A Tale for the Time Being

By: Ruth Ozeki

Narrated by: Ruth Ozeki

Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Short-listed, Man Booker International Prize

A brilliant, unforgettable, and long-awaited novel from best-selling author Ruth Ozeki

"A time being is someone who lives in time, and that means you, and me, and every one of us who is, or was, or ever will be."

In Tokyo, 16-year-old Nao has decided there's only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates' bullying. But before she ends it all, Nao first plans to document the life of her great grandmother, a Buddhist nun who's lived more than a century. A diary is Nao's only solace—and will touch lives in ways she can scarcely imagine.

Across the Pacific, we meet Ruth, a novelist living on a remote island who discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox—possibly debris from the devastating 2011 tsunami. As the mystery of its contents unfolds, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao's drama and her unknown fate, and forward into her own future.

Full of Ozeki's signature humor and deeply engaged with the relationship between writer and listener, past and present, fact and fiction, quantum physics, history, and myth, A Tale for the Time Being is a brilliantly inventive, beguiling story of our shared humanity and the search for home.

©2013 Ruth Ozeki (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“An exquisite novel: funny, tragic, hard-edged and ethereal at once.”—David Ulin, Los Angeles Times

“As contemporary as a Japanese teenager’s slang but as ageless as a Zen koan, Ruth Ozeki’s new novel combines great storytelling with a probing investigation into the purpose of existence. . . . She plunges us into a tantalizing narration that brandishes mysteries to be solved and ideas to be explored. . . . Ozeki’s profound affection for her characters makes A Tale for the Time Being as emotionally engaging as it is intellectually provocative.”—The Washington Post

“A delightful yet sometimes harrowing novel . . . Many of the elements of Nao’s story—schoolgirl bullying, unemployed suicidal ‘salarymen,’ kamikaze pilots—are among a Western reader’s most familiar images of Japan, but in Nao’s telling, refracted through Ruth’s musings, they become fresh and immediate, occasionally searingly painful. Ozeki takes on big themes . . . all drawn into the stories of two ‘time beings,’ Ruth and Nao, whose own fates are inextricably bound.”—The New York Times Book Review

So unusual

I loved this book. I am not sure I can articulate everything about why,but I will try -- it is a wonderful story and pulls in many,many layers of human angst and resolution at just the right time while keeping the story line sane and magical at the same time. Ruth Ozeki reads it beautifully (not always the case with authors) and the characters are well drawn with a clear and significant plunge into new worlds. It was this - the fact that the book took me to another world. that captivated me

The fall season is a good time to be transported to another place while a transition is happening before our eyes. Don't miss this one.

Remarkable

I went into this book with no preconceptions of it's contents. What I found was a series of beautiful echos - within the lives of the characters, as well as my own mind. The story contains frank discussions of self, was, suicide, and cultural belonging framed by a mysterious diary detailing the troubled life of a 15 year old Japanese girl, and the Canadian woman who reads it. It is a mystery, a journey, a spiritual endeavor, and a philosophical sampler. I very much enjoyed this book, and one even before the resolution came that I needed to buy this book in print as well, to ensure I read it again at a later point in my life. The audiobook format is wonderful though, as the author gives literal voice to the characters, providing accents and emphasis on a way that wouldn't come across as well simply printed.
This was a delight, please give it a try.

Wow what a story!

This story was so intense, it consumed me for weeks! I keep thinking about all the characters and the interwoven lives and paths. Simply a brilliant plot and beautifully written and read. A true time being. Thank you

mixed feelings

I struggked to finish this book. I felt Ms Ozeki threw issues into the story as you woukd when making a stew...whatever is in the cupboard.

Most unusual

I am so glad I picked up 'A tale for the time being' as an audio book. I think the voice of the narrator added so much to it. The book talks about difficult issues- like bullying, suicide, depression etc, but has a magical quality to it. A fascinating read. You will want to to know 'what's next' till the very end. I also loved the way it spun a range of 'times' and 'places' into one 'time being'.

A Must Listen

Not only is this a heartbreaking and beautifully told story, but the author reading it herself makes it transcend the average story. I could listen to again and again. I probably will.

I am a different person

There is something very special about an author who reads their work! Every emotion, every nuance, every FEEL! All were captured, delivered and gratefully received. The story, captivating as it was diverse, truly pulled me in. I was left to think about how I fit, how my family was impacted, how my life took many turns. By the end, I had embarked on a new journey, I hadn't realized I had begun.

I loved every moment!

Funny, but amazing story as well.

Probably the best book I have read. I would recommend this to simply anyone. It contains history, humor, and a sad teenage story line. A bit of everything.

Amazing

One of the best books I’ve ever listened to transforming.
Listening to the author read her own words, content, whose ideas are original, was fantastic. Well developed characters a book I’ve recommended to family and friends

The Flip Side is the Same Side and Vice Versa

A Tale for the Time Being is a strange and very challenging book. The Audible edition is read by the author, Ruth Ozeki. I would recommend this book to readers who will ride the many currents and waves of this journey with focus and determination. The performance and the writing are brilliant. Be warned; however, some of the passages are very extreme-brutal and visceral. Fans of magical realism will probably go with the flow pretty easily. This book goes to some very strange lengths and even fans of magical realism and fantasy may have their ability to suspend belief tested. The quality and richness of the writing will bring the reader back. The last part of the book brings everything together and yet it also falls apart. Very thought provoking, especially for readers who are concerned about the environment, about human nature, and about the ways that religion and science help us to understand our place in the Universe.