64 pages • 2 hours read
Ruth OzekiA Tale For The Time Being
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth, a Japanese-American novelist living in Western Canada, finds the diary of Nao, a troubled sixteen-year-old in Tokyo, washed ashore after the 2011 tsunami. As Ruth reads, she becomes deeply engrossed in Nao's life, filled with bullying, family struggles, and connection with her Buddhist nun great-grandmother, Jiko. Topics include bullying, suicidal ideation, and sexual exploitation.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Ruth Ozeki's A Tale For The Time Being intertwines the lives of a Japanese schoolgirl and a writer in Canada, exploring themes of time, identity, and cultural conflict. Critics praise its inventive narrative structure and deep philosophical insight, although some find the pacing uneven. Overall, it's lauded for its emotional depth and rich character development.
Who Should Read A Tale For The Time Being?
A reader captivated by A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki typically enjoys intricate, dual-narrative stories that blend cultural and philosophical themes. Fans of Haruki Murakami's surreal storytelling or David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas will find similar enjoyment in Ozeki's exploration of time, identity, and interconnectedness.