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A Tale for the Time Being,
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Jim Puskas
Although Ruth Ozeki wrote in the third person, I believe she was in fact writing a lot of herself into the book. Not necessarily the narrative, but certainly some aspects of her own personality, her world view, her relationship with dreams, the complex issue of family and how frequently people in their youth find it easier to relate to grandparents or much older aunts or uncles than to their immediate parents. I also perceive that Ozeki does not find it necessary for every mystery to be explicitly solved, i.e. there is room for us to simply be touched by grace.
Jesshew
I think Ozeki was playing with the idea of time and how it can connect us. Usually we think of time as disconnecting us from people and places. Ruth was disconnected from her parents (who had died), her beloved NYC (where she lived before), and from Nao who she was getting to know through her journals written in the past. Was it a dream or the possible onset of inherited Alzheimer's that made it SEEM like Ruth had changed Noa's journal? Was it a glitch in space/time or a law of physics that we humans haven't learned about yet that allowed her to ACTUALLY change the outcome of Noa's story? Ozeki doesn't exactly give us the answer. But it's something wonderful and interesting to wonder about!
Geoff
I would be surprised if much of this book did NOT contain considerable amounts Ms. Ozeki's personal experiences, views and perceptions on life. I would be very interested in hearing more of her life in Whaletown and Cortes Island, as well as Mr. Kellhammer's and his connection Vancouver's East End. I have a sneaking suspicion (or is it wishful thinking) that we have circled within 2 degrees of each other.
Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)
I don't know if it's "interesting" or even an original thought, but I'd not be surprised to discover that there's a great deal of the author's own experiences in it. Such as being bullied in school etc (though perhaps not to this degree).
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