How Do You Live? is an earnest, winsome manual for living. There’s no dramatic plot, no character development, but the emotional climax, when it comes, is tense and moving and cuts to the quick. Rather than being gripped by narrative tension, we are gripped by empathy. This book speaks directly to the heart.

Copper is fifteen. He’s short, fast, and clever, but what’s important is that he’s observant and enquiring. He relates his school day to his uncle, and his uncle responds in a journal. In this way, the key message of the book - reflect on your actions - is mirrored in the book’s structure.

Though set in Tokyo in the 1930s, How Do You Live? has a timeless quality. It’s about Tokyo and everywhere and nowhere. Time and place are immaterial, universal. What matters is being spirited and thoughtful - wherever, whenever.

Copper and his uncle discuss art, science, heroism, social class, production, and consumption. More specifically: Copernicus and the earth orbiting the sun, Isaac Newton and gravity, Napoleon’s dramatic career, and the Greek influence on representations of Buddha - all in chatty language without artifice. ‘So I will speak to you seriously about such matters, without even half joking,’ writes Copper’s uncle.

It’s worth starting with Bruno Navasky’s A Note from the Translator to understand the context the book was written in. After a branch of ‘Thought Police’ were created, Yoshino was imprisoned for eighteen months for attending ‘political meetings with socialists.’ For Genzaburō Yoshino it was imperative that a child should be able to think and stand up for itself.

Much is being made of the book’s influence on Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away), but movies aside, How Do You Live? is a fresh antidote to today’s empty celebrity culture and the inward-looking iconisation of the self.

It is literary brown bread and cod-liver oil: simple, honest, nourishing fare that sits alongside Antoine Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince and Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Suitable for readers of ten and upwards.

Although I enjoyed the stories of Copper's school days, I felt that the uncle was too pedantic in trying to teach his nephew some important life lessons. I doubt that a 15 year old boy would have been receptve to such long, philosophical discussions.

This book truly is timeless in its focus on empathy, friendship, greatness, and regret through the lens of international history, philosophy, art, industrialism, and sociology. But make it middle grade / young adult. Each situation is clearly outlined as our main character Copper, his uncle, and his three best friends encounter a problem and discuss it.

There were a few passages that might not fly with a modern audience, though. These were embedded in the sections about poverty and about heroes. There is discussion about "weakness" keeping people unhappily in poverty, which ignores and belittles systemic factors or things like disability and mental illness which may impact one's "strength" to "overcome" poverty. That definitely rubbed me wrong, but a lot of the other points in the book still stand.

It also got to be very preachy. Nothing was left out as each problem is discussed at length - with the uncle's (and therefore the author's) opinions waxing poetic for long stretches of pages under the guise of discussing history, for example.

There is definitely an audience for a book like this, and i think it could definitely be an asset particularly in a classroom or school library.

How Do You Live is a very different read that what I would normally read, but I was curious. Though there was parts of it I wasn’t a fan of I am still glad that I read it.

How Do You Live is a coming of age story about four boys and their lives during the 1930’s in Japan. It’s told in two different narratives. One is Copper, a young boy who father is dead and the other his Uncle who writes in a journal things that he wants to tell Copper.

My favorite parts was the partst that was about Copper and his friends and how things go with them as they go to school, learn new things and have fun with each other. It’s during some of these times that Copper learns certain things that he tells his uncle and his uncle then writes down things in the journal in hopes of shaping the young mans life. One thing that Copper’s father ask him to do before he died was to make sure he became a good man. It was interesting reading about the boys and especially how Copper seen things. There is even a time where thier is a betrayal in the friendship and I liked seeing how it was settled.

The Uncle’s journal though was a bit to wordy for me and sometimes it was pages and pages and I often thought that this book was a sneaky way of making the Japanese child learn thier lessons while thinking they were reading a book. It at times was a bit to philosophical for me as we learned about Newtwon’s theories, Napoleon, and other life lessons. It was most of these parts that sort of made my eyes glaze over as they were very long parts.

I am glad that I gave it a go and I can see others enjoying this a bit more than I did, as it wasn’t bad it was just not what I am use too and I think it is great that it has now been translated into English so that more people can read this Japanese classic.

I had the feeling that the book had everything to have an inspiring teacher figure, as Copper's thoughts came from science, history and philosophy, and when his uncle analyzed his nephew's ideas and put his own knowledge together, it sounded like a cool teacher talking.

While reading, I enjoyed seeing academic and complicated things being seen in simple and everyday ways by Copper, as it reminded me of the Paulo Freire method of teaching. The Copper's thought that I liked the most was related to the point that people are molecules, and that we don't know all the people that are important to our day-to-day life, like for example I don't know all the faces of the people who produce the food and all those that make it reach the neighborhood market, but they are as important as the owner of the market.

