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Brave Story
A young boy finds his destiny in a world of fantasy.
Young Wataru Mitani's life is a mess. Desperately, he searches for some way to change his life--a way to alter his fate. To achieve his goal, he must navigate the magical world of Vision, a land filled with creatures both fierce and friendly. And to complicate matters, he must outwit a merciless rival from the real world. Wataru's ultimate destination is the Tower of Destiny where a goddess of fate awaits. Only when he has finished his journey and collected five elusive gemstones will he possess the Demon's Bane--the key that will unlock the future. Charity, bravery, faith, grace and the power of darkness and light: these are the provinces of each gemstone. Brought together, they have the immeasurable power to bring Wataru's family back together again.
818 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2003
311 people are currently reading
5468 people want to read
About the author
Miyuki Miyabe
308 books555 followersSee also 宮部 みゆき (Japanese language profile) and 宮部美幸 (Chinese language profile).
Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき Miyabe Miyuki) is a popular contemporary Japanese author active in a number of genres including science fiction, mystery fiction, historical fiction, social commentary, and juvenile fiction.
Miyabe started writing novels at the age of 23. She has been a prolific writer, publishing dozens of novels and winning many major literary prizes, including the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize in 1993 for Kasha and the Naoki Prize in 1998 for Riyū [The Reason] (理由). A Japanese film adaptation of Riyû, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, was released in 2004.
Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき Miyabe Miyuki) is a popular contemporary Japanese author active in a number of genres including science fiction, mystery fiction, historical fiction, social commentary, and juvenile fiction.
Miyabe started writing novels at the age of 23. She has been a prolific writer, publishing dozens of novels and winning many major literary prizes, including the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize in 1993 for Kasha and the Naoki Prize in 1998 for Riyū [The Reason] (理由). A Japanese film adaptation of Riyû, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, was released in 2004.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews
January 31, 2008
Besides having to hide at my desk to read this at lunch hour (people were constantly asking me 'how long's it take you to read a book like that??), I really like it. I'm a big fan of japanese literature in general but this was my first taste of fantasy. Usually I can only get mysteries. Miyabe is an accomplished mystery writer which is probably why she managed to get this one marketed in the US. I'm so glad she did!
I'll be honest, if you don't spend hours glued to Final Fantasy you're going to miss a lot in this book. It's not that you won't enjoy it but it reads like a long role-playing game. One that has a good story line, a rarity in RPGs;) The first third of the book takes place in the real world where Wataru Mitani deals with the his father's abandonment, his guilt and his mother's attempted suicide. Then he goes to Vision, a world built out of his own mind - which is filled with images of his favorite video game.
One of the things I like about Japanese stories is that they don't hold so close to the evil=evil and good=good storylines that dominate Western children's lit. The world of Vision struggles with ideological, ethical and individual values. As Wataru travels through vision he questions everything but tries to do what he thinks is right. Eventually he has to accept that part of himself that hates. Hatred that exists even for people he loves.
A good satisfying read. It does take a while to "take off" but I enjoyed Wataru so much I didn't mind just wandering around with him a bit.
I'll be honest, if you don't spend hours glued to Final Fantasy you're going to miss a lot in this book. It's not that you won't enjoy it but it reads like a long role-playing game. One that has a good story line, a rarity in RPGs;) The first third of the book takes place in the real world where Wataru Mitani deals with the his father's abandonment, his guilt and his mother's attempted suicide. Then he goes to Vision, a world built out of his own mind - which is filled with images of his favorite video game.
One of the things I like about Japanese stories is that they don't hold so close to the evil=evil and good=good storylines that dominate Western children's lit. The world of Vision struggles with ideological, ethical and individual values. As Wataru travels through vision he questions everything but tries to do what he thinks is right. Eventually he has to accept that part of himself that hates. Hatred that exists even for people he loves.
A good satisfying read. It does take a while to "take off" but I enjoyed Wataru so much I didn't mind just wandering around with him a bit.
August 12, 2023
You have been chosen. Walk the true path.
Năm nay mình được đọc khá là nhiều sách của Miyuki Miyabe và đa số chỉ tạm ổn - cao nhất là 3☆. (ಠ_ಠ) Ở Brave Story hoàn toàn là một điều bất ngờ, mình chưa bao giờ nghĩ mình sẽ cười, sẽ buồn và bị cuốn hút nhiều như thế này khi đọc fantasy.
Mình yêu phần đầu của cuốn sách, chỉ đơn giản là những gì diễn ra trong cuộc sống của một cậu bé - Wataru Mitani, 11 tuổi. Nhưng mình yêu những khoảnh khắc đơn giản đó, những gì diễn ra trong cuộc sống của Wataru khiến mình cười và cảm thấy hạnh phúc: Wataru muốn khám phá "ngôi nhà ma ám" ở gần đền Mihashi, Wataru biết rung động trước một cô gái xinh đẹp; và sự bí ẩn của cậu bạn mới chuyển trường - Mitsuru Ashikawa.
"If you’re going to be scared of something you should be scared of people. They’re much worse than ghosts."
Cho tới khi một điều tồi tệ đã xảy ra, khiến cuộc sống của gia đình Wataru bị đảo lộn. Điều tồi tệ đó khiến Wataru buồn, khiến những người thân của cậu bé buồn; những người mang trách nhiệm "người lớn" thật khó hiểu - kể cả một cậu bé "khá hiểu chuyện" như Wataru cũng không thể hiểu được. Và yếu tố magical không còn là để gây tò mò như phần đầu nữa, mà nó đã trở thành một tia hy vọng cho nhân vât. Điều tồi tệ kia đã trở thành một bước ngoặt để Wataru bước chân sang thế giới tưởng tượng "Vision". Ở Vision, chỉ cần đến được Tháp Định Mệnh, Watru sẽ được Nữ Thần ban cho một điều ước - thay đổi số phận của cậu.
Bước chân đến Vision, Wataru trở thành một Traveler (Người du hành), cậu bé còn phải đi tìm năm viên đá quý để có thể hoàn thiện thanh kiếm Brave's Sword. Wataru được gặp những người bạn tốt: Kee Keema - chú thằn lằn waterkin to lớn, Meena - cô mèo kitkin xinh xắn; và việc Wataru gia nhập cơ sở công lý Highlander.
Với một cuốn sách 800 trang, Miyuki Miyabe xây dựng nên một thế giới tưởng tượng với các thông tin đồ sộ - những bất đồng của hai đế chế phương Nam và phương Bắc, việc tin vào Cựu thần (Oldgod) hay Nữ thần (Goddess), kể cả việc phân biệt chủng tộc giữa các giống loài...
Như dòng đầu tiên của cuốn sách: "Bạn đã chọn. Bước đi trên con đường chân chính."
Dù không tài giỏi và nhanh nhẹn như cậu bạn Mitsuru (người cũng đến Vision để thay đổi số phận) nhưng Wataru đã cố gắng trên con đường đó cùng sự chân chính không màn đến lợi ích cá nhân; Wataru luôn có những người bạn sẵn sàng đồng hành, tin tưởng và dõi theo cậu bé. Và mình thích chi tiết Vision được xây dựng như một "tấm gương" phản chiếu hành ảnh của những Người Du Hành. Mình ngưỡng mộ việc Wataru dám đối mặt với "điều tồi tệ" kia - Wataru dũng cảm chấp nhận rằng bên trong cậu có những điều xấu xí, bởi con người vốn chẳng ai là hoàn hảo cả, không phải bất kỳ vị anh hùng nào cũng thanh khiết, dũng cảm cũng không có nghĩa là bạn sẽ không còn sợ hãi.
"You have a good heart. But within you there is also hatred, jealousy, and the will for destruction. This is a fact you must learn to accept. You cannot turn your back to it and hope to run away.”
