05 April 2012

The Buddha In The Attic ~ Julie Otsuka

**** RECOMMEND ****

Shortlisted : National Book Award 2011

A Collective memoir
The Rooster Reading Group pick for May

A wonderful, engrossing read!

Poetic and precise.  How can something so sparse in description, so economical with words, be so vivid and emotive?

I loved the way the research is presented in such a personal way.  I loved the use of the third person plural, "we". The grouping of the information in chapters stopped it seeming piecemeal, giving a focused poignancy and leaving a bittersweet aftertaste.

I have seen it compared to a mosaic but prefer  : "Like a pointillist painting, it’s composed of bright spots of color: vignettes that bring whole lives to light in a line or two, adding up to a vibrant group portrait."—The Seattle Times