On How do You Live? there is some fable tone in the narrative, but I imagined there would be something magic throughout the story, due to the book's marketing being based on two names: Hayao Miyazaki (where his animated films are magical on different levels) and the introduction by Neil Gaiman, who has already put all sorts of magic and fantasy into his stories.

Sometimes Copper's uncle's train of thought stretched too far, which got in the way of my excitement about the book, but overall I really enjoyed checking out this learning journey of a teen boy and getting to know a classic Japanese middle-grade book.

A childhood favorite of Hayao Miyazaki, this is the first English translation of a famous Japanese story from 1937. I’ll admit that as a super fan of Miyazaki’s work, knowing he came out of retirement to create a film adaptation of this story is what initially drew me to the book. This also elevated my reading experience. While reading I kept envisioning it as a Miyazaki movie and it came to life in my mind.

This is a simple but charming coming of age story of 15 year old Copper, interspersed with profound and reflective letters written to him in his uncle’s journal. It’s a quiet story that’s truly timeless and feels shockingly relevant and modern. The uncle’s letters have a philosophical feel, which isn’t normally my thing, but their insightful messages really rang true. I found them therapeutic and moving.

Even so, I preferred the sections focused on Copper’s story. The philosophical notes reflected on what was happening in Copper’s life, but I felt they interrupted what I saw as the main story. What made me appreciate them more was the fitting thought that Miyazaki is making this film for his grandson in the same way the uncle’s letters were meant to be pearls of wisdom to leave behind for his nephew. Thinking of them as reflective pauses also helped.

The letters help Copper answer the question of how he will live and the novel allows you to pause and reflect on the same question. How do you live? I picked this up to understand one of Miyazaki’s influences and put it down happy to have read a heartwarming and thought provoking story.

How Do You Live? is a classic Japanese middle-grades novel written by Genzaburo Yoshino and translated into English by Bruno Navasky.

The story has two narrators, Copper and his uncle. As young Copper notices things about the world around him, his uncle encourages him with love and care, gently guiding him to become a good person. Copper’s childhood experiences and his thoughts about them are followed with reflections in Uncle’s Notebook, meant for a slightly older Copper to read. This is what makes it such a charming story — Uncle constantly encourages Copper to think about the world and his place in it.

There’s not really a conflict and resolution here. As Copper has typical school boy experiences, the resolution is just him learning more about himself. He learns about friendship and bullying, as well as coming to awareness of social structure. At one point, he realizes that a classmate isn’t lazy or slacking, instead he’s tired at school after doing an adult’s job in the family tofu shop. Copper compares the home above the tofu shop to his own own, and discovers his own luxuries and advantages. He’s also excited, in a sweet, boyish way, when he gets to try some of the equipment for making pressed tofu. Copper’s growing awareness of his place and privileges is touching and effective.

The pacing of How Do You Live? quite slow. There is attention to description, often mentioning clothes and weather to set the scene. The slow pace works with the overall book being less about what happens next in the plot and more about, well, how to live. (Well, there’s one section, about Napoleon, that dragged a bit, but in general I was on board with a gentle unfolding.) I liked Copper considering events and feelings, and I especially liked when his mother and uncle told him stories instead of directly instructing him. Readers are often shown hints, rather than being directly told.

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC. Below is an excerpt of my review of How Do You Live? by Genzaburō Yoshino. To read my full review, please visit: https://wigginswords.com/category/book-reviews/

"How Do You Live? is a bildungsroman Japanese tale translated to English for the first time since its original publication in 1937. While its resurgence will garner new readers, it has also brought the acclaimed animator of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, out of retirement to make one last film based on this classic, his childhood favorite, and just in time for Ghibli Fest. The story acts as a time capsule that remembers not only the idyllic past, but a promising future. The novel is careful not to be overbearing with its historical and political context as it serves a necessary, metaphorical, and practical ethos. The book also takes aims at groupthink, selfishness, and the suspension of disbelief with considerate measures, thoughts, and defenses against their extremes. Put simply, Yoshino writes with metacognition, depicts a progressive multiculturalism while recognizing the dark side of human nature, and celebrates ideas, the people who have them, the people without them, and the people who misuse them. It is also a celebration of celebration itself, the ability to be grateful, to exhibit gratitude for the actions, feelings, and thoughts we have. In this way, the life lessons presented by the characters become one bridge rather than a border between each other and a story that they tell together and apart, knowingly and unknowingly..."

How Do You Live? was a childhood favourite of Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle) and I am truly honored to be reading a book that I feel helped shaped him into being the awe-inspiring creator that he became.

