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Colorful
A beloved and bestselling classic in Japan, this groundbreaking tale of a dead soul who gets a second chance is now available in English for the very first time.
"Congratulations, you've won the lottery!" shouts the angel Prapura to a formless soul. The soul hasn't been kicked out of the cycle of rebirth just yet—he's been given a second chance. He must recall the biggest mistake of his past life while on 'homestay' in the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. It looks like Makoto doesn't have a single friend, and his family don't seem to care about him at all. But as the soul begins to live Makoto's life on his own terms, he grows closer to the family and the people around him, and sees their true colors more clearly, shedding light on Makoto's misunderstandings.
Since its initial release over twenty years ago, Colorful has become a part of the literary canon, not only in Japan—where it has sold over a million copies—but around the world, having been translated into several different languages. Now, Eto Mori's beloved classic is finally available in English.
"Congratulations, you've won the lottery!" shouts the angel Prapura to a formless soul. The soul hasn't been kicked out of the cycle of rebirth just yet—he's been given a second chance. He must recall the biggest mistake of his past life while on 'homestay' in the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. It looks like Makoto doesn't have a single friend, and his family don't seem to care about him at all. But as the soul begins to live Makoto's life on his own terms, he grows closer to the family and the people around him, and sees their true colors more clearly, shedding light on Makoto's misunderstandings.
Since its initial release over twenty years ago, Colorful has become a part of the literary canon, not only in Japan—where it has sold over a million copies—but around the world, having been translated into several different languages. Now, Eto Mori's beloved classic is finally available in English.
212 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
129 people are currently reading
5,828 people want to read
About the author
Eto Mori
81 books37 followersEto Mori has been a literary star in Japan for over thirty years. She has won numerous major awards in Japan including the Naoki Prize, one of Japan’s most prestigious awards for popular fiction. Colorful has been translated into seven different languages, and adapted into three films. Colorful is her first novel to be translated into English. She lives in Tokyo, Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 570 reviews
September 9, 2022
"If only the ocean were under this bed, I wished naively. If only I could keep sinking down like this, down and down and down forever."
Well where do I even start? Ohh I know for the people who have already read the book and what to see a more beautiful version of it. There is an anime movie and a Thai movie adaptation which are so beautiful, it's like a different experience. The book is good as well but those movies capture a different emotion and with their cinematic and aesthetic beauty there are a must watch.
━━━━☆ Whats this book about? ☆━━━━━
An unknown soul who commited a grave sin lined up, along with other souls in heaven, to receive his judgment inadvertently wins a lottery that gives him a second chance at life by doing an "internship" trial. A test that takes him back to earth and has to be able to remember the grave sin he committed and be able to enjoy and live life again through the body of someone who recently committed suicide, 14-year old Makoto Kobayashi.
From the very first minute I was completely consumed by the story. You get excitement and shivers, a whole ton of sadness, but also happiness and laughter, and most important there's life, it's real, it's all of it and so much more.
There were plot twists especially at thd end which was like "wait what? Omg are you serious? Omg it makes so much sense now."
I was thus close to giving this book 3 stars but then the ending happened and I was stuned. I was amazed.
Ofc there was this mystery involved as to what the unkown soul did in its past life. My mind was constantly gravitating towards it. At one point I was kinda bored of the narration and just wanted to know what happened. But thank god I read the whole book slowly absorbing each word because at the end it made so much sense.
━━━━━━☆ Characterization ☆━━━━━━━━
Colorful’s intriguing, exotic, and riveting set of characters are a perfect surreal personification of any commonplace individual in the real world today. We all have our own vile and appalling secrets that could dismantle our lives as we know it if uncovered, and our protagonists in Colorful are no different.
━━━━━━☆ Message ☆━━━━━━━━
The book also teaches us that in life there are plenty of good things and bad things and it's our choice if we want to look at the bright side of the things or the not so bright side. It tells us that happiness is a choice and we should value the precious things and people we have right now cuz life is like prize that'll go away just like a home stay, we should value it when we have it and it's such a beautiful message!
━━━━━━☆ Overall ☆━━━━━━━
The story has a cleverly mixed assortment of themes that are prevalent throughout the story. You’ll find just as much optimism as you will pessimism, the outcome of events and development are erratic yet with a serene overtone theme.
"This world of ours is just so colorful that we can never decide on the right one, we never know which colors are real, which colors are our own.”
December 24, 2022
A soul who has committed a grave crime during its time on Earth is on the brink of being kicked out of the cycle of rebirth when an angel announces that it is being given a second chance because it has won a certain lottery. It receives the chance of a so-called “homestay” during which it will live in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy, Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide, and try to remember what it did and learn from its own mistakes. Once he turns into Makoto everything is pretty bad, though; having been bullied his whole life, with no friends to speak of and art his only outlet, Makoto himself leads a pretty grim existence and it is very hard to shape that into something different into something good.
I loved reading Colorful, it was a heartwarming, lighthearted tale tackling a pretty serious subject. As much as I admire that issues like bullying and suicide among teenagers is being dealt with in literature, it is scary that these books are needed in the first place. The author states in her epilogue that she hopes to help those young people more than anything and I can only wish more power to her.
I loved reading Colorful, it was a heartwarming, lighthearted tale tackling a pretty serious subject. As much as I admire that issues like bullying and suicide among teenagers is being dealt with in literature, it is scary that these books are needed in the first place. The author states in her epilogue that she hopes to help those young people more than anything and I can only wish more power to her.
August 27, 2021
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First published in 1998 Colorful is narrated by an unknown soul who is given a second chance at life. He will occupy the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi who has attempted suicide and during this 'homestay' our narrator has to remember the big mistake he made in his previous life.
At times 'Makoto' is aided by the angel Prapura, easily the most entertaining character of the novel, who gives him information on the boy's family and past. It appears that Makoto had no friends and was not particularly close to his family. His older brother was often mean to him and his parents both were up to 'no good'.
After being released from the hospital this 'new' Makoto attempts to resume his 'host's' life. He goes to school where he discovers that he has a crush on the girl Makoto had a crush on and that someone in the school seems to know that he's changed.
The story definitely reads like something that was written in the 90s. While I appreciated that the author tackles topics related to mental health and addresses how difficult middle and high school can be, there were certain issues that were touched upon in a rather superficial way (such as suicide and bullying) and quite a few narrative points that were incredibly clichéd (someone has an affair with their flamenco instructor, a beautiful girl sleeps with older men because she wants to buy cute bags and clothes).
It didn't help that I found Makoto to be a really irritating character. His sanctimonious behaviour irked me, and his attitude towards his parents was childish to the extreme. He was also a bit of a perv.
The author's portrayal of female characters left me wanting (they are the kind of female characters that are usually written by male authors...so i was actually amazed to discover that the author of this novel is not a man).
Still, this was a harmless story with an ultimately positive, if cheesy, message (acceptance, forgiveness, yadda yadda). If you are looking for a more contemporary release that explores similar themes (being a teen in Japan) I highly recommend Mizuki Tsujimura's Lonely Castle in the Mirror.
First published in 1998 Colorful is narrated by an unknown soul who is given a second chance at life. He will occupy the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi who has attempted suicide and during this 'homestay' our narrator has to remember the big mistake he made in his previous life.
At times 'Makoto' is aided by the angel Prapura, easily the most entertaining character of the novel, who gives him information on the boy's family and past. It appears that Makoto had no friends and was not particularly close to his family. His older brother was often mean to him and his parents both were up to 'no good'.
After being released from the hospital this 'new' Makoto attempts to resume his 'host's' life. He goes to school where he discovers that he has a crush on the girl Makoto had a crush on and that someone in the school seems to know that he's changed.
The story definitely reads like something that was written in the 90s. While I appreciated that the author tackles topics related to mental health and addresses how difficult middle and high school can be, there were certain issues that were touched upon in a rather superficial way (such as suicide and bullying) and quite a few narrative points that were incredibly clichéd (someone has an affair with their flamenco instructor, a beautiful girl sleeps with older men because she wants to buy cute bags and clothes).
It didn't help that I found Makoto to be a really irritating character. His sanctimonious behaviour irked me, and his attitude towards his parents was childish to the extreme. He was also a bit of a perv.
The author's portrayal of female characters left me wanting (they are the kind of female characters that are usually written by male authors...so i was actually amazed to discover that the author of this novel is not a man).
Still, this was a harmless story with an ultimately positive, if cheesy, message (acceptance, forgiveness, yadda yadda). If you are looking for a more contemporary release that explores similar themes (being a teen in Japan) I highly recommend Mizuki Tsujimura's Lonely Castle in the Mirror.
November 4, 2022
A hard-hitting novel on hope, second chances, and seeing the world through new eyes. Told in the snarky and confined voice of a reanimated lost soul, we see how, on the surface, an average life is routine, predictable, boring even, but when looking closely, it is filled with everyday joys, sorrows, discovery, and opportunity; it is truly the little things in life; the presence of friends, new hobbies, and communication, that make life colorful. So often we only see our side of things, but how much wider the world becomes when we open ourselves up to the experiences of others. Delivers an incredibly impactful message with heartfelt brush strokes.