Một chuyến phiêu lưu hấp dẫn, đầy cảm xúc. Mình đã cười, thậm chí đã khóc ở những phân đoạn cảm động của cuốn sách, đặc biệt là ở cuối cuốn sách càng mạnh mẽ hơn nữa. Về sau của câu chuyện sẽ có những diễn biến khá "tàn nhẫn" và bắt buộc phải đưa ra duy nhất một lựa chọn. Và mình rất bất ngờ ở cách câu chuyện kết thúc, mình thích cách Miyuki Miyabe cho chính Wataru và Mitsuru đối đầu với chính bản thể của họ, một phân đoạn đầy ý nghĩa trong việc an ủi chính bản thân sau tất cả bất hạnh kéo đến.
Brave Story là một cuốn sách mình nghĩ không dành cho trẻ con, mà mình nghĩ người lớn nên đọc nó, để nhìn thấy được những chi tiết và các vấn đề cần quan tâm trong cuộc sống này, hay chỉ là nhìn thấy được bản thân họ trong cuốn sách này, một sự dũng cảm và trưởng thành hơn nữa trong mỗi con người.
"Vesna esta holicia.
Until you shine again.
Into Vision, into the real world.
Though a child of man knows time, life itself is eternal."
Một cuốn sách thành công được chuyển thể thành manga, anime và cả game!
October 29, 2010
Really there's not much else to say but that I was blown away by Brave Story. It was so much better than I expected, a thoroughly designed young adult fantasy that builds its strength on the problem of growing up.
It's a little known fact that I find most fantasy novels to be less engaging than their real-world counterparts. Authors of fantasy, then, really have to present something special or endearing in order to get a) to finish their works and b) to be happy I did. Despite being perfectly at home with the idea of fantasy fiction (what with having grown up with X-Men and Thor and Dungeons & Dragons), I can count on one hand the number of fantasy adventure literatures that I would admit to liking:
1) Harry Potter
2) Lord of the Rings
3) Watership Down
4) The works of Neil Gaiman (e.g., Stardust and Anansi Boys)
and, I guess I can add:
5) Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Well folks, colour me stupefied and help me replace my hook with a more digitally inclined prosthetic because I'm gonna need a second hand.* Miyuki Miyabe's Brave Story is that good.
So far as young adult fantasy goes, Miyabe's novel is far more interesting than what we're commonly given to expect. While Brave Story follows a number of familiar narrative arcs (e.g. beginning the fantasy hero in the real world before depositing him in a strange land, having him grow in strength before he has to meet the final challenge, a climax in which the entire world hangs in the balance), this book distinguishes itself on two fronts: propelling the protagonist into viable introspection and weighing moral choices in a world that is anything but black and white.
The story concerns Wataru, a fifth grader who is likable enough that most people are friendly to him, but is also a bit shy around the ladies. The first quarter of the book centers on Wataru's day-to-day, his life in school, with friends, and with family. Things are changing in his life and not for the better. Concurrently, he discovers the gateway to another land, one beyond the wakeful eye, and discovers that the solution to all his problems might lie in that other place.
Pretty typical story conceits, but nothing is as plain as all that. Wataru spends the rest of the book discovering both the meaning of anguish and, more, what it means to take part in the human nature. More than any external foe, Wataru must confront himself and his own struggle against what he is and will become. That a book aimed at younger readers would tackle the concepts and issues Miyabe does is just fantastic. Wataru's solutions (and in some sense therefore, Miyabe's) aren't the solutions I would find, but that he's even considered things enough to arrive at his solution makes him 258% more thoughtful than any other young fantasy hero out there.
Was there anything less than lustrous about Brave Story? Certainly. One grave problem looming over the entire fantasy genre is setting. Because readers aren't familiar with the ins-and-outs of whatever land an author has crafted in a bout of world-building, authors must take special pains in describing these worlds so that readers can gain a sense of place. And the more imaginative the world-setting, the more time must be spent describing the quality of the air, the density of the trees, the geological formations, the political boundaries, the fashions, the customs, etc. All fine and good when divorced from story, but as soon as an author begins describing the world or phenomena, the story is paused. No character interactions, no story development, no ruminations on meaning or purpose or philosophy. Instead, we get saddled with the flatness of what a particular wall looks like or the way in which the half-man, half-parrot thing stands in order to keep his balance on the motorcycle geese. Or we get a description of the rules of Quidditch. Not at all fun and really just a terrible albatross to hang around the throat of an entire genre.
So yeah, there's that. And though Miyabe of course has to engage in these kinds of shenanigans, she does so for a not ungodly amount of time and the rest of her tale more than makes up for what amounts to a fault in genre. All told, Brave Story might be my favourite fantasy yarn after Watership Down. And hey, you can't beat that. Since... you can't beat bunnies. Or something like that.
*note: I don't really have a hook for a hand, but I'd make a dashing vagrant if I did.
It's a little known fact that I find most fantasy novels to be less engaging than their real-world counterparts. Authors of fantasy, then, really have to present something special or endearing in order to get a) to finish their works and b) to be happy I did. Despite being perfectly at home with the idea of fantasy fiction (what with having grown up with X-Men and Thor and Dungeons & Dragons), I can count on one hand the number of fantasy adventure literatures that I would admit to liking:
1) Harry Potter
2) Lord of the Rings
3) Watership Down
4) The works of Neil Gaiman (e.g., Stardust and Anansi Boys)
and, I guess I can add:
5) Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Well folks, colour me stupefied and help me replace my hook with a more digitally inclined prosthetic because I'm gonna need a second hand.* Miyuki Miyabe's Brave Story is that good.
So far as young adult fantasy goes, Miyabe's novel is far more interesting than what we're commonly given to expect. While Brave Story follows a number of familiar narrative arcs (e.g. beginning the fantasy hero in the real world before depositing him in a strange land, having him grow in strength before he has to meet the final challenge, a climax in which the entire world hangs in the balance), this book distinguishes itself on two fronts: propelling the protagonist into viable introspection and weighing moral choices in a world that is anything but black and white.
The story concerns Wataru, a fifth grader who is likable enough that most people are friendly to him, but is also a bit shy around the ladies. The first quarter of the book centers on Wataru's day-to-day, his life in school, with friends, and with family. Things are changing in his life and not for the better. Concurrently, he discovers the gateway to another land, one beyond the wakeful eye, and discovers that the solution to all his problems might lie in that other place.
Pretty typical story conceits, but nothing is as plain as all that. Wataru spends the rest of the book discovering both the meaning of anguish and, more, what it means to take part in the human nature. More than any external foe, Wataru must confront himself and his own struggle against what he is and will become. That a book aimed at younger readers would tackle the concepts and issues Miyabe does is just fantastic. Wataru's solutions (and in some sense therefore, Miyabe's) aren't the solutions I would find, but that he's even considered things enough to arrive at his solution makes him 258% more thoughtful than any other young fantasy hero out there.
Was there anything less than lustrous about Brave Story? Certainly. One grave problem looming over the entire fantasy genre is setting. Because readers aren't familiar with the ins-and-outs of whatever land an author has crafted in a bout of world-building, authors must take special pains in describing these worlds so that readers can gain a sense of place. And the more imaginative the world-setting, the more time must be spent describing the quality of the air, the density of the trees, the geological formations, the political boundaries, the fashions, the customs, etc. All fine and good when divorced from story, but as soon as an author begins describing the world or phenomena, the story is paused. No character interactions, no story development, no ruminations on meaning or purpose or philosophy. Instead, we get saddled with the flatness of what a particular wall looks like or the way in which the half-man, half-parrot thing stands in order to keep his balance on the motorcycle geese. Or we get a description of the rules of Quidditch. Not at all fun and really just a terrible albatross to hang around the throat of an entire genre.
So yeah, there's that. And though Miyabe of course has to engage in these kinds of shenanigans, she does so for a not ungodly amount of time and the rest of her tale more than makes up for what amounts to a fault in genre. All told, Brave Story might be my favourite fantasy yarn after Watership Down. And hey, you can't beat that. Since... you can't beat bunnies. Or something like that.
*note: I don't really have a hook for a hand, but I'd make a dashing vagrant if I did.
May 24, 2008
This is one of those books that I wish had been more heavily edited. It was good and I enjoyed it, but it was just too long to really be necessary. The beginning really sucked me in--it was a good mix of mystery, fantasy and drama. After Wataru is transported to the magical realm of Vision, things start to weaken significantly.
