The Same Page

A book-review blog for second-language English learners

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Review: The Black Locomotive — Ryan Hughes

Review

Okay, first of all, the graphics are gorgeous. I’m not a fan of brutalism at all, and even I was captivated by the way this book was illustrated, and the way the prose was written. It was written in a lot of detail, so if you’re not a fan of heavy prose I would be careful, but the way Hughes describes his characters’ surroundings make even the dull, grey industrial world of London breathtakingly beautiful. The author manages to convey a deep love for modern architecture; a love I personally don’t share, but I can certainly appreciate the love that went into describing it.

If the main draw for this book for you was a love of steam trains, I hate to disappoint you, but there isn’t a great deal of steam train-action in this book. Some, but it’s not exactly the main focus. But hey, if you’re a fan of really wild and unexpected plot developments, hop on board.

I enjoyed most of the characters in this book. They may not all be likeable, necessarily, but they’re all interesting, and sometimes that’s all you need. I particularly loved Georgia Ash, a welcome subversion from the classic “female no-nonsense boss to the loveable rogue employee”; Ash actually ends up being not only an important character, but an actual character, one with her own internal world outside of the protagonist.

But unfortunately there is one major area where The Black Locomotive fails. There are 2 characters of colours in this book; one pretty unimportant, and the other a black teenager who happens to be the leader of a crime gang. I mean seriously people, it’s the 21st century, how do some authors still have so little self-awareness? It’s disappointing, as I would absolutely love to recommend this book, but I just can’t ignore the obvious racism.

Language Level

Oh, and aside from that, Jesus Christ almighty the English in this book is complicated. I had to create a whole new difficulty category on this blog for this thing! Even I was googling words several times per chapter, and I am an English student. I was able to understand the words in the context of the sentences, but trust me, unless you’re a scientist (or you’re really into rocks), you are never going to hear someone say the word “stratigraphy” in your life.

If you’re a fan of science, this book might be for you, as a majority of the words I struggled be turned out to be words relating to physics.

It also uses neo-pronouns (in this case Xi/Xe/Xer), which if you’ve not seen before I should briefly explain. Standard English has three common sets of pronouns:

He/Him/His

She/Her/Hers

They/Them/Theirs

All three can be used as singular pronouns, although “They/Them/Theirs” is more commonly used with plurals. A lot of people will tell you, mainly for political reasons, that “They/Them/Theirs” can’t be used for single people. We have, however, been using “they” for a single person since at least the 17th century. If you didn’t know the gender of a person, for example, if you saw someone leave a table and forget their head, but the gender of this person wasn’t obvious, you could simply say: “Oh, they left their hat behind. I should pick it run over so I can give it back to them.” This is completely normal English.

Neo-pronouns were created by people who don’t identify as men or women, who are called non-binary people. Non-binary people can go by any of the pronouns I listed above, but many people aren’t satisfied with these choices, and so, neo-pronouns were created. Neo-pronouns are still very new and a lot of people will tell you they aren’t correct English, but you know what? Language evolves. People make up new words all the time, that’s how words are made up. But people who use neo-pronouns are very rare, and most people who are non-binary will ask you to call them he, or she, or they. Please be respectful and remember to call them by the pronouns they have chosen, even if it’s a bit confusing at first!

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Review: Sweet Bean Paste - Durian Sukegawa

Review

Sweet Bean Paste is a simple and elegant novel, emotionally compelling and yet gentle enough to be a book you can keep coming back to no matter what mood you’re in. The English title doesn’t quite do it justice; it’s a direct translation of the original Japanese title that I much prefer: An. Short and sweet, just like the book itself.

The emotional progression was a little lacking in my opinion, I would have liked to see Sukegawa spend a lot more time on the protagonist’s emotional journey, and a bit more into Tokue’s. Wakana was a character who's motivations I barely understood at all, and although it is a short book you would think with only three characters the author could have spent a bit more time getting the reader to understand them on a deeper level.