February 12, 2022
Rating - 3.5 stars
Author - Japan
Genre - Fantasy/Young Adult
Recently I received an emotional call from a colleague. He told me that his teenage daughter had tried to commit suicide by overdose. He had called an ambulance when he found her, but none were available at the time, so he ended up having to rush her to hospital himself. Thankfully he got there quickly and hospital staff were able to save her.
My colleague explained that he, his wife and their daughter were trying to navigate family life since it happened. For him, his daughter's attempted suicide sparked a host of emotions - shock, guilt, anger, embarrassment - a multitude of things. He was on an emotional rollercoaster. He was trying to manage the feelings of his daughter and to ensure that she obtained the necessary resources to help her, while simultaneously working through his own grief process.
I thought of my colleague as I turned every page of Colorful.
Colorful is anything but a colorful read. First published in 1998, Colorful is narrated by an unknown dead spirit who is given the chance to return to the world and live life over again in someone else's body. He will occupy the body of a fourteen-year-old teenager, Makoto Kobayashi, who has committed suicide by overdose. While occupying Makoto's body, the unknown spirit learns about the factors that lead to Makoto's death, while also discovering what lead to his own.
The author, Eto Mori has said about Colorful:
Certainly, from my own reading, the theme of the hikikomori or modern-day hermits is prevalent in many Japanese books. These recluses withdraw from all social contact, effectively disengaging from the world. They struggle and grow tired of the world before they have the chance to truly know it isn't limited to them.
I found it difficult to rate this book. The author has certainly chosen a serious subject, and it is powerful in that it captures real social issues. However, these issues were depicted lightly through a fantastical slant and their importance, in this reader's view, were diminished.
Author - Japan
Genre - Fantasy/Young Adult
Recently I received an emotional call from a colleague. He told me that his teenage daughter had tried to commit suicide by overdose. He had called an ambulance when he found her, but none were available at the time, so he ended up having to rush her to hospital himself. Thankfully he got there quickly and hospital staff were able to save her.
My colleague explained that he, his wife and their daughter were trying to navigate family life since it happened. For him, his daughter's attempted suicide sparked a host of emotions - shock, guilt, anger, embarrassment - a multitude of things. He was on an emotional rollercoaster. He was trying to manage the feelings of his daughter and to ensure that she obtained the necessary resources to help her, while simultaneously working through his own grief process.
I thought of my colleague as I turned every page of Colorful.
Colorful is anything but a colorful read. First published in 1998, Colorful is narrated by an unknown dead spirit who is given the chance to return to the world and live life over again in someone else's body. He will occupy the body of a fourteen-year-old teenager, Makoto Kobayashi, who has committed suicide by overdose. While occupying Makoto's body, the unknown spirit learns about the factors that lead to Makoto's death, while also discovering what lead to his own.
The author, Eto Mori has said about Colorful:
"I wanted to write a novel that will allow young people who are tired of living to have a break from their own lives."She then went on to say that teenagers in Japan have such difficult lives, with a lot of pressures around education, family, culture and so on.
Certainly, from my own reading, the theme of the hikikomori or modern-day hermits is prevalent in many Japanese books. These recluses withdraw from all social contact, effectively disengaging from the world. They struggle and grow tired of the world before they have the chance to truly know it isn't limited to them.
I found it difficult to rate this book. The author has certainly chosen a serious subject, and it is powerful in that it captures real social issues. However, these issues were depicted lightly through a fantastical slant and their importance, in this reader's view, were diminished.
April 1, 2016
Cuốn sách này làm mình yêu đời :) văn viết rất nhẹ nhàng nhưng đọc không dứt ra được, mình bị hút vào, bỏ cả bữa cơm tối :)
Đọc xong thấy thấm thía lắm.
Đọc xong thấy thấm thía lắm.
September 21, 2021
"Congratulations! You’ve won the lottery! You are one such lucky soul!"
He's a formless soul that now been granted a do-over, a second chance to be 'reborn' and live again. He must redeem himself for the biggest mistake of his past life through a 'homestay' in the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who is just committed suicide. Thus, his new life begins.
'Colorful' usually defined as a lively emotion or a pretty varied scenery but I love that this book presented the varies in human traits as its theme. Poignant and surreal, totally in love with Makoto's character. He's a surprise box; reader won't know a thing about him, and so as him. A slice-of-life that touches on family and friendship, life struggles (I love that the author covers this part in highlighting that every person, not just adult but kids too have their own struggles), those decisions you have to take, to open up and listen, be appreciative and having empathy.
“Everyone’s got their own box of paints, and some of the colors are pretty and some are ugly.”
"Maybe every single person on this earth was just living their life under false impressions, misunderstanding other people and being misunderstood in turn."
"This world of ours is just so colorful that we can never decide on the right one, we never know which colors are real, which colors are our own."
Apart of suicide, the plot also revolves around bullying issue; not that descriptive but fairly emotional and might be triggering to few. I fancy the aftermath lessons and it amazes me on how the whole plot still relevant despite it was written over 20 years ago. That pinch of magical are my fav, also love the light nuances (probably as it was written for young adult/middle grade) and the uplifting ending.
As I have watched the animated movie, reading the book plot now making it more intimately satisfying to me. Would highly recommend it! Thank you Times Reads for sending me this beautiful book :')
He's a formless soul that now been granted a do-over, a second chance to be 'reborn' and live again. He must redeem himself for the biggest mistake of his past life through a 'homestay' in the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who is just committed suicide. Thus, his new life begins.
'Colorful' usually defined as a lively emotion or a pretty varied scenery but I love that this book presented the varies in human traits as its theme. Poignant and surreal, totally in love with Makoto's character. He's a surprise box; reader won't know a thing about him, and so as him. A slice-of-life that touches on family and friendship, life struggles (I love that the author covers this part in highlighting that every person, not just adult but kids too have their own struggles), those decisions you have to take, to open up and listen, be appreciative and having empathy.
“Everyone’s got their own box of paints, and some of the colors are pretty and some are ugly.”
"Maybe every single person on this earth was just living their life under false impressions, misunderstanding other people and being misunderstood in turn."
"This world of ours is just so colorful that we can never decide on the right one, we never know which colors are real, which colors are our own."
Apart of suicide, the plot also revolves around bullying issue; not that descriptive but fairly emotional and might be triggering to few. I fancy the aftermath lessons and it amazes me on how the whole plot still relevant despite it was written over 20 years ago. That pinch of magical are my fav, also love the light nuances (probably as it was written for young adult/middle grade) and the uplifting ending.
As I have watched the animated movie, reading the book plot now making it more intimately satisfying to me. Would highly recommend it! Thank you Times Reads for sending me this beautiful book :')
May 27, 2023
“Congratulations! You’ve won the lottery!” The angel smiled. “You committed a grave error before you died. Hence, your soul is now culpable. Generally, you would be disqualified at this time and removed from the cycle of rebirth. … However, more than a few consider this to be a barbaric taking of life, and so our boss occasionally gives lottery winners a second chance, as it were. You are one such lucky soul!”
A five-star book for sure!
A five-star book for sure!
November 14, 2021
This book has been added to my "Books that I will recommend to everyone no matter what genre they read" list! The idea was brilliant and it was amazingly executed.
My rating : 4.5 ★
TW : suicide, bullying, loss of a family
Short Summary:
"Congratulations, you've won the lottery!"
In order to redeem himself, a nameless soul must :
1. Find the biggest mistake in his past life.
2. He'll be doing that by living as a 14-year-old boy Makoto Kobayashi who recently committed suicide as a "homestay".
Makoto's family seemed normal and happy at a glance but as the days went by, their true colours started to show.
My thoughts:
I actually predicted the ending from page 17 and oh boy, I REALLY wanted my prediction to be true. I'm happy I'm right. This book charmed me from the very first chapter and it kept me going that I just could NOT put it down. This book's filled with hope, sadness, drama, innocence and everything that I love. I consumed all the emotions with all my heart.
Makoto was a charming character and I love this boy to the core. He did not CARE what people will think about Makoto because he literally knows no one and knows nothing about this boy. So, might as well do whatever he wanted. The way the nameless soul tried to empathise with Makoto's life, family and friends made me so happy. Their bond was amazing to see.
The author did an amazing job when it comes to the issues of bullying and family drama. It was not too heavy or dark but just enough for readers to have their own interpretation.
I really enjoyed this book and I'm so excited to see the adaptations now! I'd totally recommend this book to well, everyone.
Thank you so much Times Reads for giving me a review copy in exchange for an honest review!
Note : Prapura reminded me of Ryuk from Death Note lol
My rating : 4.5 ★
TW : suicide, bullying, loss of a family
Short Summary:
"Congratulations, you've won the lottery!"
In order to redeem himself, a nameless soul must :
1. Find the biggest mistake in his past life.
2. He'll be doing that by living as a 14-year-old boy Makoto Kobayashi who recently committed suicide as a "homestay".
Makoto's family seemed normal and happy at a glance but as the days went by, their true colours started to show.