Overall, I felt that it was too many things right after another. As someone who grew up playing Final Fantasy and other Japanese role-playing video games, I'm completely used to the mini-story after mini-story fitting into a bigger picture. This, however, felt like there was a bit too many mini-quests and it really distracted from the major plot. I loved the story of Wataru's journey into maturity and acceptance, but the journey through Vision that got him there was a bit longer than I liked.
There were some awkward moments in the translation within the first 200 pages (before Wataru enters Vision and begins his journey) when the translator attempted to localize things. There will be times when it's obvious the translator is putting things in American terms, despite it being a Japanese novel, rather than making use of something like footnotes. That's just the picky part of me, of course, but I did find it jarring to have obvious American things mentioned in a novel that's set in Japan, and not in a way that made it seem it was some kind of import.
It was well-written (at least, the translation was well-done. I have no clue how true it is to the original text) and it really got me interested. It was a cute story and I enjoyed the themes and the magical world, but it definitely could have been shortened and still retained what made it good. Fans of epic role-playing games will probably get a kick out of it.
Overall, I felt that it was too many things right after another. As someone who grew up playing Final Fantasy and other Japanese role-playing video games, I'm completely used to the mini-story after mini-story fitting into a bigger picture. This, however, felt like there was a bit too many mini-quests and it really distracted from the major plot. I loved the story of Wataru's journey into maturity and acceptance, but the journey through Vision that got him there was a bit longer than I liked.
There were some awkward moments in the translation within the first 200 pages (before Wataru enters Vision and begins his journey) when the translator attempted to localize things. There will be times when it's obvious the translator is putting things in American terms, despite it being a Japanese novel, rather than making use of something like footnotes. That's just the picky part of me, of course, but I did find it jarring to have obvious American things mentioned in a novel that's set in Japan, and not in a way that made it seem it was some kind of import.
It was well-written (at least, the translation was well-done. I have no clue how true it is to the original text) and it really got me interested. It was a cute story and I enjoyed the themes and the magical world, but it definitely could have been shortened and still retained what made it good. Fans of epic role-playing games will probably get a kick out of it.
February 3, 2021
ENGLISH: The first part, in the real world, is very good. The second is an adventure story in a fantastic world, somewhat in the style of video games and manga. The epilogue gets back to the real world and closes most of the loose ends.
The fantasy world (Vision) adapts itself to the mind of the traveler. Good and evil in Vision correspond to good and evil in him. To fight evil, he must discover and uproot his own evil tendencies. This teaching of the novel is very good.
There is a problem, however. Too much reliance in oneself can be as deadly as too little. For a Christian, all our trust must be set on God. But that does not mean that we must do nothing: both things must be balanced. We must make our utmost, as though everything depended on ourselves, but we must trust God at the same time and rely on His final decision. Something like Wataru fighting to the end (especially against himself), but finally having to ask his wish from the Goddess.
Influences:
The Neverending Story is an obvious source, with two separate worlds and the hero going from the real one to the fantastic and back. In the fantasy world he has to fulfill a mission. Even travelling on the back of a dragon is there.
The Rediscovery of Man and Norstrilia, by Cordwainer Smith. Racism against animal-based intelligent species by humans is an essential component in this series of novels and short stories. One important difference, however: in Vision all those species are natural, while in Cordwainer Smith's world they have been created by human beings through genetic manipulation.
Problems: The reason why I did not give it five points is that I don't like the style too much. The text is too long. It could be much shorter, without changing anything important. Sometimes the pace gets too slow, as in chapters 12-16, where almost nothing happens. The descriptions are too detailed. The author explains too much to the reader, as though she believes the latter is not clever enough to follow the argument. Dialog is sometimes repetitive and tiresome.
ESPAÑOL: La primera parte, en el mundo real, es muy buena. La segunda es una historia de aventuras en un mundo fantástico, al estilo de los videojuegos y el manga. El epílogo vuelve al mundo real y anuda la mayor parte de los cabos sueltos.
El mundo de fantasía (Visión) se adapta a la mente del viajero. El bien y el mal en Visión corresponden al bien y el mal en el viajero. Para luchar contra el mal, debe descubrir y desarraigar sus propias tendencias malignas. Esta enseñanza de la novela es muy buena.
Sin embargo, hay un problema. Demasiada confianza en uno mismo puede ser tan letal como muy poca. Para un cristiano, debemos poner toda nuestra confianza en Dios. Pero eso no significa que no debamos hacer nada: ambas cosas deben equilibrarse. Tenemos que hacer todo lo posible, como si todo dependiera de nosotros, pero al mismo tiempo debemos confiar en Dios y aceptar Su decisión. Algo así como Wataru luchando hasta el final (especialmente contra sí mismo), pero finalmente teniendo que pedirle un deseo a la Diosa.
Influencias:
La historia interminable es una fuente obvia, con dos mundos separados y el héroe que va del mundo real al fantástico y viceversa. En el mundo de fantasía tiene que cumplir una misión. Incluso le vemos viajar a lomos de un dragón.
"El redescubrimiento del hombre" y "Norstrilia", por Cordwainer Smith. El racismo por parte de los humanos contra especies inteligentes basadas en animales es un componente esencial de esta serie de novelas y cuentos. Sin embargo, hay una diferencia importante: en Visión todas esas especies son naturales, mientras que en el mundo de Cordwainer Smith han sido creadas por seres humanos mediante manipulación genética.
Problemas: La razón por la que no le di cinco puntos es porque no me gusta demasiado el estilo. El texto es demasiado largo. Podría haber sido mucho más corto, sin que cambiara nada importante. A veces el ritmo es demasiado lento, como en los capítulos 12-16, donde casi no pasa nada. Las descripciones son demasiado detalladas. La autora da demasiadas explicaciones al lector, como si creyera que no es bastante inteligente para seguir el argumento. El diálogo es a veces repetitivo y tedioso.
The fantasy world (Vision) adapts itself to the mind of the traveler. Good and evil in Vision correspond to good and evil in him. To fight evil, he must discover and uproot his own evil tendencies. This teaching of the novel is very good.
There is a problem, however. Too much reliance in oneself can be as deadly as too little. For a Christian, all our trust must be set on God. But that does not mean that we must do nothing: both things must be balanced. We must make our utmost, as though everything depended on ourselves, but we must trust God at the same time and rely on His final decision. Something like Wataru fighting to the end (especially against himself), but finally having to ask his wish from the Goddess.
Influences:
The Neverending Story is an obvious source, with two separate worlds and the hero going from the real one to the fantastic and back. In the fantasy world he has to fulfill a mission. Even travelling on the back of a dragon is there.
The Rediscovery of Man and Norstrilia, by Cordwainer Smith. Racism against animal-based intelligent species by humans is an essential component in this series of novels and short stories. One important difference, however: in Vision all those species are natural, while in Cordwainer Smith's world they have been created by human beings through genetic manipulation.
Problems: The reason why I did not give it five points is that I don't like the style too much. The text is too long. It could be much shorter, without changing anything important. Sometimes the pace gets too slow, as in chapters 12-16, where almost nothing happens. The descriptions are too detailed. The author explains too much to the reader, as though she believes the latter is not clever enough to follow the argument. Dialog is sometimes repetitive and tiresome.
ESPAÑOL: La primera parte, en el mundo real, es muy buena. La segunda es una historia de aventuras en un mundo fantástico, al estilo de los videojuegos y el manga. El epílogo vuelve al mundo real y anuda la mayor parte de los cabos sueltos.
El mundo de fantasía (Visión) se adapta a la mente del viajero. El bien y el mal en Visión corresponden al bien y el mal en el viajero. Para luchar contra el mal, debe descubrir y desarraigar sus propias tendencias malignas. Esta enseñanza de la novela es muy buena.
