough?"
A pleasant, but not all that memorable, book about three people who find themselves in the care of Hirasaka, the man who flashes your life before your eyes when you die. Told in three separate stories, Hirasaka tends to an elderly preschool teacher, a Yakuza member, and an abused girl, when they find themselves there on death's doorstep. Two of the three stories begins with a photograph that doesn't quite develop of one of their cherished memories. Hirasaka offers to take them back in time to the period of the memory so they can retake their photograph exactly as they remember it, and we learn the backstory behind each of their memories. The final story framework is a bit different, but ultimately still follows the 'go back in time, get some backstory, take a photo' structure.
It was a decent book, but like I said, not all that memorable. The third story is definitely the most emotional, but I actually enjoyed the second story with the Yakuza member a bit more. Something about Waniguchi's interactions with Mouse and Kosaki really made the story for me, and I kind of liked how pragmatic Waniguchi was about his life in retrospect.
I do wish we learned more about Hiraska himself though, as it felt like some things were set up to make you wonder about him in the beginning, but were dropped by the end. There's no real ending to this book per se; he wraps up the third person's arc, we get a brief scene involving Yama, the guy who brings Hirasaka the information about the people/jobs, and that's the end. I kind of felt like more needed to be said, but I guess the author disagreed.
It's a decent book, but I'm not sure much will stick with me.
"I reckon you had a decent life and died a decent death. Ain't that enough?"
A pleasant, but not all that memorable, book about three people who find themselves in the care of Hirasaka, the man who flashes your life before your eyes when you die. Told in three separate stories, Hirasaka tends to an elderly preschool teacher, a Yakuza member, and an abused girl, when they find themselves there on death's doorstep. Two of the three stories begins with a photograph that doesn't quite develop of one of their cherished memories. Hirasaka offers to take them back in time to the period of the memory so they can retake their photograph exactly as they remember it, and we learn the backstory behind each of their memories. The final story framework is a bit different, but ultimately still follows the 'go back in time, get some backstory, take a photo' structure.
It was a decent book, but like I said, not all that memorable. The third story is definitely the most emotional, but I actually enjoyed the second story with the Yakuza member a bit more. Something about Waniguchi's interactions with Mouse and Kosaki really made the story for me, and I kind of liked how pragmatic Waniguchi was about his life in retrospect.
I do wish we learned more about Hiraska himself though, as it felt like some things were set up to make you wonder about him in the beginning, but were dropped by the end. There's no real ending to this book per se; he wraps up the third person's arc, we get a brief scene involving Yama, the guy who brings Hirasaka the information about the people/jobs, and that's the end. I kind of felt like more needed to be said, but I guess the author disagreed.
It's a decent book, but I'm not sure much will stick with me.
Added to listFictionwith 93 books.
This is one short and sweet read! It has three chapters which consist of three beautiful stories. Each story will make you empathize with the characters and grip you in their little tale and the lives that they lived.
The premise of the book is that there's a photo studio, which acts sort of like a pit stop where people arrive after their death. The narrator of the book is the guy who runs this photo studio. Every time someone arrives there, carried by Yama, they have to choose a picture for every year of their life that they have lived and then these pictures are shown to them before they move on towards the afterlife.
The book explores the idea of death, afterlife and visiting the past through time travel. I think Japanese writers have mastered the art of magical realism! Sanaka Hiiragi has woven a magic of her own with this book and the stories within.
Definitely worth reading if you like books like What You're Looking For Is In The Library or Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
This is one short and sweet read! It has three chapters which consist of three beautiful stories. Each story will make you empathize with the characters and grip you in their little tale and the lives that they lived.
The premise of the book is that there's a photo studio, which acts sort of like a pit stop where people arrive after their death. The narrator of the book is the guy who runs this photo studio. Every time someone arrives there, carried by Yama, they have to choose a picture for every year of their life that they have lived and then these pictures are shown to them before they move on towards the afterlife.
The book explores the idea of death, afterlife and visiting the past through time travel. I think Japanese writers have mastered the art of magical realism! Sanaka Hiiragi has woven a magic of her own with this book and the stories within.
Definitely worth reading if you like books like What You're Looking For Is In The Library or Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