My thoughts:
I actually predicted the ending from page 17 and oh boy, I REALLY wanted my prediction to be true. I'm happy I'm right. This book charmed me from the very first chapter and it kept me going that I just could NOT put it down. This book's filled with hope, sadness, drama, innocence and everything that I love. I consumed all the emotions with all my heart.
"What I'd thought was your average happy little family was actually a viper's nest."
Makoto was a charming character and I love this boy to the core. He did not CARE what people will think about Makoto because he literally knows no one and knows nothing about this boy. So, might as well do whatever he wanted. The way the nameless soul tried to empathise with Makoto's life, family and friends made me so happy. Their bond was amazing to see.
The author did an amazing job when it comes to the issues of bullying and family drama. It was not too heavy or dark but just enough for readers to have their own interpretation.
"Everybody's got their own box of paints, and some of the colors are pretty and some are ugly."
I really enjoyed this book and I'm so excited to see the adaptations now! I'd totally recommend this book to well, everyone.
Thank you so much Times Reads for giving me a review copy in exchange for an honest review!
Note : Prapura reminded me of Ryuk from Death Note lol
March 8, 2024
Colorful - Eto Mori
3,5/5
تحظى روح ضائعة بفرصة ثانية في الحياة وذلك بالعيش في جسد طالب مدرسة متوسطة يدعى ماكوتو كوباياتشي، وبشرط تذكر أكبر خطأ ارتكبه في حياته االسابقة خلال إقامته مع عائلة ماكوتو كوباتشي، والذي انتحر للتو ولكن عاد للحياة ويبدو أنه بلا أصدقاء وعائلته لا تكترث لأمره.
صدرت رواية إيتو موري هذه قبل ربع قرن تقريبًا وهي عمل مختلف ومميز عن معاناة المراهقين وطلبة المدارس في اليابان.
عمل رائع ويتصاعد بوتيرة بطئية، عمل "زاهي" عن الإنسان والعائلة والصداقة والوحدة والقوالب التي تتشكل رغمًا عنا في أذهان الآخرين...
تحذير: العمل يحتوي على ذكر للانتحار، وطفلة يستغلها بالغون في أمور جنسية-تذكر عدة مرات بشكل سريع ولا مشاهد لها مع هؤلاء البالغين، ومع هذا الأمر كان مثيرًا للقلق.
~
فجر يوم الجمعة، السابع والعشرين من شعبان - 1445 هـ.
3,5/5
تحظى روح ضائعة بفرصة ثانية في الحياة وذلك بالعيش في جسد طالب مدرسة متوسطة يدعى ماكوتو كوباياتشي، وبشرط تذكر أكبر خطأ ارتكبه في حياته االسابقة خلال إقامته مع عائلة ماكوتو كوباتشي، والذي انتحر للتو ولكن عاد للحياة ويبدو أنه بلا أصدقاء وعائلته لا تكترث لأمره.
صدرت رواية إيتو موري هذه قبل ربع قرن تقريبًا وهي عمل مختلف ومميز عن معاناة المراهقين وطلبة المدارس في اليابان.
عمل رائع ويتصاعد بوتيرة بطئية، عمل "زاهي" عن الإنسان والعائلة والصداقة والوحدة والقوالب التي تتشكل رغمًا عنا في أذهان الآخرين...
تحذير: العمل يحتوي على ذكر للانتحار، وطفلة يستغلها بالغون في أمور جنسية-تذكر عدة مرات بشكل سريع ولا مشاهد لها مع هؤلاء البالغين، ومع هذا الأمر كان مثيرًا للقلق.
~
فجر يوم الجمعة، السابع والعشرين من شعبان - 1445 هـ.
October 2, 2024
A world so colorful it made me dizzy sometimes.
A soul hasn't been kicked out of the cycle of rebirth just yet—he's been given a second chance. He must recall the biggest mistake of his past life while 'homestaying' inside the body of Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. He has a broken family and no social life to speak of. Through this homestay, the soul has to remember his big mistake and, while doing so, he starts to realize what led Makoto to his end and see through his misunderstandings.
We're the main characters in our own movies and sometimes we forget everyone else has their own stories going on. I think Colorful remarks how easy it is to oversee other people's realities and how we put everyone under our own expectations and inside different molds.
The book is nice and charming, as 'Makoto' rekindles relationships with classmates and his family, he also gets to learn about why they act one way or another, and I loved learning about their stories. But some of them felt flat or pointless, I still don't understand why Mitsuri acted the way he did. My biggest issue perhaps is that, well, there's this 14-year-old girl prostituting herself and... that's it? People know about it but nobody goes to the police or anything. Like, I know it's 'a thing' in Japan, but at the same time, if you supposedly care for someone in this case don't you tell a teacher or the police? I just couldn't comprehend this.
Anyways, that's it. I had higher expectations for the book ngl.
A soul hasn't been kicked out of the cycle of rebirth just yet—he's been given a second chance. He must recall the biggest mistake of his past life while 'homestaying' inside the body of Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. He has a broken family and no social life to speak of. Through this homestay, the soul has to remember his big mistake and, while doing so, he starts to realize what led Makoto to his end and see through his misunderstandings.
We're the main characters in our own movies and sometimes we forget everyone else has their own stories going on. I think Colorful remarks how easy it is to oversee other people's realities and how we put everyone under our own expectations and inside different molds.
The book is nice and charming, as 'Makoto' rekindles relationships with classmates and his family, he also gets to learn about why they act one way or another, and I loved learning about their stories. But some of them felt flat or pointless, I still don't understand why Mitsuri acted the way he did. My biggest issue perhaps is that, well, there's this 14-year-old girl prostituting herself and... that's it? People know about it but nobody goes to the police or anything. Like, I know it's 'a thing' in Japan, but at the same time, if you supposedly care for someone in this case don't you tell a teacher or the police? I just couldn't comprehend this.
Anyways, that's it. I had higher expectations for the book ngl.
November 13, 2018
แนว feel good ในตอนท้ายเล่ม แค่สิบหน้าสุดท้าย ระหว่างอ่านก็จะเดามาตลอดว่าจะจบอย่างไร...สุดท้ายก็เดาไม่ถูก
เมื่อไปดูหนัง ก็เข้าใจหนังสือยิ่งขึ้น ที่หนังตั้งชื่อได้สื่อเหมือนกันว่า Homestay
และติดใจกับคำว่า "อย่าคิดอะไรมาก ถ้ามองชีวิตก็เป็นเพียง Homestay วันหนึ่งเราก็ต้องจากไป จงสนุกกับทุกวันของชีวิต"
เมื่อไปดูหนัง ก็เข้าใจหนังสือยิ่งขึ้น ที่หนังตั้งชื่อได้สื่อเหมือนกันว่า Homestay
และติดใจกับคำว่า "อย่าคิดอะไรมาก ถ้ามองชีวิตก็เป็นเพียง Homestay วันหนึ่งเราก็ต้องจากไป จงสนุกกับทุกวันของชีวิต"
May 8, 2019
อ่านจบได้ในรวดเดียว
หนังสือดราม่าครอบครัว feel good สไตล์ญี่ปุ่นที่ชอบเล่นพล็อตเรื่องวิญญาณสิงร่างซะเหลือเกิน
หนังสือออกแนวป๊อบ บทสนทนาเลยอ่านง่ายอ่านเพลิน
เรื่องเริ่มด้วยวิญญาณล่องลอยไร้ชื่อได้มีโอกาสสิงร่างเด็กหนุ่มมัธยมต้น “มาโคโตะ” ที่วิญญาณหลุดออากจากร่างเพราะฆ่าตัวตาย
หลังจากนั้นก็ต้องใช้ชีวิตเป็นครั้งที่สองในร่างนั้น
พล็อตเหมือนจะจำเจ
แต่ไม่เลย เรื่องนี้ set เงื่อนไขภารกิจของวิญญาณเร่ร่อนให้พยายามระลึกให้ได้ว่าก่อนหน้านี้เจ้าตัวทำอะไรผิด และตายเพราะอะไร
ในขณะเดียวกัน ก็ต้องใช้ชีวิตของมาโคโตะพร้อมๆ กับแบกรับเรื่องราวที่ทำให้มาโคโตะคิดสั้นเอาไว้ด้วย
“Colorful” ที่เป็นชื่อเรื่อง พยายามช่วยให้คนอ่านเข้าใจชีวิตผ่านเฉดสี
“มีทั้งสีดำและสีขาว
มีทั้งสีแดง สีน้ำเงิน และสีเหลือง
มีทั้งสีสว่างและสีมืด
มีทั้งสีสวยและสีน่าเกลียด
มองเห็นได้หลายสีเมื่อเปลี่ยนมุมมอง”
โดยเล่าเรื่องผ่านตัวละครวัยรุ่น
วัยที่ต่อต้านครอบครัว วัยที่คิดว่าคนทั้งโลกไม่เข้าใจตน วัยที่ตัวเองเป็นศูนย์กลางของจักรวาล แถมพร้อมแก้ปัญหาด้วยวิธีอย่างง่ายคือฆ่าตัวตาย
ต้องขอบคุณมาโคโตะ ที่ใช้ชีวิตครั้งที่สอง ช่วยสะกิดต่อมใจกว้าง ให้ยอมรับสีสันของคนรอบตัว
และตอนจบก็ feel good ได้อย่างสมบูรณ์
PS
Setting ในเรื่องนี้ มาโคโตะไม่ได้เป็นโรคซึมเศร้าแต่อย่างใด
หนังสือดราม่าครอบครัว feel good สไตล์ญี่ปุ่นที่ชอบเล่นพล็อตเรื่องวิญญาณสิงร่างซะเหลือเกิน
หนังสือออกแนวป๊อบ บทสนทนาเลยอ่านง่ายอ่านเพลิน
เรื่องเริ่มด้วยวิญญาณล่องลอยไร้ชื่อได้มีโอกาสสิงร่างเด็กหนุ่มมัธยมต้น “มาโคโตะ” ที่วิญญาณหลุดออากจากร่างเพราะฆ่าตัวตาย
หลังจากนั้นก็ต้องใช้ชีวิตเป็นครั้งที่สองในร่างนั้น
พล็อตเหมือนจะจำเจ
แต่ไม่เลย เรื่องนี้ set เงื่อนไขภารกิจของวิญญาณเร่ร่อนให้พยายามระลึกให้ได้ว่าก่อนหน้านี้เจ้าตัวทำอะไรผิด และตายเพราะอะไร
ในขณะเดียวกัน ก็ต้องใช้ชีวิตของมาโคโตะพร้อมๆ กับแบกรับเรื่องราวที่ทำให้มาโคโตะคิดสั้นเอาไว้ด้วย
“Colorful” ที่เป็นชื่อเรื่อง พยายามช่วยให้คนอ่านเข้าใจชีวิตผ่านเฉดสี
“มีทั้งสีดำและสีขาว
มีทั้งสีแดง สีน้ำเงิน และสีเหลือง