Sin embargo, hay un problema. Demasiada confianza en uno mismo puede ser tan letal como muy poca. Para un cristiano, debemos poner toda nuestra confianza en Dios. Pero eso no significa que no debamos hacer nada: ambas cosas deben equilibrarse. Tenemos que hacer todo lo posible, como si todo dependiera de nosotros, pero al mismo tiempo debemos confiar en Dios y aceptar Su decisión. Algo así como Wataru luchando hasta el final (especialmente contra sí mismo), pero finalmente teniendo que pedirle un deseo a la Diosa.
Influencias:
La historia interminable es una fuente obvia, con dos mundos separados y el héroe que va del mundo real al fantástico y viceversa. En el mundo de fantasía tiene que cumplir una misión. Incluso le vemos viajar a lomos de un dragón.
"El redescubrimiento del hombre" y "Norstrilia", por Cordwainer Smith. El racismo por parte de los humanos contra especies inteligentes basadas en animales es un componente esencial de esta serie de novelas y cuentos. Sin embargo, hay una diferencia importante: en Visión todas esas especies son naturales, mientras que en el mundo de Cordwainer Smith han sido creadas por seres humanos mediante manipulación genética.
Problemas: La razón por la que no le di cinco puntos es porque no me gusta demasiado el estilo. El texto es demasiado largo. Podría haber sido mucho más corto, sin que cambiara nada importante. A veces el ritmo es demasiado lento, como en los capítulos 12-16, donde casi no pasa nada. Las descripciones son demasiado detalladas. La autora da demasiadas explicaciones al lector, como si creyera que no es bastante inteligente para seguir el argumento. El diálogo es a veces repetitivo y tedioso.
May 21, 2019
Star Rating : *STAR SYSTEM OVERLOAD*
(seriously it’s THAT good)
Just... everyone needs this book in their life. I read it years ago but am about to read it again... I love it SOMUCH. It is really worth it. Such a rewarding read. Anyone who likes the “wonderland” premise/ portal writing (accidentally stumbling upon a new world), will love it, IMO. Fans of pans labyrinth should love it as well! Give it a try, I feel like it’s one of those rare, hidden gems. It was originally in Japanese and is a translation and it’s fantastic. One of my favs of all time, no question.
Do yo’ self a favor and read it, fo real! The page count is daunting I know, but fujevutrnkghn SO GOOD.
♥️♥️♥️
(seriously it’s THAT good)
Just... everyone needs this book in their life. I read it years ago but am about to read it again... I love it SOMUCH. It is really worth it. Such a rewarding read. Anyone who likes the “wonderland” premise/ portal writing (accidentally stumbling upon a new world), will love it, IMO. Fans of pans labyrinth should love it as well! Give it a try, I feel like it’s one of those rare, hidden gems. It was originally in Japanese and is a translation and it’s fantastic. One of my favs of all time, no question.
Do yo’ self a favor and read it, fo real! The page count is daunting I know, but fujevutrnkghn SO GOOD.
♥️♥️♥️
September 12, 2007
This was a fun, if lengthy story. According to the book jacket, Ms. Miyabe is quite an accomplished author, with several accolades and awards to her name in her native Japan. I'm always interested in the manner in which Japanese books are translated to English.
One of my observations is that the books I've read in Japanese tend to play a little more loosely with the point of view. In other words, the authors don't have a problem leaping from one character's head to another, and then back, within the space of a few paragraphs.
While this can at first be off-putting (telling rather than showing), it soon becomes an interesting vehicle to explore the motivations of different characters without the build-up and background that would be expected in a western-style narrative.
The book itself, upon conclusion, does very much remind me of the Neverending Story. Simply put, the hero is a ten-year old boy who does not stand out at school and tends to whine a lot. His family life rapidly deteriorates, until he is given a chance to enter a magical fantasy realm (called Vision, rather than Fantastica) with the hopes of making everything better.
What struck me about this book was that it observes some of the conventions I've come to recognize in both anime and manga, and in Japanese video games (particularly RPG's). This is a fact that is openly acknolwedged by the author in the story. What was interesting, though, was that many of the silly sight gags and the frantic pace often maintained by said anime or games (in an attempt to keep the attention span of their ADHD-afflicted 13-18 year old target audience) were thankfully absent here. While the lesson of Final Fantasy VII may be that the greatest challenge of all is to conquer your own fears and insecurities, while Lunar: the Silver Star may tell us that anything is possible with determination, it simply feels more legitimate to read that in a book than upon the TV screen.
All in all, this book was very Japanese in its sensibilities, but that doesn't make it inaccessible to the reader. In fact, it makes it easier to accept some of the nastier things that people in the "real" world do to one another, since the book for English speakers is set in a sort of doubly unfamiliar territory, making suspension of disbelief that much easier.
One of my observations is that the books I've read in Japanese tend to play a little more loosely with the point of view. In other words, the authors don't have a problem leaping from one character's head to another, and then back, within the space of a few paragraphs.
While this can at first be off-putting (telling rather than showing), it soon becomes an interesting vehicle to explore the motivations of different characters without the build-up and background that would be expected in a western-style narrative.
The book itself, upon conclusion, does very much remind me of the Neverending Story. Simply put, the hero is a ten-year old boy who does not stand out at school and tends to whine a lot. His family life rapidly deteriorates, until he is given a chance to enter a magical fantasy realm (called Vision, rather than Fantastica) with the hopes of making everything better.
What struck me about this book was that it observes some of the conventions I've come to recognize in both anime and manga, and in Japanese video games (particularly RPG's). This is a fact that is openly acknolwedged by the author in the story. What was interesting, though, was that many of the silly sight gags and the frantic pace often maintained by said anime or games (in an attempt to keep the attention span of their ADHD-afflicted 13-18 year old target audience) were thankfully absent here. While the lesson of Final Fantasy VII may be that the greatest challenge of all is to conquer your own fears and insecurities, while Lunar: the Silver Star may tell us that anything is possible with determination, it simply feels more legitimate to read that in a book than upon the TV screen.
All in all, this book was very Japanese in its sensibilities, but that doesn't make it inaccessible to the reader. In fact, it makes it easier to accept some of the nastier things that people in the "real" world do to one another, since the book for English speakers is set in a sort of doubly unfamiliar territory, making suspension of disbelief that much easier.
March 5, 2023
اصلا هیچ کلمه ای نمیتونه زیبا بودن این کتاب رو توصیف کنه
با اینکه من اصلا طرفدار ژانر فانتزی نیستم ولی این کتاب فوق العادسسس
اخراش اصلا دلم نمیخاست که کتاب رو تموم کنم و میخاستم که تا ابد توی دنیای خیال بمونم و با واتارو و مینا و کی کیما همراه باشم و به جنگ شیاطین برم تا به برج تقدیر برسم💙✨
با اینکه من اصلا طرفدار ژانر فانتزی نیستم ولی این کتاب فوق العادسسس
اخراش اصلا دلم نمیخاست که کتاب رو تموم کنم و میخاستم که تا ابد توی دنیای خیال بمونم و با واتارو و مینا و کی کیما همراه باشم و به جنگ شیاطین برم تا به برج تقدیر برسم💙✨
June 23, 2020
This is a reread from the distant past, before I had Goodreads or even the first iteration of my blog. But I own a copy of Brave Story and have been planning to reread it for the past decade (I carried this 800-page brick to Japan and back after all). I just hadn’t gotten around to actually doing so because it’s so long.
And because of the sad beginning.
But I’ve finished rereading it and wow, the emotional ride was just as intense as before. Actually, I think rereading as an adult is more rewarding – not only am I more familiar with RPG games now, the concept of shades of grey in people is easier to grasp.
In Brave Story, Wataru journeys into Vision to try and change his fate. His fate being his father walking out on his family to start a new life with his mistress, thus driving his mother to attempt suicide. But although he has a clear quest in Vision (and a competitor/friend named Mitsuru), Wataru finds himself side-tracked as he makes friends with Kee Keema, Meena, and other inhabitants of Vision.
On the surface, this is a pretty straightforward tale of a boy growing up through a quest. As cliched as it sounds, Wataru must grow in character (journeying inwards, in a way) in order for him to grow as a Traveler and complete his Quest. This growth is signified by the finding of significant stones that will allow him to find the Tower of Destiny and change his fate.
