Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'M GLAD I CHOSE THIS BOOK because it’s much more than a regular story. It’s “living words” molding and being molded by people made truly alive by their love of words. We see how words help us humans to connect with each other in amazing and intimate ways. That “great passage” is a journey of 15 years in the lives and through the eyes and words of characters we grow to love, understand, befriend. THE THEME -- We see how, like words, people have multiple meanings--every day, every moment, being much more than we see on the surface. And the greatest word "love“--"ai” in Japanese--drives the characters in their work, self-identity, and close relationships. THE CHARACTERS are real, lovable, sometimes laughable. Like Mitsuo Majime —passionate in his work and yet possessing a dream that sets him off on a grand adventure. I love this guy’s quirky and exciting look at the world, his three deep obsessions – the creation of a new dictionary of 2,900 pages, his sweetheart and wife Kaguya, and his cat Tora (Tiger). Several other characters are well-developed and add depth and insights to Japanese life. But THE character from start to finish is THE DICTIONARY: “…a ship that crosses the sea of words.” THE PLOT is simple and linear, heading straight toward the completion of “the dictionary.” But suspense and challenges are gripping, a deadline that takes the team’s utter effort to reach. Along the way we learn much about lexicography, printing dictionaries and marketing them. But all this is intertwined very well with the story. THE PACE – deceptive because you’d think that a story about compiling a dictionary would be laboriously slow. Although this book isn’t a fast-paced thriller, it gripped my attention all the way. The descriptions of Japanese life add flavor to the story without interrupting the flow of the plot and interactions of the characters. THE GREAT PASSAGES -- dedicate yourself to doing a task to your utmost best. That is a worthwhile journey with its special rewards. Appreciate the people who help you along the way. And – words can have so much depth that they more fully flesh us out as humans. “They had made a ship. A ship bearing the souls of people traveling from ancient times toward the future, across the ocean rich with words.” (Page 200).