มีทั้งสีสว่างและสีมืด
มีทั้งสีสวยและสีน่าเกลียด
มองเห็นได้หลายสีเมื่อเปลี่ยนมุมมอง”
โดยเล่าเรื่องผ่านตัวละครวัยรุ่น
วัยที่ต่อต้านครอบครัว วัยที่คิดว่าคนทั้งโลกไม่เข้าใจตน วัยที่ตัวเองเป็นศูนย์กลางของจักรวาล แถมพร้อมแก้ปัญหาด้วยวิธีอย่างง่ายคือฆ่าตัวตาย
ต้องขอบคุณมาโคโตะ ที่ใช้ชีวิตครั้งที่สอง ช่วยสะกิดต่อมใจกว้าง ให้ยอมรับสีสันของคนรอบตัว
และตอนจบก็ feel good ได้อย่างสมบูรณ์
PS
Setting ในเรื่องนี้ มาโคโตะไม่ได้เป็นโรคซึมเศร้าแต่อย่างใด
July 5, 2016
Cốt truyện hơi gượng ép và khuôn mẫu. Nhưng đọc xong lại thấy đời dễ thương.
March 19, 2022
Saya suka.... saya suka.
Semula saya membeli sebab ingin membaca novel yang alihwahana filmnya (versi Thailand aku kurang suka. Versi Jepun 2022 aku suka banget) termasuk yang sudah beberapa saya tonton. Dan ternyata suka sekali...... Novelnya tampak ringan (dari segi penceritaan dan bahasa), tipikal novel yang cepat sebenarnya. Isu yang diangkat cukup kontekstual hingga sekarang, padahal novel ini ditulis dua dekade yang lalu. Terpinggirkan, merasa dikhianati oleh orang yang membela, dan kelelahan psikis yang membuat seorang siswa kelas IX bunuh diri. Rasanya sangat wooow banget.
Yang saya suka, seperti kesan saya menonton versi film Jepang tahun 2022, keluarganya digambarkan dingin, juga menyimpan misteri. Perubahan sikapnya bikin haru.
Bacaan ringan, tapi bikin hati hangat. Seru.
Semula saya membeli sebab ingin membaca novel yang alihwahana filmnya (versi Thailand aku kurang suka. Versi Jepun 2022 aku suka banget) termasuk yang sudah beberapa saya tonton. Dan ternyata suka sekali...... Novelnya tampak ringan (dari segi penceritaan dan bahasa), tipikal novel yang cepat sebenarnya. Isu yang diangkat cukup kontekstual hingga sekarang, padahal novel ini ditulis dua dekade yang lalu. Terpinggirkan, merasa dikhianati oleh orang yang membela, dan kelelahan psikis yang membuat seorang siswa kelas IX bunuh diri. Rasanya sangat wooow banget.
Yang saya suka, seperti kesan saya menonton versi film Jepang tahun 2022, keluarganya digambarkan dingin, juga menyimpan misteri. Perubahan sikapnya bikin haru.
Bacaan ringan, tapi bikin hati hangat. Seru.
December 3, 2021
I just love it when a book its simple but has such deep meaning, that the story resonates in every part of you and, this one definitely struck a chord inside me.
Personal Ratings: 4.65/5🌟
🛑: 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆
This book resonated more deeper than I thought I would. Its a book that is comforting in a sense, that you know that that there is someone in this world that has it as rough as you. Its a book on chances and taking life as it is. A story that makes it impossible to put down and one that deeply mirrors the society that we live in now.
Short Summary
Personal Thoughts
This is a book that is told from the perspective of a 14 year old and I swear, everytime I read books about mental health that is from the voice of children, my heart pains a bit.
At first, from the narrative, we get a sense that the soul that lives in Makoto's body is spoiled and bratty. He's angry with the world, he's angry with the people in Makoto's life and he's trying to adjust the fact that everything that is happening is of someone else's body and not him. It wasn't his life that he was living and that made him more brave and outgoing; like a butterfly coming out from its shell.
There were a lot of issues that had been talked about in this book, and mostly, its a book about mental health and the stress and anxiety that the society has depicted for the children to be moulded to the things that they are "expected" to do. The theme is similar to Lonely Castle in the Mirror but Colorful takes another tone to the story and handles more on the topic of suicide and the things that leads to the subject itself. In the first half of the story, the narrative made me a bit annoyed but when things started to unfold, it had made me teared up.
The topics are pretty heavy for a book that is written with a light and comical tone. You can predict the story and how it goes, but the book gave a sort of comfort, that everyone is also struggling in its own way.
In some ways, this book brings the topic of reflecting yourself as a person and I love how the author depicts life in the form of colours, how humans are vulnerable but yet, they are the strongest when bad things come their way. The theme of suicide, second chances and also just being kind to everyone around you. There was a line that made me tear up and it really showed how one word, one single word of kindness has not big impact to anyone else, but it lives such a big impact to a person with a bad day and it stays with them forever.
To be honest, the more I talk about this book, the more I will somehow pour out my feelings, but really do pick this up! It has one of the most realistic stories, about family, about the realities of the world nowadays especially what the teens has to go through, and most of all, its a story of finding yourself again, and to just exist. As you.
I'll end this with the note from the author to really convince yall to pick this one up.
Thank you to Times Reads for generously providing me a review copy of the book.
Disclaimers: All my reviews are my thoughts of the book and according to my personal preferences. Even though I had received a review copy, it does not affect my review and honest thoughts for the book.
“Everyone's messed up. In this world, in the afterlife, whether you're a person or an angel or whoever, that's the norm. We're all normal and messed up. Everyone's got their own box of paints, and some of the colours are pretty and some are ugly.”
Personal Ratings: 4.65/5🌟
🛑: 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆
This book resonated more deeper than I thought I would. Its a book that is comforting in a sense, that you know that that there is someone in this world that has it as rough as you. Its a book on chances and taking life as it is. A story that makes it impossible to put down and one that deeply mirrors the society that we live in now.
Short Summary
Personal Thoughts
This is a book that is told from the perspective of a 14 year old and I swear, everytime I read books about mental health that is from the voice of children, my heart pains a bit.
At first, from the narrative, we get a sense that the soul that lives in Makoto's body is spoiled and bratty. He's angry with the world, he's angry with the people in Makoto's life and he's trying to adjust the fact that everything that is happening is of someone else's body and not him. It wasn't his life that he was living and that made him more brave and outgoing; like a butterfly coming out from its shell.
There were a lot of issues that had been talked about in this book, and mostly, its a book about mental health and the stress and anxiety that the society has depicted for the children to be moulded to the things that they are "expected" to do. The theme is similar to Lonely Castle in the Mirror but Colorful takes another tone to the story and handles more on the topic of suicide and the things that leads to the subject itself. In the first half of the story, the narrative made me a bit annoyed but when things started to unfold, it had made me teared up.
The topics are pretty heavy for a book that is written with a light and comical tone. You can predict the story and how it goes, but the book gave a sort of comfort, that everyone is also struggling in its own way.
“This world of ours is so colorful that we can never decide on the right one, we never know which colors are real, which colors are our own.”
In some ways, this book brings the topic of reflecting yourself as a person and I love how the author depicts life in the form of colours, how humans are vulnerable but yet, they are the strongest when bad things come their way. The theme of suicide, second chances and also just being kind to everyone around you. There was a line that made me tear up and it really showed how one word, one single word of kindness has not big impact to anyone else, but it lives such a big impact to a person with a bad day and it stays with them forever.