But the story is a lot more than that. I think I was most impressed with how delicately it handled the topic of Wataru’s father’s betrayal. When I was younger, the ending of the book wasn’t completely satisfying because nothing happened to the father – he left and that was that. Wataru finished his quest but nothing happened. It was infuriating to me because I wanted to see Justice (with a capital J) done for Wataru and his mother.
This time, I have a much greater appreciation for how Miyabe handled this storyline. Because Vision reflects Wataru’s thoughts, some inhabitants will look like people that he knows in real life. Two of these inhabitants are the look-alikes of his father and his mistress, following a similar storyline. Through this, Wataru gets to see what happens when he lets his anger control him and another side of the mistress (she was nice to him in Vision, compared to his one and only meeting with her in the real world).
Make no mistake, the world of Vision doesn’t excuse the actions of the father look-alike and his mistress. While the book is silent on the character of the mistress, the man who resembles Wataru’s father is just as selfish in Vision (selling fake tears that could harm people) as he is in real life (framing his actions as the fault of his wife and the only logical decision). The point isn’t for Wataru to understand his father’s feelings or for him to see that his father is actually a good guy – the point is for Wataru to learn that he cannot hold on to anger to his father because it will harm him and others. There is an undertone of how the two characters see themselves as doing what is good but against societal norms which is also interesting to explore, but I think the main lesson here is what Wataru learns. I think that this is even more valuable than having his father come back at the end of the book because it provides Wataru, and by extension, his mother, a chance to grow in a positive way. Happiness doesn’t always come by having things return to the way they were – sometimes it comes after the pain of moving past.
Overall, I loved this book as much (if not more!) this time round than I did the original time. Because of this and The Gate of Sorrows, I’m even more eager to find a copy of The Book of Heroes.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
And because of the sad beginning.
But I’ve finished rereading it and wow, the emotional ride was just as intense as before. Actually, I think rereading as an adult is more rewarding – not only am I more familiar with RPG games now, the concept of shades of grey in people is easier to grasp.
In Brave Story, Wataru journeys into Vision to try and change his fate. His fate being his father walking out on his family to start a new life with his mistress, thus driving his mother to attempt suicide. But although he has a clear quest in Vision (and a competitor/friend named Mitsuru), Wataru finds himself side-tracked as he makes friends with Kee Keema, Meena, and other inhabitants of Vision.
On the surface, this is a pretty straightforward tale of a boy growing up through a quest. As cliched as it sounds, Wataru must grow in character (journeying inwards, in a way) in order for him to grow as a Traveler and complete his Quest. This growth is signified by the finding of significant stones that will allow him to find the Tower of Destiny and change his fate.
But the story is a lot more than that. I think I was most impressed with how delicately it handled the topic of Wataru’s father’s betrayal. When I was younger, the ending of the book wasn’t completely satisfying because nothing happened to the father – he left and that was that. Wataru finished his quest but nothing happened. It was infuriating to me because I wanted to see Justice (with a capital J) done for Wataru and his mother.
This time, I have a much greater appreciation for how Miyabe handled this storyline. Because Vision reflects Wataru’s thoughts, some inhabitants will look like people that he knows in real life. Two of these inhabitants are the look-alikes of his father and his mistress, following a similar storyline. Through this, Wataru gets to see what happens when he lets his anger control him and another side of the mistress (she was nice to him in Vision, compared to his one and only meeting with her in the real world).
Make no mistake, the world of Vision doesn’t excuse the actions of the father look-alike and his mistress. While the book is silent on the character of the mistress, the man who resembles Wataru’s father is just as selfish in Vision (selling fake tears that could harm people) as he is in real life (framing his actions as the fault of his wife and the only logical decision). The point isn’t for Wataru to understand his father’s feelings or for him to see that his father is actually a good guy – the point is for Wataru to learn that he cannot hold on to anger to his father because it will harm him and others. There is an undertone of how the two characters see themselves as doing what is good but against societal norms which is also interesting to explore, but I think the main lesson here is what Wataru learns. I think that this is even more valuable than having his father come back at the end of the book because it provides Wataru, and by extension, his mother, a chance to grow in a positive way. Happiness doesn’t always come by having things return to the way they were – sometimes it comes after the pain of moving past.
Overall, I loved this book as much (if not more!) this time round than I did the original time. Because of this and The Gate of Sorrows, I’m even more eager to find a copy of The Book of Heroes.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
May 25, 2012
I remember as a child watching cartoon movies on HBO and Showtime, movies like Nausicaa, which fascinated me, as they were nothing like any of the cartoons you saw on television at the time. Characters with emotional depth, with real feelings. And sometimes the characters died, which is something you don't see on American cartoons. Cobra Commander might have been an evil mastermind, but he couldn't shoot the broad side of a barn. And no Transformer ever got killed until the movie, which sent many of us into therapy. There's a fundamental difference between anime coming from Japan and those cartoons coming from America.
Take even video games of which I've talked about recently. Final Fantasy VII was ported directly from Japan, with all of its movies added. This includes the death of Aerith, the flower girl, some 2/3rds of the way into the game. She's a playable character with special skills and everything, and even though you work on leveling her up, at that point, she dies. Of course, I thought (not having read any walkthroughs) that she'd be resurrected at some point. Of course we'll have her at the end of the game, or Cloud would go into the lifestream and find her essence and bring her back. But that's not the case. She never comes back. It was a shock to many people (look her up on the internet, it affected a lot of people). I think that's why J.K. Rowling shocked so many people with the deaths that occur in Harry Potter. Main characters just don't die. It doesn't work that way....
But it does. And that's what makes the movies and video games and books coming out of Japan for young adults so much more poignant than those that come from Western Civilization. We're just not willing to see someone that we have invested emotional ties to be killed off in the middle of a story line. They have to come back. Nowadays, when Optimus Prime is killed (which he is, inevitably, every single series), it's not a shock to anyone, because he will always come back somehow.
So, to the book review. I read Brave Story, by Miyuki Miyabe, who is most known, until this book, for Suspense thrillers. Most reviews will tell you that it is slow in the beginning, that it drags out and it is good, but too long. What they don't get is that the length of the set up of the story is meant to set up Wataru's real life. Which is the life that we all lead, for the most part. There are bullies, and divorces, adulterous affairs... all the things that makes the real world what it is.... and most importantly, it sets up all the things that children are protected from in the real world in America. The book talks about the suicide of one of the friend's parents. You wouldn't have that talked about in a normal kid's fantasy novel. But it is the real world that people run away from, and only through Wataru's running away into the land of Vision do we experience the growth during that time of escapism.
The book is like the worlds of Hayao Miyazaki all laid out in print. It is the world of Hyrule or Final Fantasy in words. Masterfully constructed, a work that should be aside Paolini's Eragon or Harry Potter. The interesting thing is that the book is placed in with the Manga works, with most of the Japanese authors. I understand why, as the story has been adapted to Manga form, and Anime, and video game form (on the PSP and in Japan on the PS2). But the main work is a novel, and deserves to be read by those who love Fantasy or Young Adult fiction. It will change someone's life, just as The Hobbit changed mine.
Take even video games of which I've talked about recently. Final Fantasy VII was ported directly from Japan, with all of its movies added. This includes the death of Aerith, the flower girl, some 2/3rds of the way into the game. She's a playable character with special skills and everything, and even though you work on leveling her up, at that point, she dies. Of course, I thought (not having read any walkthroughs) that she'd be resurrected at some point. Of course we'll have her at the end of the game, or Cloud would go into the lifestream and find her essence and bring her back. But that's not the case. She never comes back. It was a shock to many people (look her up on the internet, it affected a lot of people). I think that's why J.K. Rowling shocked so many people with the deaths that occur in Harry Potter. Main characters just don't die. It doesn't work that way....