That being said, this is a lovely story. It’s a masterful balance of bitter and sweet, a relax-and-unwind kind of book as well as a deeply moving story, which in my opinion is a rare find.

The day after I finished this book I went to a little street-corner sushi restaurant I’d never visited before with a friend of mine. I had never even heard of dorayaki before reading Sweet Bean Paste, and there it was just sitting in the fridge! (Not exactly the same as buying from a street vendor, but still!)

Language Level

Of all the books on this blog so far Sweet Bean Paste is definitely written in the simplest English. I would highly recommend for someone who is still getting used to reading English novels. You don’t even need to understand any fancy cooking terminology, either. I would recommend to Japanese fans of the original, but if you’re not from Japan, don’t worry; the book is well translated from the original Japanese context; readers who aren’t familiar with Japanese culture will have no trouble understanding what the characters are saying, which can sometimes be a bit of a problem with translated works.

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Review: Maus — Art Spiegleman

Review

Maus is by far the most poignant novel, graphic or non-graphic, that I’ve read in a long time. Spiegleman uses a simple but expressive, a plain but at the same time erratic art style to convey the horrors of the holocaust. He doesn’t go into horrifying detail, and the characters being drawn as animals takes some of the sting away from what you’re reading. You could argue that this makes the graphic novel cheaper, less impacting; or you could argue that it makes it easier to digest, and more accessible to younger or more sensitive audiences.

The pacing is excellently done; the switch to Art and his father in the present-day provides a much-needed breather from the main bulk of the story. These switches are frequent enough that the main story never becomes too overwhelming to continue reading, but are infrequent and brief enough not to distract from the story itself, which is as heartbreaking as it is gripping. I was reading it while waiting at the walk-in clinic and I was so invested I didn’t even hear my name being called. The receptionist had to come and fetch me! (She was mad.)

The start was a little confusing, it took me until about page 10 to understand what was actually going on. But to be honest, I’m scraping the barrel for criticism here. All I would say is if you’re easily affected by scenes of suffering, (I probably don’t even need to say this, do I?) I probably wouldn’t recommend it.

Language Level

It pains me to say this after heaping such praise onto the book, but I’m not sure I’d recommend it too highly for a second-language speaker. Vladek’s (the father) present-day dialogue is entirely written in incorrect English grammar, which means not only that Maus would be poor reading practice, it might even cause you to pick up bad habits, even unintentionally. But, if you’re very confident with your grasp of English grammar, give it a go.

Aside from Vladek’s grammar, the book mostly uses simple, standard English. But still, I’m going to have to mark this book as the very first Advanced Level English book on this blog. But well worth it if you’re up to it!

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Review: Tough Women Adventure Stories — Jenny Tough

Review

Despite all the stories in this book being non-fiction, this is definitely the most prose-filled book I’ve read this year. Tough turns real stories of grit, dirt, and pain into works of poetry, and for fans of expressive dialogue describing the beauty of nature across wild and natural scenery that changes from chapter to chapter, I would definitely recommend this book.

The stories featured in this book are thoroughly detailed, and for that reason the stories don’t move very quickly. But for the sake of of really bringing you into the minds of these women completing superhuman feats of endurance, of all the pain and fear and elation they experience in these stories, you could argue that the more detailed the better. But as  with any kind of book, tastes differ.

Personally I would have liked to see a wider range of activities from this book. If you’re an outdoorsy person who’s main interests are cycling and mountaineering, this shouldn’t be a problem for you. But to be honest, reading about the fifth long-distance cycling story in the same book in a row can get a little bit repetitive.

Language Level

There are a lot of words in this book even I had to look up. I would recommend this book more for readers who already know a decent amount of cycling/mountaineering/adventuring terminology, or for readers who have a developing interest in these kinds of activities and is okay with doing a decent amount of dictionary-checking.

The reading level actually varies quite a bit from chapter to chapter. I rate this book Intermediate Level English, unless you’re someone who just really loves the outdoors.