To be honest, the more I talk about this book, the more I will somehow pour out my feelings, but really do pick this up! It has one of the most realistic stories, about family, about the realities of the world nowadays especially what the teens has to go through, and most of all, its a story of finding yourself again, and to just exist. As you.
I'll end this with the note from the author to really convince yall to pick this one up.
“I want to write a novel that will allow young people who are tired of living to have a break from their own lives.”
Thank you to Times Reads for generously providing me a review copy of the book.
Disclaimers: All my reviews are my thoughts of the book and according to my personal preferences. Even though I had received a review copy, it does not affect my review and honest thoughts for the book.
November 3, 2018
"ชีวิตคนเรามันมีอะไรมากกว่าแค่สีดำและสีขาว"
เมื่อโชคหล่นทับ วิญญาณเร่ร่อนตนหนึ่งจึงได้กลับมาใช้ชีวิตในฐานะ "โคบายาชิ มาโคโตะ" แต่รางวัลใหญ่ครั้งนี้กลับไม่ทำให้เขามีความสุขเลยสักนิด ยิ่งมารู้ว่าการที่เขาได้มาอยู่ในร่างใครหรือครอบครัวแบบไหนขึ้นอยู่กับความผิดที่เขาเคยก่อเอาไว้ในชาติก่อน แสดงว่า ชาติที่แล้วเขาต้องทำผิดมหันต์แน่ๆ ชีวิตเขาถึงต้องเจอเรื่องแบบนี้...
** เพราะเราดูหนังเรื่อง Homestay แล้วไม่ชอบแนวคิดของมัน เราก็เลยหาซื้อหนังสือเล่มนี้มาอ่านอีกครั้งเพื่อตามเก็บประเด็นทั้งหมด **
ในแง่ของเนื้อเรื่อง เราก็ยังมองว่าพล็อตเรื่องนี้ไอเดียดี รู้สึกว่ามันแหวกแนวและน่าตื่นเต้นอยู่พอสมควร แม้การเดินเรื่องจะค่อนข้างเอื่อยและเนิบนาบ แถมเจ้าวิญญาณเร่ร่อนที่ได้รับโชคก็ทำตัวเหมือนซังกะตาย ไม่ยินดียินร้ายกับการได้กลับมามีชีวิตอีกครั้ง ตอนที่อ่าน ทำให้เรารู้สึกเนือยตามตัวละครเฉย 55555
ความน่าตื่นเต้นน่าติดตามของเรื่องยังพอมีอยู่บ้าง ด้วยความที่เนื้อเรื่องเปิดเผยด้านมืดของครอบครัวโคบายาชิตั้งแต่ต้นเรื่อง ทำให้มุมมองของเราเปลี่ยนไป เราจะเริ่มกังขาและตั้งแง่กับสมาชิกคนอื่นๆ ในบ้าน (รวมไปถึงเพื่อนบางคนที่โรงเรียน) เจ้าวิญญาณเร่ร่อนก็ช่างร้ายเหลือเกิน นางเล่นเกรี้ยวกราดมาตลอดทั้งเรื่องเหมือนจะเอาชนะทุกคนให้ได้ ส่วนหนึ่งเป็นเพราะนางไม่ได้สมัครใจจะรับรางวัลนี้ แถมชีวิตนี้ก็ไม่ใช่ของนาง เราจึงได้เห็นการแก้ไขปัญหา(?)ที่สุดโต่งสุดๆ ของตัวละครแบบโนสนโนแคร์อะไรทั้งนั้น 55555
แต่ภายใต้ความเกรี้ยวกราดของตัวละคร มันก็ทำให้เขา(และเรา)ได้เรียนรู้ไปพร้อมๆ กันถึงการมองชีวิตคนอื่นจากสายตาคนนอก การเปิดใจคุยกัน ความรักของคนในครอบครัวและเพื่อน และความสุขเล็กๆ น้อยๆ ของการใช้ชีวิตที่ไม่ได้มีแค่สีดำและสีขาวเหมือนอย่างที่เจ้าวิญญาณเร่ร่อนได้ด่วนตัดสินไปตั้งแต่ต้นเรื่อง
สรุปคือ ชอบนะ แต่ไม่มากขนาดนั้น ถือว่าเป็นอีกเล่มดีๆ ที่ช่วยเปิดมุมมองของชีวิต ทำให้เรารู้ว่าชีวิตมันมีอะไรมากกว่านั้น สิ่งที่เราเห็นอาจจะไม่ได้เป็นอย่างที่เราคิดเสมอไป หรืออาจจะเป็นอย่างที่เราคิดนั่นแหละ แต่มันมีอะไรมากกว่านั้น ดังนั้น จึงอย่าด่วนตัดสินคนอื่น น่าเสียดายที่การเดินเรื่องเอื่อยไปหน่อย แถมบางประเด็นดราม่าก็ดูเบาบางมาก อ่านจบแล้วยังไม่เคลียร์เท่าไหร่ แต่ก็เข้าใจที่ผู้เขียนต้องการนำเสนอ
[มาพูดถึงหนัง Homestay บ้าง]
เมื่อเทียบกับหนังสือแล้ว เรามองว่าการเดินเรื่องของหนังสนุกกว่ามาก ส่วนหนึ่งเป็นเพราะตัวละครมีเงื่อนไขของ "เวลา" ที่บีบบังคับมากกว่า แถมภารกิจการตามหาความจริงในหนังก็ลุ้นระทึกมากกว่า ผิดกับในนิยายที่เรื่องเหล่านี้แทบจะไม่มีผลเท่าไหร่ ตัวละครดูเหมือนใช้ชีวิตเรื่อยๆ เอื่อยๆ ไปวันๆ
แต่ที่หนังกับนิยายต่างกันอย่างเห็นได้ชัดคือพัฒนาการของตัวละครกับบทสรุปของเรื่องที่ตัวละครได้เรียนรู้ อาจเป็นเพราะตัวหนังต้องการสื่อแค่ว่า "ชีวิตคนเราก็เหมือนการอยู่โฮมสเตย์พบเจอทั้งทุกข์และสุขได้เพียงชั่วคราวเท่านั้น การได้มีชีิวิตก็ถือว่าเป็นรางวัลใหญ่แล้ว จงใช้ชีวิตให้คุ้มค่าเถอะ" ในขนาดที่นิยายจะมุ่งเน้นในเรื่องของ 'สีสันของชีวิต' (ชื่อเรื่องถึงได้เป็น Colorful ไง) ว่าชีวิตคนเรามันไม่ได้มีแค่สีดำหรือสีขาว แต่มันมีสีมากกว่านั้น แล้วความรู้สึกเราต่อสีต่างๆ ก็แตกต่างกันต่อไปด้วย เหมือนอย่างที่เราชอบสีแดง แต่คนอื่นอาจจะไม่ชอบ แต่เราก็ตัดสินไม่ได้อยู่ดีว่าสรุปแล้วสีแดงเป็นสีที่ดีหรือไม่ดีกันแน่ มันเป็นเรื่องของความรู้สึกมากกว่า อะไรทำนองนี้
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สามารถติดตามอีกช่องทางการรีวิวของเราและเพื่อนๆ ได้ที่ แฟนเพจ Rook a Bead
เมื่อโชคหล่นทับ วิญญาณเร่ร่อนตนหนึ่งจึงได้กลับมาใช้ชีวิตในฐานะ "โคบายาชิ มาโคโตะ" แต่รางวัลใหญ่ครั้งนี้กลับไม่ทำให้เขามีความสุขเลยสักนิด ยิ่งมารู้ว่าการที่เขาได้มาอยู่ในร่างใครหรือครอบครัวแบบไหนขึ้นอยู่กับความผิดที่เขาเคยก่อเอาไว้ในชาติก่อน แสดงว่า ชาติที่แล้วเขาต้องทำผิดมหันต์แน่ๆ ชีวิตเขาถึงต้องเจอเรื่องแบบนี้...