But it does. And that's what makes the movies and video games and books coming out of Japan for young adults so much more poignant than those that come from Western Civilization. We're just not willing to see someone that we have invested emotional ties to be killed off in the middle of a story line. They have to come back. Nowadays, when Optimus Prime is killed (which he is, inevitably, every single series), it's not a shock to anyone, because he will always come back somehow.
So, to the book review. I read Brave Story, by Miyuki Miyabe, who is most known, until this book, for Suspense thrillers. Most reviews will tell you that it is slow in the beginning, that it drags out and it is good, but too long. What they don't get is that the length of the set up of the story is meant to set up Wataru's real life. Which is the life that we all lead, for the most part. There are bullies, and divorces, adulterous affairs... all the things that makes the real world what it is.... and most importantly, it sets up all the things that children are protected from in the real world in America. The book talks about the suicide of one of the friend's parents. You wouldn't have that talked about in a normal kid's fantasy novel. But it is the real world that people run away from, and only through Wataru's running away into the land of Vision do we experience the growth during that time of escapism.
The book is like the worlds of Hayao Miyazaki all laid out in print. It is the world of Hyrule or Final Fantasy in words. Masterfully constructed, a work that should be aside Paolini's Eragon or Harry Potter. The interesting thing is that the book is placed in with the Manga works, with most of the Japanese authors. I understand why, as the story has been adapted to Manga form, and Anime, and video game form (on the PSP and in Japan on the PS2). But the main work is a novel, and deserves to be read by those who love Fantasy or Young Adult fiction. It will change someone's life, just as The Hobbit changed mine.
April 19, 2018
Brave Story Review
Book Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
Story Line: Wataru is a ten year old boy that has to struggle through something at a very early age. It was something that no ten year old should have to suffer with. I was able to connect with him because of how he was feeling. The book starts off pretty interesting. Wataru believes that one of the buildings is haunted, but that is not the case. He goes into the building with his friend. He ends up meeting the owner, the owner's son, and the owner's daughter a bit later on. He thinks she's beautiful. She isn't able to talk or move.
Wataru meets a new student in school named Mitsuru. People believe that he took a picture of the ghost in the haunted building. Mitsuru is kind of a jerk to Wataru although Wataru saved him from bullies. You learn more about him later on in the novel. It's pretty sad what happened to him as well. He shouldn't have had to go through what he went through either. That being said I was able to connect with him too, but for a different reason. I will explain more about him later on in the character section.
Later on in the novel you find out that his father is leaving to live with another woman. His mother takes it very hard too. She tries to kill him and herself by putting gas on in the kitchen. Later Wataru travels to Vision to save his future. He wants to make a wish that his father won't leave their family...the ending was a twist though. It really was.
If you really love adventure books than this is for you. I will warn you that it does start off pretty slow, but as the story progresses it gets more interesting. It was a joy to read. There were so many different emotions that were felt through this novel. I cannot wait to watch the movie now. It probably will be a little different since they have to fit so much into it. This book is also over 700 pages as an e-book. (I did start it, but didn't get around to finishing it. )
I'm just going to talk about some of the main characters in the book. I actually liked most of the characters in this book. There was really not a one that I didn't like.
Wataru- Although he was young he was very strong. He did things that you didn't expect any ten year old to do. Like I said his father left him and his mother for another woman. His father talked to him like he was a grown up too. He was too young to be spoken too like that. Also he had to witness a fight between his mother and the other woman. He shouldn't have seen that either. The other woman also was pregnant with his father's baby. He learned that the other woman was who his father was the one he really wanted to be with in the beginning. It's sad that he had to go through that. When he was depressed it made me sad. I rooted for him throughout this whole book. He journeyed to a new world just to save his parents. He had many trials to go through, but he was able to succeed. He was able to grow because of what he went through to have his wish come true. He was an amazing character and I loved him so much.
Mitsuru- He was also very young, but he wanted to save the life of his younger sister who was like only two or three years old. His father killed her and his mother. He had to go live with his young aunt who was 23 years of age. He really wanted to change his destiny. He wanted to rescue everyone he loved. He did whatever he had to do to get ahead. That is why he wasn't able to change his destiny in the end. I only connected with him because of what he had to go through. I didn't like the way he treated others, but he was not a bad character. He was a challenge to Wataru. He made this novel fun as well.
Kee Keema- He was a fun character. He was so nice and he wanted to stay with Wataru no matter what happened. He was also very strong. He was dependable. I was happy that he wasn't horrible to other people either. He did what he could to help others. I also think that he served as a comedy relief character. I loved him. He was fun! I hope you all like him too!
Meena- I loved her. Like Kee Keema she wanted to stay and help Wataru no matter what. Wataru rescued her. She felt like she owed him. She was good on her word. I also love that she was actually part of a circus act too. She was very loving and motherly. She was a great character to have around. She also was able to offer Wataru a lot of help.
Favorite Quotes: "You have been chosen. Walk the true path."
"Failure and disillusionment are realities, but ideologies are made of dreams. And dreams, it would seem, do not fade easily."
"What you don't know, boy is that people have feelings that don't obey logic. Satami's not a bad woman. She's a good worker, and a gentle soul. But when I met Lili I fell in love. I knew I could never go back. Once you know true love, how could you settle for anything less?" (This quote is basically what Wataru was going through in the real world. This something his father would say to him. I just liked it because it has a ring of truth. Knowing what true love is does help.)
"That's right. I didn't want to be sad anymore. That's why I came to Vision to change my destiny. Yet here I am feeling like my heart will break, crying like a baby.
If this is the way it's going to be, I never should've done anything in the first place. I should've grit my teeth back in the real world if the end result was going to be the same. No matter where I go, sadness follows. No matter how much time passes it won't go away. You get only one heart when you're born, and you can't turn it in or get it repaired. The only thing that fills it is more sadness. I'm surprised there's any room left in there at all."
Writing Style: 5 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed the simplistic writing style that was used in this novel. Sometimes there was a little too much detail, but it did make the story worthwhile. I would reread this novel in the future.
Book Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
Story Line: Wataru is a ten year old boy that has to struggle through something at a very early age. It was something that no ten year old should have to suffer with. I was able to connect with him because of how he was feeling. The book starts off pretty interesting. Wataru believes that one of the buildings is haunted, but that is not the case. He goes into the building with his friend. He ends up meeting the owner, the owner's son, and the owner's daughter a bit later on. He thinks she's beautiful. She isn't able to talk or move.
Wataru meets a new student in school named Mitsuru. People believe that he took a picture of the ghost in the haunted building. Mitsuru is kind of a jerk to Wataru although Wataru saved him from bullies. You learn more about him later on in the novel. It's pretty sad what happened to him as well. He shouldn't have had to go through what he went through either. That being said I was able to connect with him too, but for a different reason. I will explain more about him later on in the character section.
Later on in the novel you find out that his father is leaving to live with another woman. His mother takes it very hard too. She tries to kill him and herself by putting gas on in the kitchen. Later Wataru travels to Vision to save his future. He wants to make a wish that his father won't leave their family...the ending was a twist though. It really was.
If you really love adventure books than this is for you. I will warn you that it does start off pretty slow, but as the story progresses it gets more interesting. It was a joy to read. There were so many different emotions that were felt through this novel. I cannot wait to watch the movie now. It probably will be a little different since they have to fit so much into it. This book is also over 700 pages as an e-book. (I did start it, but didn't get around to finishing it. )
I'm just going to talk about some of the main characters in the book. I actually liked most of the characters in this book. There was really not a one that I didn't like.
Wataru- Although he was young he was very strong. He did things that you didn't expect any ten year old to do. Like I said his father left him and his mother for another woman. His father talked to him like he was a grown up too. He was too young to be spoken too like that. Also he had to witness a fight between his mother and the other woman. He shouldn't have seen that either. The other woman also was pregnant with his father's baby. He learned that the other woman was who his father was the one he really wanted to be with in the beginning. It's sad that he had to go through that. When he was depressed it made me sad. I rooted for him throughout this whole book. He journeyed to a new world just to save his parents. He had many trials to go through, but he was able to succeed. He was able to grow because of what he went through to have his wish come true. He was an amazing character and I loved him so much.