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Review: Sugar — Bernice L. McFadden

Review

Okay, first of all, hell of a opener. Considering this last book I read yada main character called Jude, the first line being “Jude was dead” was a kick in the head let me tell you.

The first 12 pages of this book are difficult read, and to be honest I very nearly put the book down. It goes into gruesome detail of the death and mutilation of a child. None of these details are essential to the rest of the book, so if you are (understandably) put off by this, I would recommend skipping to page 13. There is still some detail into a character’s sexual abuse throughout the book,  but don’t expect nearly as much gory detail as there is in the first chapter. Oddly, the prose also seems to change after the first chapter, as well. In the beginning it’s very detailed, very flowery as a writer might say, but after around page 13 the book changes to a simpler, more breezy kind of prose.

It was so refreshing to finally read a book starring black characters that didn’t revolve around white people in any way. Obviously stories about slavery and racism are important, but it’s good to know we have stories out there where the characters can just be black, and have the same cares, fears, loves, and losses as anyone else, without oppression or whiteness being essential to their stories.

The book features two very different protagonists, both flawed but likeable and easy to cheer for, both a good mix of strength and vulnerability. Throughout most of the booked, I was hooked by the blossoming friendship between these two women, and although it was a more character-driven than plot-driven book, the plot itself kept me on the edge, both excited and fearful about what would happen next.

However, even though it seemed like it was heading to a satisfying place, I was disappointed by the ending. Spoilers for the end of the book: I understand this is a book dealing with many heavy topics. The death of a child, sex work in the 60’s, lost family. But I thought the ending was unnecessarily brutal. I’m not against a sad ending, but the last time you the two protagonists one is packing up to go after being essentially run out of town and the other is a sweet old lady screaming in grief over the loss of her child. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and honestly, even this ending would have worked if McFadden had ended Pearl’s story on anything other than the most brutal moment of her life. Although I suppose it’s fitting that this book ended the way it began - making the reader extremely uncomfortable. Maybe that was the whole point.

Language Level

Sugar is set in the 60’s, and does use a moderate amount of 60’s prose, so I would be careful when reading the dialogue, something I always recommend when talking about a book where the characters speak in a dialect. I would rate this book to be Intermediate Level English, and the prose itself doesn’t use any archaic words or expression.

I gave this warning in my review of The Vanishing Half, but I’ll repeat it here now: if you are not black, do not repeat the slurs used in this book. [Give picture examples.] Racial slurs are extremely offensive (I’m sure this is true of any language) and are not in any way socially acceptable. Not only are they hurtful and rude but they are a massive cultural taboo, and you can get in a lot of trouble by repeating them. Please be careful not to repeat any of the offensive words used in this book.

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Review: The Vanishing Half — Brit Bennet

Review

This was a very interesting read. The concept of a black woman pretending to be white, and of a whole population of people trying to, basically, breed themselves into whiteness is as fascinating as it is heartbreaking. There were actually real villages like this in the 50’s and 60’s [link to examples], and although I was waiting for more insight into the mindset of people who would do this kind of thing, this was a very engaging read from start to finish. To be honest, I spent most of my time looking forward to Stella’s story (the sister who pretends to be white) but as protagonists I found Desiree (the other sister) and Jude a lot more likeable. Jude especially is a fantastic example of a protagonist, a wonderful blend of strong and vulnerable.

The novel is, of course, a social commentary of race relations in the 50’s, 60’s, and 80’s. Although let’s not pretend these are things of the past; colourism, a social bias towards people with lighter skin, is still as relevant today as it was back then. Racism exists not just based on what race you are, but on how you look, and it’s depressing how many people today will still be able to relate to the protagonists in this book, although I hope they find it comforting, too.

But as well as social commentary, if you’re a fan of family drama and suspense, this is a book for you. It’s a gripping novel with a lot of twists and turns; the characters are all in such bizarre positions it’s impossible to guess how their stories will end. To be honest, I did find the ending a little anticlimactic, but for the most part, it was a very satisfying read.