** เพราะเราดูหนังเรื่อง Homestay แล้วไม่ชอบแนวคิดของมัน เราก็เลยหาซื้อหนังสือเล่มนี้มาอ่านอีกครั้งเพื่อตามเก็บประเด็นทั้งหมด **
ในแง่ของเนื้อเรื่อง เราก็ยังมองว่าพล็อตเรื่องนี้ไอเดียดี รู้สึกว่ามันแหวกแนวและน่าตื่นเต้นอยู่พอสมควร แม้การเดินเรื่องจะค่อนข้างเอื่อยและเนิบนาบ แถมเจ้าวิญญาณเร่ร่อนที่ได้รับโชคก็ทำตัวเหมือนซังกะตาย ไม่ยินดียินร้ายกับการได้กลับมามีชีวิตอีกครั้ง ตอนที่อ่าน ทำให้เรารู้สึกเนือยตามตัวละครเฉย 55555
ความน่าตื่นเต้นน่าติดตามของเรื่องยังพอมีอยู่บ้าง ด้วยความที่เนื้อเรื่องเปิดเผยด้านมืดของครอบครัวโคบายาชิตั้งแต่ต้นเรื่อง ทำให้มุมมองของเราเปลี่ยนไป เราจะเริ่มกังขาและตั้งแง่กับสมาชิกคนอื่นๆ ในบ้าน (รวมไปถึงเพื่อนบางคนที่โรงเรียน) เจ้าวิญญาณเร่ร่อนก็ช่างร้ายเหลือเกิน นางเล่นเกรี้ยวกราดมาตลอดทั้งเรื่องเหมือนจะเอาชนะทุกคนให้ได้ ส่วนหนึ่งเป็นเพราะนางไม่ได้สมัครใจจะรับรางวัลนี้ แถมชีวิตนี้ก็ไม่ใช่ของนาง เราจึงได้เห็นการแก้ไขปัญหา(?)ที่สุดโต่งสุดๆ ของตัวละครแบบโนสนโนแคร์อะไรทั้งนั้น 55555
แต่ภายใต้ความเกรี้ยวกราดของตัวละคร มันก็ทำให้เขา(และเรา)ได้เรียนรู้ไปพร้อมๆ กันถึงการมองชีวิตคนอื่นจากสายตาคนนอก การเปิดใจคุยกัน ความรักของคนในครอบครัวและเพื่อน และความสุขเล็กๆ น้อยๆ ของการใช้ชีวิตที่ไม่ได้มีแค่สีดำและสีขาวเหมือนอย่างที่เจ้าวิญญาณเร่ร่อนได้ด่วนตัดสินไปตั้งแต่ต้นเรื่อง
สรุปคือ ชอบนะ แต่ไม่มากขนาดนั้น ถือว่าเป็นอีกเล่มดีๆ ที่ช่วยเปิดมุมมองของชีวิต ทำให้เรารู้ว่าชีวิตมันมีอะไรมากกว่านั้น สิ่งที่เราเห็นอาจจะไม่ได้เป็นอย่างที่เราคิดเสมอไป หรืออาจจะเป็นอย่างที่เราคิดนั่นแหละ แต่มันมีอะไรมากกว่านั้น ดังนั้น จึงอย่าด่วนตัดสินคนอื่น น่าเสียดายที่การเดินเรื่องเอื่อยไปหน่อย แถมบางประเด็นดราม่าก็ดูเบาบางมาก อ่านจบแล้วยังไม่เคลียร์เท่าไหร่ แต่ก็เข้าใจที่ผู้เขียนต้องการนำเสนอ
[มาพูดถึงหนัง Homestay บ้าง]
เมื่อเทียบกับหนังสือแล้ว เรามองว่าการเดินเรื่องของหนังสนุกกว่ามาก ส่วนหนึ่งเป็นเพราะตัวละครมีเงื่อนไขของ "เวลา" ที่บีบบังคับมากกว่า แถมภารกิจการตามหาความจริงในหนังก็ลุ้นระทึกมากกว่า ผิดกับในนิยายที่เรื่องเหล่านี้แทบจะไม่มีผลเท่าไหร่ ตัวละครดูเหมือนใช้ชีวิตเรื่อยๆ เอื่อยๆ ไปวันๆ
แต่ที่หนังกับนิยายต่างกันอย่างเห็นได้ชัดคือพัฒนาการของตัวละครกับบทสรุปของเรื่องที่ตัวละครได้เรียนรู้ อาจเป็นเพราะตัวหนังต้องการสื่อแค่ว่า "ชีวิตคนเราก็เหมือนการอยู่โฮมสเตย์พบเจอทั้งทุกข์และสุขได้เพียงชั่วคราวเท่านั้น การได้มีชีิวิตก็ถือว่าเป็นรางวัลใหญ่แล้ว จงใช้ชีวิตให้คุ้มค่าเถอะ" ในขนาดที่นิยายจะมุ่งเน้นในเรื่องของ 'สีสันของชีวิต' (ชื่อเรื่องถึงได้เป็น Colorful ไง) ว่าชีวิตคนเรามันไม่ได้มีแค่สีดำหรือสีขาว แต่มันมีสีมากกว่านั้น แล้วความรู้สึกเราต่อสีต่างๆ ก็แตกต่างกันต่อไปด้วย เหมือนอย่างที่เราชอบสีแดง แต่คนอื่นอาจจะไม่ชอบ แต่เราก็ตัดสินไม่ได้อยู่ดีว่าสรุปแล้วสีแดงเป็นสีที่ดีหรือไม่ดีกันแน่ มันเป็นเรื่องของความรู้สึกมากกว่า อะไรทำนองนี้
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สามารถติดตามอีกช่องทางการรีวิวของเราและเพื่อนๆ ได้ที่ แฟนเพจ Rook a Bead
March 26, 2022
4.35/5✨
Buku ini merupakan buku terbaru yang diterjemahkan Penerbit Baca jadi aku mau berterima kasih sama Penerbit Baca yg udh ngasih buku ini secara gratististis☺️❤️❤️❤️
Pertama, dari covernya dulu kali ya. Covernya cantiiikkk bgt!! Aku sesuka itu sama covernya!! Warnanya bagus, gambarnya kyk anime2 gitu. Cakep deh intinya. Sangat cocok buat dikoleksi.
Selanjutnya, tentu saja isinya.
Buku ini bercerita tentang seorang jiwa yg ga disebutkan namanya (aku akan refer dia sbg 'Aku' krn ini diceritakan dari sudut pandang org pertama). Sosok 'Aku' ini dianggap melakukan kesalahan/kejahatan yg cukup parah selama hidupnya jadi pas dia mati dia gabisa bereinkarnasi gt (ini sepertinya kepercayaan di sana ya, ada disinggung soal siklus samsara jg yg aku gaterlalu paham hehe). Namun, pas dia meninggal ini dia didatangi sesosok malaikat namanya Purapura yg blg kalo dia memenangkan undian. Dgn undian tsb dia bisa menjalani semacam 'trial' (Purapura nyebutnya Homestay sih) buat menebus kesalahannya gituudeh sehingga dia bs ngikut di siklus samsara tadi. Dalam homestay tsb, sosok 'Aku' akan masuk ke tubuh orang yg baru aja meninggal, namanya Makoto Kobayashi. Lalu, dimulailah hari2 si sosok 'Aku' menjadi Makoto Kobayashi. Bagian sini yg menarik dan bikin aku gabisa berhenti baca sih. Aku gamau spoiler banyaak2!! Pokoknya di akhiran ada semacam twist gituu. Aku udh nebak2 sihh, iseng aja wkwk, eh taunya bener😅
Soal terjemahan, menurutku buku ini oke sih. Cukup nyaman utk dibaca. Namun, sbnrnya aku akan lbh seneng kalo beberapa istilah yg gak semua orang tau (misalnya istilah 'enka'—di narasi yg menceritakan Ayahnya Makoto nyanyiin 'enka'—atau istilah 'siklus samsara') dikasih footnote berupa penjelasan gt. Trs sbnrnya ada beberapa percakapan yg bikin aku bingung gt kyk ini yg ngomong siapa sihh, tp pas dibaca ulang dgn baik yaa bisa dimengerti sih wkwkwk not a big deal sbnrnya.
Utk pesannya, baguus!! Tentang hidup ini ya ga cuma satu atau dua warna, ga cuma hitam atau putih, ga cuma terang atau gelap. Orang pun juga demikian. Hidup ini berwarna—ada hari yg menyenangkan, ada hari yg biasa aja, ada hari yg menyebalkan, ada yg menyedihkan, dsb. Orang juga macem2 ga cuma baik atau jahat aja. Pesan ini sangat menggambarkan judul bukunya, yakni "Colorful"🌈🌈
Udah sih itu ajaa intinya recommended!! Terutama kalian yang suka fiksi jepang!! Kalo kalian minat utk baca dan beli bukunya bisa cek sosial media Penerbit Baca yaaaa~
Buku ini merupakan buku terbaru yang diterjemahkan Penerbit Baca jadi aku mau berterima kasih sama Penerbit Baca yg udh ngasih buku ini secara gratististis☺️❤️❤️❤️
Pertama, dari covernya dulu kali ya. Covernya cantiiikkk bgt!! Aku sesuka itu sama covernya!! Warnanya bagus, gambarnya kyk anime2 gitu. Cakep deh intinya. Sangat cocok buat dikoleksi.
Selanjutnya, tentu saja isinya.