Mitsuru- He was also very young, but he wanted to save the life of his younger sister who was like only two or three years old. His father killed her and his mother. He had to go live with his young aunt who was 23 years of age. He really wanted to change his destiny. He wanted to rescue everyone he loved. He did whatever he had to do to get ahead. That is why he wasn't able to change his destiny in the end. I only connected with him because of what he had to go through. I didn't like the way he treated others, but he was not a bad character. He was a challenge to Wataru. He made this novel fun as well.
Kee Keema- He was a fun character. He was so nice and he wanted to stay with Wataru no matter what happened. He was also very strong. He was dependable. I was happy that he wasn't horrible to other people either. He did what he could to help others. I also think that he served as a comedy relief character. I loved him. He was fun! I hope you all like him too!
Meena- I loved her. Like Kee Keema she wanted to stay and help Wataru no matter what. Wataru rescued her. She felt like she owed him. She was good on her word. I also love that she was actually part of a circus act too. She was very loving and motherly. She was a great character to have around. She also was able to offer Wataru a lot of help.
Favorite Quotes: "You have been chosen. Walk the true path."
"Failure and disillusionment are realities, but ideologies are made of dreams. And dreams, it would seem, do not fade easily."
"What you don't know, boy is that people have feelings that don't obey logic. Satami's not a bad woman. She's a good worker, and a gentle soul. But when I met Lili I fell in love. I knew I could never go back. Once you know true love, how could you settle for anything less?" (This quote is basically what Wataru was going through in the real world. This something his father would say to him. I just liked it because it has a ring of truth. Knowing what true love is does help.)
"That's right. I didn't want to be sad anymore. That's why I came to Vision to change my destiny. Yet here I am feeling like my heart will break, crying like a baby.
If this is the way it's going to be, I never should've done anything in the first place. I should've grit my teeth back in the real world if the end result was going to be the same. No matter where I go, sadness follows. No matter how much time passes it won't go away. You get only one heart when you're born, and you can't turn it in or get it repaired. The only thing that fills it is more sadness. I'm surprised there's any room left in there at all."
Writing Style: 5 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed the simplistic writing style that was used in this novel. Sometimes there was a little too much detail, but it did make the story worthwhile. I would reread this novel in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2022
The story is broken into two parts. The first part takes place mostly in our world and deals with Wataru's home life. The second part takes place in the magical world of Vision and is the bulk of the book. Much like Stephen King's Fairy Tale, I enjoyed the first part much more than the more magical part. Part one was only 200 pages and I rated it 5 stars, the second part was 800 pages and it ranged between 3-4 stars and I finally settled at 3.5 stars for a final score of 4/5 stars.
May 28, 2011
I almost didn't buy this book. I'm not even sure why I brought this book. Maybe it's the cover; I don't know.
Brave Story tells the interior and exterior of a young boy's struggle to deal with his changing family situation. There are similarities, as another review pointed out, to The Neverending Story, but the allergory between the magical world and inner self of the boy is more obivious.
The characters are well drawn and while the main character is a boy, there are several strong female characters. In many ways, the most powerful section of the book is the beginning where the home life of the boy is set up and then ripped asunder.
There is heavy reference to video games, culture, and manga, but the book is easy to get into , though at times a little slow. But this is one of those supposedly YA books that is really an adult book.
Brave Story tells the interior and exterior of a young boy's struggle to deal with his changing family situation. There are similarities, as another review pointed out, to The Neverending Story, but the allergory between the magical world and inner self of the boy is more obivious.
The characters are well drawn and while the main character is a boy, there are several strong female characters. In many ways, the most powerful section of the book is the beginning where the home life of the boy is set up and then ripped asunder.
There is heavy reference to video games, culture, and manga, but the book is easy to get into , though at times a little slow. But this is one of those supposedly YA books that is really an adult book.
April 2, 2017
A great world for middle-schoolers and even older teens to get wrapped up in. Very sensitive and thoughtful treatment divorce and infidelity from a teen point of view. Strong story line with a lot of adventures; however, for readers already familiar with fantasy manga/anime, it might be too long.
January 28, 2019
This is a portal fantasy.
The part of the book before he goes through the portal; the part about his normal, horrible life: Awesome - 5 stars!!!
After he goes through the portal: Mind-numbingly boring derivative D&D garbage - 0 stars
The part of the book before he goes through the portal; the part about his normal, horrible life: Awesome - 5 stars!!!
After he goes through the portal: Mind-numbingly boring derivative D&D garbage - 0 stars
March 24, 2023
4.5
i read this in middle school and i only remembered the parts in the real world so i thought i didn’t finish the book but i did remember a significant detail from the end so i must have finished it back then. anyways the parts in Vision kind of drag on but still overall a good read
i read this in middle school and i only remembered the parts in the real world so i thought i didn’t finish the book but i did remember a significant detail from the end so i must have finished it back then. anyways the parts in Vision kind of drag on but still overall a good read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2020
چرا ژاپنیها اینقدر طولانی نویسند؟ :))
داستان عملا از صفحه ۲۰۰ به بعد تازه شروع میشود و تا خود آخرین صفحه کتاب خواننده را دنبال خودش میکشد...یکی از طولانیترین لایتناولهایی بود که تابحال خوانده بودم اما لذتبخش بود، اتفاقا یک فیلم هم داره که حدود یک ساعت و خردهای است...راستش بنظرم چنین داستان طول و درازی باید حداقل ۲۰ قسمت انیمهای میداشت! :))
داستان عملا از صفحه ۲۰۰ به بعد تازه شروع میشود و تا خود آخرین صفحه کتاب خواننده را دنبال خودش میکشد...یکی از طولانیترین لایتناولهایی بود که تابحال خوانده بودم اما لذتبخش بود، اتفاقا یک فیلم هم داره که حدود یک ساعت و خردهای است...راستش بنظرم چنین داستان طول و درازی باید حداقل ۲۰ قسمت انیمهای میداشت! :))
March 2, 2018
The overarching story is interesting, the emotional struggle of a young boy seeing his parents divorce and having to go through all the strain involved in that had me emotionally invested. The scenes where he goes back along the corridor to speak with his mother were particularly well-done and the ending was mostly good...yet despite those good things, it was far, far too long of a book.
So the concept of "I'm in a video game" sounds cool at first, but there were multiple problems with it. For one thing, it felt too cliched (and yes, I get it, this might be exactly what a 10-year old boy would dream up...but that doesn't mean the 10-year old boy's dream makes an interesting book). You had the token party members: the adventurous lizard-man, the acrobatic cat-girl, issues with prejudice and race, leveling up, the short, bushy scientist. They were all quirky and wacky in just the same way you'd find in a video game. But take a 60-hour RPG and put it down on paper without the human player interacting, and it kind of becomes monotonous and boring.
The side-quests particularly. My eyes would glaze over. All right, here we go again, some more random characters who only live in this town that we need to save/defeat/get information from and will never be relevant to the story after this. Getting the wyrmflute made me laugh, because it seems like every old RPG had a dragon you could summon with a flute to fly you around. How convenient.
But that brings me to what probably was the most glaring problem with the book: because it was a game, because it was so formulaic, I continually felt as though the hero was on a path and that he really was in no actual danger. Did I really expect him to die, to fail? To not be able to successfully complete this side-quest and get another gem? Nope. So since the end was already established, that pretty much made actually getting to it an incredible slog. Yes, I get it, you need to collect so many of these mystical gems, you don't need to tell me how you acquired each one.
Obviously it struck some resonance with quite a few people out there and I'm in the minority. Perhaps because there are so few books like this. But I just felt like this one honestly wasn't that good.
So the concept of "I'm in a video game" sounds cool at first, but there were multiple problems with it. For one thing, it felt too cliched (and yes, I get it, this might be exactly what a 10-year old boy would dream up...but that doesn't mean the 10-year old boy's dream makes an interesting book). You had the token party members: the adventurous lizard-man, the acrobatic cat-girl, issues with prejudice and race, leveling up, the short, bushy scientist. They were all quirky and wacky in just the same way you'd find in a video game. But take a 60-hour RPG and put it down on paper without the human player interacting, and it kind of becomes monotonous and boring.
