Обзоры
Salah satu buku yang heartwarming yet full of sorrow menurutku. Baca buku ini tuh sebenarnya bisa dibilang bikin aku merasa cukup santai. Bukan buku yang bikin aku merasa kayak lagi dikejar-kejar sama alur yang penuh plot twist, walaupun sebenernya buku ini masih ada plot twistnya sedikit. Ya, tapi bukan sesuatu yang bikin bengong terkaget-kaget.Waktu baca buku ini aku dibuat merenung banyak-banyak. Rasanya kayak baca sesuatu yang sangat realistis. Hangat, tapi sedih. Mungkin kalau bacanya bukan pas malam-malam, aku akan nangis. Hehehe.Buku ini lebih banyak bercerita tentang Sentaro si penjual dorayaki, dan Tokue si nenek yang ternyata seorang penyintas penyakit Morbus Hensen atau di Indonesia kayaknya lebih sering disebut kusta. Awalnya aku gak ngeh ke penyakit itu, lebih menduga ke arah penyakit peradangan tulang walaupun udah dikasih hint di awal cerita. Tapi, setelah baca hampir lebih dari setengah akhirnya dikasih penjelasan mengenai masa lalunya Tokue.Aku seperti dikasih gambaran gimana perlakuan kejam dan tersiksanya orang-orang yang saat itu menderita penyakit tersebut, dan hal itu juga sukses bikin aku bener-bener sedih dan banyak-banyak bersyukur karena hidup di masa sekarang. Tapi, ada satu hal yang bikin aku merenung, soal apa yang dibilang Nenek Tokue soal kehidupan di mana mau seberubah apapun situasi dan kondisi di dunia, hal tersebut gak serta-merta akan mengubah pandangan atau sifat manusia itu sendiri terhadap sesuatu yang sudah dianggap seperti sebuah kemalangan.Membayangkan Nenek Tokue yang saat itu masih belum genap menginjak dewasa harus menjalani kehidupan yang sebegitu susah dan menyayat, membuat aku rasanya pengen nangis. I'm weak for things like this, indeed.Kayaknya, aku akan sedikit susah buat move on dari buku ini. Worth to read if you need something that can make you grateful for what you have now.
Having watched the film adaptation of Sweet Bean Paste and deeply loving it, I went into the audiobook with high expectations. Unfortunately, the book didn’t live up to the film.This is one of those rare cases where I feel the film is stronger than the original work. The adaptation added emotional depth that made the story more powerful. On the page, some moments felt repetitive and less impactful, whereas the film conveyed the characters’ inner struggles more vividly and with greater sensitivity.
I don’t usually listen to slice-of-life type of books, but this one was a nice surprise. The audiobook was only 5 hours, and at first, I’ll be honest, it tested my patience—the beginning felt very repetitive, maybe because it was focused on daily life and routines. But slowly, as the story progressed, it started to click. The message behind it and the story itself turned out to be really meaningful and touching in a quiet way.The narration was also pretty good, which helped me stay with it. Overall, it’s a cozy little book—don’t expect too much action or excitement, and you’ll probably enjoy it.
Synopsis.Sentaro, a failure in life with a criminal record and drinking habit who dreamt of becoming a writer, now runs a small confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a delicacy filled with sweet bean paste. He has no motivation for any improvements in his life.Everything changed when Tokue, an elderly woman came out to work at the confectionary shop. Having a troubled past and suffering from a disease, she bravely confronts the world and makes the tastiest sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. She starts teaching her skills to Sentaro too.Then appears Wakana, a teenager who loves to buy dorayaki after school. Tokue and Wakana form a profound and irreplaceable bond as they spend time together at the confectionery shop. As these unconventional friendship flourishes and Tokue's dark secret is revealed, public distress became difficult to escape leading to upsetting consequences.Review.Sweet Bean Paste is a beautiful and heart-warming novel about friendship, life and it's meaning. As the author describes the cherry blossoms falling from the branches under the setting sun, all you want is to be there and experience it yourself.Reading this book was magical. It brings out so many emotions and sentiments when you associate with the struggles of each character and reminds us how grateful we are to be living our life with serenity and freedom.There is so much to learn from every character be it Tokue, Sentaro or Wakana and it is a struggle to keep the book down without knowing what's next. That said, you can easily finish this book in one go and will find yourself reflecting on the wisdom Tokue shares. Also, the cute cover of the book aptly depicts the tenderness and elegance of the story inside.Highly recommend.Rating: 5/5