This book is a coming of age story, set in Tokyo in the 1930s. It is a history lesson, a science lesson, philosophy lesson all while talking about what it truly means to be human. It is beautiful and inspiring and I can see why and how it became Miyazaki's childhood favourite.

It is told in two points of view, our main character Copper and his Uncle. Copper's father has been dead for a few years now and his Uncle is taking it upon himself to guide his young nephew with advice and wisdom. He's pov's are in the form of letters that he is compiling in a notebook that he will one day hand to Copper. Topics such as what it means to be human, to be heroic, and other lessons. He tells of Coppers fathers words that he wanted passed on to him.

Copper is in junior high school, he comes from a well off family as do most of his friends, with the exception of one. He is a deep thinker, who sees the world a little different then others boys his age. With the help of his friends, his uncle and his mother he learns what it means to be human and good one at that. As the book flows through the seasons, we feel Coppers growth, his emotions, his regrets. His struggles and how he deals with them.

How Do You Live, descriptions of the simplest things, such as a seed and it is eventually into a flower will make you pause and reflect. The whole book is wonderful and I truly feel honored to experience it for myself.



Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for giving me the chance to read and spread the word about this special book.

I will be adding a physical copy to my own shelf and over the moon to see this become the spectacular anime that Hayo Miyazaki will create.

Review: An excellent book, that I would definitely recommend trying!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I would've never come across this book if I wasn't invited to sign for the blog tour. This book is supposedly a childhood favorite of well-known animator Hayao Miyazaki. You might not be familiar with that name but he did Spirited Away, My neighbor Totoro, and Howl's Moving Castle to name a few. And Mr. Miyazaki is said to be going to base his final film on this book. Of course, this piqued my interest. I didn't even ask the publicist how she comes across my blog. I am just so excited to be part of this tour for the first ever English translation.

How Do you Live features 15-year old boy, Cooper, who lost his father and finds himself in a new season of his life, with some help from his uncle. The book then has two point of views - one is Cooper's and the other is his uncle's through letters and journals. The book is very thought provoking. Through Cooper, the book tries to answer questions about life that are both basic and deep. And I can say that it somehow succeeded in that point. What I love about this book is it didn't just focus on philosophical aspect of things. There are so many lessons featured, from science and history, to politics and ethics. And of course, there are tons of lessons about humanity and morality.

It is easy to relate to Cooper because all of us came or will come to a point in our lives where we begin asking the right questions about life. We don't have to lose anyone, just as Cooper did, for us to feel that inner longing to understand life, which entails the question how to live, not just with ourselves but more importantly, with others.

Cooper is great kid, all things considered. But he seems to be preoccupied of different things to step up. I love his uncle's words. I am always excited to read his letters and journals. His words are gems to be treasured. They're very motivational. I could've highlighted lots of lines from his POV if it wouldn't slow my reading. And the book itself is slow already. That sounds like a criticism but in my case, I didn't mind the pacing. It fits the story for me. Although, I think that would be a bit of a problem for younger readers. This is, after all, a childrens and Middle Grade book.

I also love Cooper and his friends. Their friendship is so amazing. A little bit dramatic but insightful. But still, my favorite is Cooper's relationship with his uncle. I think because it makes me think of Mr. Miyazaki as the uncle. I don't know, it was just easy to imagine the animator as the one giving insightful thoughts.

A delightful coming-of-age story that looks into the way growing up shifts the way we view the world itself. The story itself does not cover much time or really a set narrative, but rather acts as a brief window into the life of Copper, its protagonist and the friends and family who shape his world. It's a poignant book that delves into the philosophical and the mundane all at once. It's no surprise to hear that this book is a favorite of Hayao Miyazaki's, as his films also touch upon so many of the themes of this book. The timing of its initial publishing also offers a really unique view into Japan at the time, as the book first came out in 1937. One can't help but think about how these fictional characters, growing up in the 1930s would have their lives changed in such drastic ways as Imperial Japan leant further into militarism and expansionist policies in Asia, eventually also joining the Second World War as part of the Axis alliance. Overall, I found "How Do You Live" to be a really thoughtful and touching story of a boy learning about the world around him and his place in it. I'm so glad English-speaking readers will now have the chance to engage with this story!

I am DNFing this book at 30% as this book is very much not meant for me. That being said, it's a really good book; just not my cup of tea. As such I will not be rating it.

This book reads like a philosophical textbook I would have read in an English theory class in college--not that this is a bad thing at all. I actually found it really enjoyable. It has a TON of deep thoughts, so keep that in mind as you go into it. It's not a traditional story by any means. There is no plot (at least what I saw in the first 30%). The story more meanders through the revelations of the main character Copper as he comes to understand each person's unique role in their own lives and our world.