Buku ini bercerita tentang seorang jiwa yg ga disebutkan namanya (aku akan refer dia sbg 'Aku' krn ini diceritakan dari sudut pandang org pertama). Sosok 'Aku' ini dianggap melakukan kesalahan/kejahatan yg cukup parah selama hidupnya jadi pas dia mati dia gabisa bereinkarnasi gt (ini sepertinya kepercayaan di sana ya, ada disinggung soal siklus samsara jg yg aku gaterlalu paham hehe). Namun, pas dia meninggal ini dia didatangi sesosok malaikat namanya Purapura yg blg kalo dia memenangkan undian. Dgn undian tsb dia bisa menjalani semacam 'trial' (Purapura nyebutnya Homestay sih) buat menebus kesalahannya gituudeh sehingga dia bs ngikut di siklus samsara tadi. Dalam homestay tsb, sosok 'Aku' akan masuk ke tubuh orang yg baru aja meninggal, namanya Makoto Kobayashi. Lalu, dimulailah hari2 si sosok 'Aku' menjadi Makoto Kobayashi. Bagian sini yg menarik dan bikin aku gabisa berhenti baca sih. Aku gamau spoiler banyaak2!! Pokoknya di akhiran ada semacam twist gituu. Aku udh nebak2 sihh, iseng aja wkwk, eh taunya bener😅
Soal terjemahan, menurutku buku ini oke sih. Cukup nyaman utk dibaca. Namun, sbnrnya aku akan lbh seneng kalo beberapa istilah yg gak semua orang tau (misalnya istilah 'enka'—di narasi yg menceritakan Ayahnya Makoto nyanyiin 'enka'—atau istilah 'siklus samsara') dikasih footnote berupa penjelasan gt. Trs sbnrnya ada beberapa percakapan yg bikin aku bingung gt kyk ini yg ngomong siapa sihh, tp pas dibaca ulang dgn baik yaa bisa dimengerti sih wkwkwk not a big deal sbnrnya.
Utk pesannya, baguus!! Tentang hidup ini ya ga cuma satu atau dua warna, ga cuma hitam atau putih, ga cuma terang atau gelap. Orang pun juga demikian. Hidup ini berwarna—ada hari yg menyenangkan, ada hari yg biasa aja, ada hari yg menyebalkan, ada yg menyedihkan, dsb. Orang juga macem2 ga cuma baik atau jahat aja. Pesan ini sangat menggambarkan judul bukunya, yakni "Colorful"🌈🌈
Udah sih itu ajaa intinya recommended!! Terutama kalian yang suka fiksi jepang!! Kalo kalian minat utk baca dan beli bukunya bisa cek sosial media Penerbit Baca yaaaa~
July 28, 2021
A dead soul is sent back to earth and revived inside the body of a teenage boy who has just committed suicide, in order to learn a life lesson that eluded it on earth. The soul is forced to live this boy's unhappy life, and it becomes a journey of self-discovery and wonder, wry and thoughtful. The narrative setup provides just the right distancing and perspective on the subject of teen suicide for young readers to enter safely and to explore an important subject indirectly. Although the novel has a definite YA flavor I enjoyed it for its sweetness, for its sincerity, and for its accurate portrayal of Japanese family life.
March 12, 2022
Mengangkat isu kesehatan mental spesialisasi bunuh diri yang beberapa tahun terakhir ini masih terus diupayakan, aku dibuat terpukau dengan pengarang yang bisa-bisanya terpikir untuk menulis dengan isu tersebut pada tahun 1998. Betapa brilian karena setelah lebih dari 20 tahun ceritanya masih amat relatable.
November 5, 2016
Một cuốn sách nhỏ, nhẹ nhàng và ngọt ngào pha chút đăng đắng hệt như một ly mocha cho buổi sáng đầy mưa hôm nay...
Không mất quá nhiều thời gian để đọc, không quá khó để đoán được chân tướng thật sự và tội lỗi trước đây của linh hồn nhân vật chính nhưng Colorful đem đến cho người đọc một trải nghiệm mới lạ thông qua những tình tiết vừa nhuốm màu đau đớn bi kịch, vừa ẩn sau đó là những bài học sâu sắc về tình cảm gia đình, về tầm quan trọng của việc trân trọng bản thân và trân trọng cuộc sống...
Những người hay nặng lời chưa chắc là vì ghét ta
Những người hay hờ hững chưa chắc là vì ko quan tâm
Những người luôn cười chưa chắc là người ko bao giờ buồn bã đau đớn
Những người sống lặng lẽ chưa chắc là người cam chịu, ko mạnh mẽ đấu tranh với số phận
...cũng như những điều tốt đẹp ko phải lúc nào cũng dễ nhận ra, bởi khó thấy được mới càng khiến ta biết gìn giữ và trân trọng.
Điểm trừ cho cuốn sách này là hơi bị màu hồng hóa, lí tưởng hóa, dễ dàng và kết thúc quá hoàn mĩ. Nhưng thôi, vì đây cũng là một dạng sách để motivate những ai đang buồn hay bế tắc, một dạng sách cho những người cần được thấy ánh sáng nơi cuối đường...bla...bla...nên tôi cũng ko quá khắt khe. Nhưng ai cũng nên hiểu một điều, tự sát là một lựa chọn rất tồi tệ và ko đáng được tha thứ, vì như trong câu chuyện này, con đường để có thể từ cõi chết quay lại với cuộc sống, để có cơ hội lần nữa làm lại cuộc đời mới tươi đẹp hơn - là một tấm vé số trúng độc đắc ngàn người có một.
Đời người vỏn vẹn vài chục năm
Chỉ là một chuyến ở trọ dài hạn
Có thể nghĩ được như vậy, quả đúng là nhẹ nhõm hơn nhiều.
Không mất quá nhiều thời gian để đọc, không quá khó để đoán được chân tướng thật sự và tội lỗi trước đây của linh hồn nhân vật chính nhưng Colorful đem đến cho người đọc một trải nghiệm mới lạ thông qua những tình tiết vừa nhuốm màu đau đớn bi kịch, vừa ẩn sau đó là những bài học sâu sắc về tình cảm gia đình, về tầm quan trọng của việc trân trọng bản thân và trân trọng cuộc sống...
Những người hay nặng lời chưa chắc là vì ghét ta
Những người hay hờ hững chưa chắc là vì ko quan tâm
Những người luôn cười chưa chắc là người ko bao giờ buồn bã đau đớn
Những người sống lặng lẽ chưa chắc là người cam chịu, ko mạnh mẽ đấu tranh với số phận
...cũng như những điều tốt đẹp ko phải lúc nào cũng dễ nhận ra, bởi khó thấy được mới càng khiến ta biết gìn giữ và trân trọng.
Điểm trừ cho cuốn sách này là hơi bị màu hồng hóa, lí tưởng hóa, dễ dàng và kết thúc quá hoàn mĩ. Nhưng thôi, vì đây cũng là một dạng sách để motivate những ai đang buồn hay bế tắc, một dạng sách cho những người cần được thấy ánh sáng nơi cuối đường...bla...bla...nên tôi cũng ko quá khắt khe. Nhưng ai cũng nên hiểu một điều, tự sát là một lựa chọn rất tồi tệ và ko đáng được tha thứ, vì như trong câu chuyện này, con đường để có thể từ cõi chết quay lại với cuộc sống, để có cơ hội lần nữa làm lại cuộc đời mới tươi đẹp hơn - là một tấm vé số trúng độc đắc ngàn người có một.
Đời người vỏn vẹn vài chục năm
Chỉ là một chuyến ở trọ dài hạn
Có thể nghĩ được như vậy, quả đúng là nhẹ nhõm hơn nhiều.
March 31, 2021
A recently deceased soul is given a second chance to continue in the cycle of birth. He is sent into the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi who has just committed suicide. While there, he has up to a year to remember the worst mistake he made in his own life. He has an angel guide to help him but, as he learns more about Makoto's life, he feels nothing but disgust for his host family and decides to live Makoto's life on his own terms.
Colorful by Japanese author Eto Mori was written twenty years ago and quickly became a beloved classic in Japan. It has since been translated into several different languages and is now in English. I don't want to give too much away about the story but I will say this -at first, I wasn't sure how I felt. I didn't much like the characters at least at the beginning, usually a real sticking point for how I feel about a book but the story caught my attention right away despite this and I am so glad it did. The tale is told in the first person by the soul occupying Makoto and, as a result, gives a fascinating perspective on the life he is occupying.
Colorful is aimed at a young audience but, despite being much much older than the target age, I really enjoyed it. It has an important message for young teens especially those who don't feel like they fit in but it still manages to be pretty much unputdownable - I read it in in one sitting. I can't recommend it highly enough both for kids and adults alike.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Counterpoint for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
Colorful by Japanese author Eto Mori was written twenty years ago and quickly became a beloved classic in Japan. It has since been translated into several different languages and is now in English. I don't want to give too much away about the story but I will say this -at first, I wasn't sure how I felt. I didn't much like the characters at least at the beginning, usually a real sticking point for how I feel about a book but the story caught my attention right away despite this and I am so glad it did. The tale is told in the first person by the soul occupying Makoto and, as a result, gives a fascinating perspective on the life he is occupying.