Language Level

I would rate this book as Intermediate Level English. The prose is expressive, without being too detailed. The book is set in different decades of the past (mainly the 50’s, 60’s, and 80’s), and although there isn’t much slang, I would be careful about not trying to sound like any of the characters. To be honest though, nothing in this book was too archaic.

There is one very important thing I should say for second-language English learners though: if you are not black, do not repeat the slurs used in this book. Racial slurs are extremely offensive (I’m sure this is true of any language) and are not in any way socially acceptable. Not only are they hurtful and rude but they are a massive cultural taboo, and you can get in a lot of trouble by repeating them. Please be careful not to repeat any of the offensive words used in this book.

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Review: Here and Now — Santa Montefiore

Review

The cover of this book, at least the version I have, features leaves falling from cherry blossoms trees, which many readers will recognise as a symbol of impermanence, something beautiful yet fleeting, something to be enjoyed in the moment or not at all, and I couldn’t think of anything better to symbolise the beautiful qualities of this book.

Here and Now is a relaxing read that takes you to the cozy little world of a traditional British woman in her sixties, and if you’ve just finished reading about angry men throwing each other across rooms, it’s a very refreshing read! This is a touching novel with sweet, fun, likeable characters. For the most part. But sometimes a character can be too likeable. The people in this book are either literally flawless or obnoxious to an extreme degree. The main protagonist genuinely has no flaws, which is a great quality in real-life, a terrible quality in a protagonist, because in real life no one is flawless.

One of her daughters, Suze, seems to be have been written just so the author could complain about the younger generation. She also does not speak like a real person. I’m going over this again in the “Language Level” section, but I’m so serious about this problem I have to put it here too, if you are still learning how to sound like a native English speaker, do not speak like Suze. No one speaks like Suze. The other daughter has her own story in this novel, involving a romance with a young man at the village, who in all honesty made me squirm more than Angry White Pyjamas did. If you’re a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, and also a fan of spoiled rich men with floppy hair, this book is for you (hey, no judgement, we all have our thing).

But Montefiore’s story serves as a relaxing break from a heartbreaking story about a kind, intelligent woman slowly losing more and more of herself to dementia. That being said, the novel doesn't really convey the horrors of the condition, and was really grasping at straws to give the story a happy ending. I’m sure if you have a loved one with dementia it’s comforting be given a silver lining, but wow did this woman stretch for that silver lining. And frankly, I have trouble believe the scene later in the book where the entire village gathers together to celebrate Marigold, it’s the kind of scene you would imagine in a kid’s movie, not in a book written for adults (I mean seriously, have you ever been to a small British village? I grew up in one. Trust me, not everyone is that nice).

Language Level

The English level in this novel is very basic, the prose is breezy, and the novel is only 389 pages long. It’s book I would recommend for light readers, and older readers especially. But please, I beg you, don’t try to repeat any of the dialogue in this book. The worst example is near the end when Suze uses the expression “Keep my light under a bushel”. I had to look that one up myself. It’s from the bible. No one, and I mean no one under the age of 60 uses this expression. I read it to my 50-year-old mother and even she laughed. I mean seriously, this woman is in her twenties. When I read that part of the book I felt like I was second-language English.

(If you’re curious, the expression means: “To hide your talent/success from people”. If you wanted to say something like that today, I would recommend saying: “I don’t like to brag about myself”, or “I don’t like to blow my own horn”.)

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Review: Angry White Pyjamas - Robert Twigger

Review

This non-fiction book reads very much like a novel, it skips over any tedious and gets straight down to the action, although it focuses more on the protagonist’s personal experience than the action itself. It honestly could pass for a novel, if Twigger had just changed his name I would have read it and thought: “Wow, what a well-written novel.”

