A Tale for the Time BeingA Tale for the Time Being
Score Modern
What it's about
In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao, lonely and bullied, decides to end her life, but first she plans to record the story of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun more than a hundred years old. Across the Pacific, on an island in British Columbia, a novelist named Ruth finds Nao's diary washed up on the beach, and becomes consumed by her story.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It's a moving, inventive novel about time, connection and Zen Buddhism.
You'll love it if you liked
Kafka on the Shore
The Book Thief
Cloud AtlasGood to know
It alternates between Nao's diary and Ruth's story. It deals with bullying and suicide.
By the numbers
- Readers61 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #83 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #377 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #747 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Epic, Adventurous
More by Ruth Ozeki
If you like this, read next
Circe
The Underground Railroad
The Book of Night Women
There There
The Snow Child
Cloud Cuckoo LandExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is A Tale for the Time Being worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #747 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Tale for the Time Being about?
In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao, lonely and bullied, decides to end her life, but first she plans to record the story of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun more than a hundred years old. Across the Pacific, on an island in British Columbia, a novelist named Ruth finds Nao's diary washed up on the beach, and becomes consumed by her story.
How long does it take to read A Tale for the Time Being?
About 11 hours (432 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Tale for the Time Being?
If you liked it, try Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak or Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.