Colorful is aimed at a young audience but, despite being much much older than the target age, I really enjoyed it. It has an important message for young teens especially those who don't feel like they fit in but it still manages to be pretty much unputdownable - I read it in in one sitting. I can't recommend it highly enough both for kids and adults alike.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Counterpoint for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
March 28, 2021
The description of this book made me hesitant to read it, but after my daughter read it she liked it so much that I felt willing to give it a go. And, I'm so glad that I did. I thought it might be too "other-worldly" for me since it seemed to involve spirits, but that aspect of this short book is simply a vehicle for reflection on choices one makes in life. It's a simple and clear read about a 9th grade boy who tried to commit suicide and all of the circumstances of his life, his family, and his schoolmates. Without some knowledge of the Japanese culture it may be a little hard for some readers to understand how very typical this experience could be. It would be a great choice for a teen bookclub or even a classroom read at the YA level. There is a lot to unpack here. As a teacher, it would be an exciting choice for class discussion.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
May 2, 2021
A nameless dying soul is informed by an angel that he's won a second chance at life-- he's made a big mistake in his past life, and if he wants to continue in the cycle of rebirth, he needs to rediscover what he's done while temporarily occupying the body of a fourteen-year-old boy who has died by suicide. Upon starting Colorful, I hadn't realized what an impact this book had in Japan almost twenty years ago-- it has multiple film adaptations and continues to be a bestseller with over a million copies sold, and only now has it finally been translated to English! Eto Mori's modern classic is a surreal and introspective novel that glides at a quick and steady pace-- and with plenty of crossover appeal in age, sure to touch the hearts of readers young and old.
November 25, 2019
เมื่อวิญญาณดวงหนึ่ง อยู่ดีๆก็ได้รางวัลจากสวรรค์ให้กลับมามีชีวิตบนโลกได้อีกครั้ง โดยร่างที่สวรรค์เลือกให้ เป็นร่างของเด็กหนุ่ม โคบายาชิ มาโคโตะ ที่ฆ่าตัวตายไป ดังนั้น วิญญาณดวงนี้ จึงเข้ามาอยู่ในร่างของมาโคโตะ และได้เรียนรู้ไปพร้อมๆกับคนอ่าน ว่าเพราะอะไร มาโคโตะ จึงตัดสินใจเลือกที่จะอำลาจากโลกใบนี้ไป
เป็นเรื่องที่ย่อยไม่ยาก อ่านแล้วฟีลกู๊ด เปิดให้เห็นมุมมองต่อสิ่งรอบตัวที่ไม่ได้มีแค่สีขาวกับสีดำ ที่เราว่าช่วยได้มากในการเปิดความคิดของผู้อ่าน (โดยเฉพาะถ้าเป็นเยาวชน) ให้เห็นแง่มุมที่หลากหลายและไม่ด่วนสรุปที่จะตัดสินจากแค่มุมมองเดียว ตอนจบเดาไม่ยากแต่สาระสำคัญอยู่ที่เรื่องเล่าระหว่างทางมากกว่า
เป็นเรื่องที่ย่อยไม่ยาก อ่านแล้วฟีลกู๊ด เปิดให้เห็นมุมมองต่อสิ่งรอบตัวที่ไม่ได้มีแค่สีขาวกับสีดำ ที่เราว่าช่วยได้มากในการเปิดความคิดของผู้อ่าน (โดยเฉพาะถ้าเป็นเยาวชน) ให้เห็นแง่มุมที่หลากหลายและไม่ด่วนสรุปที่จะตัดสินจากแค่มุมมองเดียว ตอนจบเดาไม่ยากแต่สาระสำคัญอยู่ที่เรื่องเล่าระหว่างทางมากกว่า
November 4, 2021
This is a book that gets progressively better as you read further, and the ending and author's afterword elevated this into a 4-star read. I can see why younger readers would resonate with the message delivered in this book.
November 20, 2018
หนังสือมีการดำเนินเรื่องที่แตกต่างไปจากหนัง เป็นหนังสือแนว drama fantasy แต่บทสรุปสุดท้ายประทับใจมาก บางทีเราอาจด่วนตัดสินใจอะไรไปโดยไม่เห็นในมุมมองอื่น ๆ จนเกือบจะสายไปแบบตัวเอกของเรื่อง
October 3, 2021
3 stars rating overall, plus 1 additional star for the positive impact this book has had on young people who have once considered suicide.
May 20, 2022
Broken-down, miserable, kind of a mess maybe, but still we're all doing our best out here.
I don't know where to start. I mean I know the story, I've watched the anime, the Japanese live action, and the Thai remake, but still reading the book for the first time, brings new experience for me. Before, I learnt from other versions that; we should be grateful with what we have, it's okay to be ordinary or average, and believe in yourself (and a lot more). In this book, I saw that we all have different perceptions, influenced by a number of reasons. Just like how Makoto thinks his life is so pathetic, there are people that see him as the other way round (as a guidance). The same thing happens with how his parents see each other, and you know, it's interesting to see both sides of perception. Somehow, it helps you understand that human, in general, looks up to other people that seems to accomplish more than us. It's normal, and it's not wrong, but too much might cause you to feel bad and less confident about yourself.
At some parts, I actually feel annoyed at Makoto. He didn't know everything yet he jumps onto conclusions, hurt his mother etc. But, again, we have our own struggles. I remember once, my close friends said, "we don't know what other people are going through," and these feelings of Makoto might seem illogical to some, but Makoto is Makoto. He's the one going through everything and since he isn't the type to show his emotions, he's slowly hurting inside. And again, when he changes his perspective and actually listens to others , and making clear of what he feels, he becomes a new version of him. It's not an immediate change, but he's slowly taking it step by step. I'm so happy and glad for his improvement!
Guess that's all I want to talk about. This book is an inspiration❤
Quotes
1. I love the parts of you that are average and the parts of you that are not with all of my heart.
2. Extraordinary joy and sadness can come out of the ordinary everyday.
3. And if there's one thing I can say for sure at this point, it's that the bad things will end. I know that sounds like a tidy little moral, but it's the truth. Just like how good things can't last forever, the bad stuff doesn't stick around that long, either.
4. Maybe every single person on this earth was just living their life under false impressions, misunderstanding other people and being misunderstood in turn.
5. Everyone's like that, everyone's got their own box of paints, and some of the colors are pretty and some are ugly.
6. Anyone and everyone in this terrible world was broken in their own way.
I don't know where to start. I mean I know the story, I've watched the anime, the Japanese live action, and the Thai remake, but still reading the book for the first time, brings new experience for me. Before, I learnt from other versions that; we should be grateful with what we have, it's okay to be ordinary or average, and believe in yourself (and a lot more). In this book, I saw that we all have different perceptions, influenced by a number of reasons. Just like how Makoto thinks his life is so pathetic, there are people that see him as the other way round (as a guidance). The same thing happens with how his parents see each other, and you know, it's interesting to see both sides of perception. Somehow, it helps you understand that human, in general, looks up to other people that seems to accomplish more than us. It's normal, and it's not wrong, but too much might cause you to feel bad and less confident about yourself.
At some parts, I actually feel annoyed at Makoto. He didn't know everything yet he jumps onto conclusions, hurt his mother etc. But, again, we have our own struggles. I remember once, my close friends said, "we don't know what other people are going through," and these feelings of Makoto might seem illogical to some, but Makoto is Makoto. He's the one going through everything and since he isn't the type to show his emotions, he's slowly hurting inside. And again, when he changes his perspective and actually listens to others , and making clear of what he feels, he becomes a new version of him. It's not an immediate change, but he's slowly taking it step by step. I'm so happy and glad for his improvement!
Guess that's all I want to talk about. This book is an inspiration❤
Quotes
1. I love the parts of you that are average and the parts of you that are not with all of my heart.
2. Extraordinary joy and sadness can come out of the ordinary everyday.
3. And if there's one thing I can say for sure at this point, it's that the bad things will end. I know that sounds like a tidy little moral, but it's the truth. Just like how good things can't last forever, the bad stuff doesn't stick around that long, either.
4. Maybe every single person on this earth was just living their life under false impressions, misunderstanding other people and being misunderstood in turn.
5. Everyone's like that, everyone's got their own box of paints, and some of the colors are pretty and some are ugly.
6. Anyone and everyone in this terrible world was broken in their own way.
Read
December 14, 2020#Colorful
พล็อตหลักกล่าวถึงดวงวิญญาณที่ได้รับโอกาสให้กลับมามีชีวิตอีกครั้ง ดูน่าสนใจ น่าตื่นเต้น แต่ผู้เขียนกลับเล่าเรื่องด้วยความเรียบเรื่อย ยิ่งเมื่อมาประกอบกับจุดจบที่เดาไม่ยาก ก็ยิ่งดูเหมือนเรื่องราวไม่มีอะไรเท่าไหร่
แต่สิ่งที่ได้จากเรื่องกลับเป็นข้อคิดที่แทรกอยู่ระหว่างบรรทัด และความหมายของชื่อเรื่อง (Colorful)... อ่านแล้วให้ความรู้สึกดี ๆ ติดค้างในใจค่ะ :)
พล็อตหลักกล่าวถึงดวงวิญญาณที่ได้รับโอกาสให้กลับมามีชีวิตอีกครั้ง ดูน่าสนใจ น่าตื่นเต้น แต่ผู้เขียนกลับเล่าเรื่องด้วยความเรียบเรื่อย ยิ่งเมื่อมาประกอบกับจุดจบที่เดาไม่ยาก ก็ยิ่งดูเหมือนเรื่องราวไม่มีอะไรเท่าไหร่
แต่สิ่งที่ได้จากเรื่องกลับเป็นข้อคิดที่แทรกอยู่ระหว่างบรรทัด และความหมายของชื่อเรื่อง (Colorful)... อ่านแล้วให้ความรู้สึกดี ๆ ติดค้างในใจค่ะ :)
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