The side-quests particularly. My eyes would glaze over. All right, here we go again, some more random characters who only live in this town that we need to save/defeat/get information from and will never be relevant to the story after this. Getting the wyrmflute made me laugh, because it seems like every old RPG had a dragon you could summon with a flute to fly you around. How convenient.
But that brings me to what probably was the most glaring problem with the book: because it was a game, because it was so formulaic, I continually felt as though the hero was on a path and that he really was in no actual danger. Did I really expect him to die, to fail? To not be able to successfully complete this side-quest and get another gem? Nope. So since the end was already established, that pretty much made actually getting to it an incredible slog. Yes, I get it, you need to collect so many of these mystical gems, you don't need to tell me how you acquired each one.
Obviously it struck some resonance with quite a few people out there and I'm in the minority. Perhaps because there are so few books like this. But I just felt like this one honestly wasn't that good.
July 19, 2017
rare as i give them out- this is a one. or less. this is a very frustrating read, as some of the allegorical scenes, acts, characters, magic etc are actually interesting, and somewhere in this 800 page monster is a good book. somewhere. i felt it was going to end here, here, and here again- only for it to launch into another hundred pages. i was at first, very fascinated, with the idea this was something like a role playing computer game, that it grew out of another culture- japanese- but the intro itself would have made a mildly effective book, and the pace does not pick up...
maybe it would be a multi-volume epic like hp, but would that be better? maybe it is translation, but do even the magic and characters talk and seem like cliche? maybe there is some moral awakening to the character described by acts? maybe it works as a japanese ‘neverending story’, but then i read that many years ago and now i am afraid to go back if i discover it also so shallow…
yes, this work did stimulate many questions. but the answers were all very long, very simple, very cliche. if i can give beckett one star, i can give this completely opposite story also one star...
maybe it would be a multi-volume epic like hp, but would that be better? maybe it is translation, but do even the magic and characters talk and seem like cliche? maybe there is some moral awakening to the character described by acts? maybe it works as a japanese ‘neverending story’, but then i read that many years ago and now i am afraid to go back if i discover it also so shallow…
yes, this work did stimulate many questions. but the answers were all very long, very simple, very cliche. if i can give beckett one star, i can give this completely opposite story also one star...
August 6, 2011
It's just...
it's just so LONG.
I don't have a problem with long books, guys, honestly not. If a well-crafted story can hold my attention for 800 pages, I am properly thrilled. It's just that there's no reason for this book to be as long as it is. It meanders into sub-plot after sub-plot - much like the video games it's inspired by, I understand, but it doesn't work very well in a literary format. The sense of realistic urgency set up by the first 200 pages was just destroyed by the 400th; at that point, the protagonist's motivation seems a lifetime ago, and I simply stopped caring.
I know some people felt it was well paced, but I didn't. It's an excellent story, but it does itself no favors with the twelve additional stories that accompany it.
I am glad it's done with.
it's just so LONG.
I don't have a problem with long books, guys, honestly not. If a well-crafted story can hold my attention for 800 pages, I am properly thrilled. It's just that there's no reason for this book to be as long as it is. It meanders into sub-plot after sub-plot - much like the video games it's inspired by, I understand, but it doesn't work very well in a literary format. The sense of realistic urgency set up by the first 200 pages was just destroyed by the 400th; at that point, the protagonist's motivation seems a lifetime ago, and I simply stopped caring.
I know some people felt it was well paced, but I didn't. It's an excellent story, but it does itself no favors with the twelve additional stories that accompany it.
I am glad it's done with.
March 1, 2010
If you enjoyed the Narnia books, the Wrinkle In Time books, or even Lloyd Alexander's Prydain books, you're going to love this one. At 816 pages, it's a little on the meandering side, but when you surrender yourself to its heft, you'll be rewarded with a very well thought-out imaginary world inhabited by tons of charming (and not so charming) creatures. If I had a kid just starting to sniff out more challenging literary adventures, I'd give her this book to tackle. The architecture of plot is sophisticated enough to stretch out a young mind, but the characterizations and the basic story are charming enough for readers of all ages. Good stuff.
January 5, 2015
for me this story reverses the general American approach to young adult books. There, usually a large, complex, adult problem is simplified so that extraordinary youths can conquer it without giving into the world around them.
Here large, complex, adult problems are left that way and we follow an ordinary youth through a fantastic journey to just come to grips with the enormity of life and it's struggles.
I was entranced by this tale of the breaking of ignorance and innocence. Of growing up and embracing hard lessons told on a thoroughly enchanting landscape.
Here large, complex, adult problems are left that way and we follow an ordinary youth through a fantastic journey to just come to grips with the enormity of life and it's struggles.
I was entranced by this tale of the breaking of ignorance and innocence. Of growing up and embracing hard lessons told on a thoroughly enchanting landscape.
Read
June 19, 2020This book sat on my shelf for many years and I always meant to get to it. I finally did! It's LONG. So very loooooong. Some sections flew by and others took me a couple of weeks to get into. But because it's so long, it felt immersive. Now that I've finished, I find myself missing the characters and wondering about them. What are they up to? :) It is an incredible story full of vibrant characters, world-building, and most importantly (to me) - emotional depth. The author does not shy away from tough topics - divorce, suicide, bullying, grief, and fear. One of the main messages of the book is that healing and transformation comes from within - you can't change your destiny, but you can change yourself. By embracing all parts of yourself, the light and the dark, the beauty and the ugliness, joy and sorrow - you will find wholeness and peace. Brave Story is a wise story of young self-reckoning and discovery.
Read
August 17, 2017I suppose I could compare it to The Neverending Story (alienated kid + fantasy world), but that was a two-hour movie (perfectly fine), not a 900-page behemoth novel that unfurled like a series of video game levels culminating in various bosses, as well as a few "Our princess is in another castle, Mario" moments. I can easily see how and why this was turned into anime, but I was hoping for something a bit closer to Murakami. Not for me at all. But, because I am a Middle American and I FINISH what I START (ill-advised home repair projects, poorly thought-out military campaigns), I finished the fucker.
June 26, 2022
I was so close to DNF’ing while in the first 1/3 of the book. But once you hit Vision, it really takes off running. That first section is necessary, but it is also SO SLOW. I wish the collective length of the story was cut in half, honestly. The book was originally told in shorter chunks, and you can tell. When put all together the repetition and filler really becomes noticeable.
That being said, I did really enjoy the story. It was a fun but deeply introspective adventure. Definitely way more philosophical than you usually get in fantasy adventures.
That being said, I did really enjoy the story. It was a fun but deeply introspective adventure. Definitely way more philosophical than you usually get in fantasy adventures.
December 19, 2022
I've loved this story ever since I was little, this is just the first time I read it instead of watching the movie. The book adds so much more depth to the story than I remember it having in the film; the commentary on racism, religious extremism and moral conflict for example is excellent and Vision being a reflection of the real world is such a cool concept as well as stylistic device in that way
March 29, 2025
4.5 but rounded to 5 for being brave enough to write an 850 page children's book that never drags, deals with some surprisingly dark topics, and is so full of creative ideas and world-building. I'll always appreciate a single-volume fantasy story, and for once this feels like it needs no more adding.
Also a fan of spending the first 200 pages just character building in the real world before any fantasy stuff begins - great way to introduce the characters and themes in advance
Also a fan of spending the first 200 pages just character building in the real world before any fantasy stuff begins - great way to introduce the characters and themes in advance
December 29, 2020
This book was quite a journey. The first 130 pages went by really slowly and I'd say the book was barely a 3/5, but after it got going it really took off. I enjoyed all of the characters and his missions and felt the book wrapped up in a really fantastic way. It's rare that I come across someone with this much self awareness and growth.
December 1, 2024
I bought this book while I was in NYC for my 8th grade field trip. I’ve loved it ever since.
May 14, 2020
This book was pretty good, but way too long. So in the spirit of being concise, I will end my review there.
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