But I will warn you, it is a brutal read. It’s not for the squeamish or the faint-of-heart. Twigger didn’t put as much detail into his own pain and suffering as he could have, mainly focusing on the horrors he saw the other students in his class going through. I personally feel like he could have spoken about his own motivations a bit more; I would love to know what goes through the mind of someone who puts themselves through that kind of hell, but we don’t get a lot more than: “I want to get tough and prove I can do it.” When I wanted to get tougher I joined my University’s rugby club. When Twigger wanted to get tougher he signed himself up to have the living daylights beaten out of him for a whole year and to be called a wuss a dozen times a day (actually now that I think about it that does sound a lot like the rugby club).

But Twigger does a great job of introducing the world of Aikido to the reader. It follows his journey from his very first class to his graduation, and even readers who don’t know their Ju-Jitsu from their Sumo wrestling will be able to enjoy this book if they’re not too put-off by bone-breaking. And I would definitely recommend it do anyone with an interest in martial arts. As a karateka myself, I found learning about Aikido fascinating!

Please don’t attempt this at home.

Language Level

The language level is basic. It feels like you’re just listening to a guy chat about his life, but written in the style of an easy-to-read novel. The dialogue is light and easy, it might be a bit confusing at times to non-natives, but if your English is good enough to get through this blog post, you won’t have any trouble with this book. Non-Japanese speakers should be careful, however, as there are a lot of Japanese words in this book, and unlike most books, foreign language words aren’t italicised. If you’ve suddenly come across a word you don’t understand, don’t just assume it’s English!

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Review: There’s No Such Thing As An Easy Job - Kikuko Tsumura

Review

Tsumura’s novel finds interesting stories in the mundane, although some people might simply find it mundane. Personally I am a fan of this kind of slow-paced, meandering novel, one where the protagonist’s emotions and thinking take centre stage, but it’s not hard to imagine fans of thrillers or fast-moving action novels being easily bored by this book. This is a book I would recommend to people who enjoy taking their time settling into the stories they read.

A review on the cover of this book describes it as “ominous”. Now, I’ll be honest, fans of the truly ominous won’t find what they’re looking for here. But there is just a little dash of creepy here and there, parts that make you wonder if this slice-of-life book is going to slowly turn into a horror story. But if you’re not a horror fan, don’t be put off! This isn’t a book that’s going to have you checking under your bed at night.

It may not be a comedy, exactly, but I did get a genuine laugh at one point, which for me is rare coming from a book. The character’s jobs always take a turn for the unexpected, and each new task she’s presented with is always so different from the rest the novel never ends up repeating itself.

The ending was vague. It didn’t really go into detail as to why the protagonist quit her original job in the first place, and considering how much detail we got into what was going on in her head, I was surprised at how little insight Tsumura gives at the very beginning and endow the novel. And I mean a lot of detail. We follow the protagonist through the mundane details of her day-to-day life, her lunch break, the commute to work, her experience job-hunting (which was certainly a lot more pleasant than mine, I’m not sure if she just got lucky or if the representatives are much friendlier in Japan, Japanese readers please let me know). Some readers might find these details a bit dull, but they serve to make protagonist a very relatable, down-to-earth, human character, which in my opinion makes even the smallest of conflicts and trials much more readable, as you care deeply for this woman who begins to feel very real.

Language Level

This was a popular book in Japan, so if you read the original in Japanese, I would definitely recommend giving it a go in English as well! Even if like me you can barely remember anything that happens in a book you finished as recently as two days ago, re-reading a familiar story is a great way to practice a language you aren’t familiar with.

The English is simple, and there is very little use of slang. However, most of it is written in formal English, and would only recommend to readers comfortable in business settings. Most people in English-speaking countries aren't this formal day-to-day (or this polite!). However, the Japanese cultural norms in this book are well translated into English, but non-Japanese readers should be aware book is a translation, and is not representative of any English-speaking culture.

Although there’s nothing in the book inappropriate for kids, I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers. They've never had a job, how are they going to relate to it?