It's honestly a fascinating read and really interesting to sit back and think about. I think it brings up a lot of good discussions on being more considerate about other people and how they all have their own lives and are main characters in their own story.

So that being said, if you're wanting a deep read, then go for it. It's wholesome and has some really tender moments from what I read, and it's really interesting.

HOW DO YOU LIVE is a Japanese classic that centers around a highly imaginative boy Copper, who is becoming a young man and has adventures with his friends. In between chapters, his uncle offers him words of wisdom through letters in a journal, since Copper's late father desire is for him to become a great man.

Full of metaphors, Copper slowly discovers science, history, philosophy, art, language and politics through slices of his life. In this novel, there are profound and brilliant insights about how community and human relationships work and how they evolve as humanity progresses. Copper learns life lessons and sees facts with creative eyes, as if visualizing things and himself from far away. Beyond science and theory, the major challenge is the social skills and interaction that can't be taught and we, just like Copper, find ourselves embracing our inner feelings.

What I found interesting is the different perspective of war and the sharp approach about suffering and unhappiness. Themes of poverty and inequality are also thoughtfully covered, being a realistic depiction of the city of Tokyo in 1937. Alongside these social subjects, we also follow the development of Copper as a character and the way his friendship matures throughout the story.

My complaints are that if you are expecting a quick or light read, this slow-paced novel might not be for you; also I wasn't invested in the parts regarding baseball (baseball fans would enjoy it). Lastly, make sure to read the note from the translator, which was very enlightening to give us the whole context and author's background.

Heartwarming yet sad at times, this classic is an animated film in the making by Hayao Miyazaki that I am excited to watch (Studio Ghibli's animator).

How Do You Live? Is the first English translation of the classic Japanese novel for young readers. It “teaches the younger generation about the importance of the humanities to society and the value of thinking for oneself and standing up for others during troubled times.”

This is a story of a fifteen-year-old boy nicknamed Copper and his uncle. Copper was born and raised in Tokyo, now living outside the city. His adventures with his friends are intertwined with his uncle’s advice. After the passing of his father, Copper enjoys guidance of his uncle.

Copper is a good student. However, his mischievous side wouldn’t allow him to be a leader at school. He is not bad-spirited. He simply likes to make people laugh. At school, there is teasing and causing another discomfort by some, but there are also those who stand on the other side and show kindness. And that’s what Copper’s father would expect of his son. Copper is given advice to always consider his feelings, what moves him, to make a habit of thinking honestly. Like his father, his mother and uncle want him to become a great person, to have great thoughts, what it means to be human.

School teaches you to follow certain rules, but the most important thing is “to know yourself first, truly and deeply, where human greatness lies.” They don’t want him to be one of those acting “just for appearance’s sake – in order to seem great in the eyes of others.” Thus, neglecting the true self. “You absolutely must attend to the things you feel in your own heart, the things that move you deeply. That is what is most important, now and always.”

The story holds many lessons ranging from science to history, philosophy, ethics and more. It gives the story interesting dimensions. Nevertheless, the biggest lesson is what it means to be human, to understand social relationships. Anything that is presented be it through history or science, it all comes down to the same question how was it achieved? And was it achieved to help to advance the human race? Or was it for self-purposes? Any act of heroism must be devoted to human progress and goodness, otherwise it’s meaningless and lacks spirit.

There is a lesson to be learned from suffering and sadness and mistakes we make. “As long as we are human, we all make mistakes.” But we also have the ability to recover from mistakes.

It is a very poignant read. I enjoyed the voice of his uncle and what he was trying to relate. But I wonder, since the audience is YA, if messages should be shorter and more straight-forward. So their attention doesn’t wonder off.

Thank you to Algonquin and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino is a middle-grade/YA book in translation and is about to be turned into a new Studio Ghibli film by Hayao Miyazaki. When I heard the word "Ghibli," I knew that I had to read this book immediately. I love Japanese novels in translation, and I love Hayao Miyazaki. Some of my favorite films, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, were directed by him. Thank you again to the publisher for this opportunity!

The book revolves around a 15 year-old Japanese schoolboy nicknamed Copper, who is going through changes and the trials of friendship in school. Interspersed between chapters from Copper's perspective are journal entries from Copper's uncle, writing to him with words of advice and philosophical knowledge. The book is definitely very philosophical. The synopsis compares it to The Alchemist and The Little Prince, and I definitely agree with those comparisons.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1 that introduces us to Copper:

"Copper is in his second year of junior high school.
His real name is Honda Jun'ichi. Copper is his nickname. He's fifteen, but on the small side for fifteen, and to be honest, Copper himself is pretty sensitive about that.
At the beginning of each term, the gym teacher has the class form a line, remove their hats, and arrange themselves by height. Copper quietly slips the heel of his shoe onto a stone and cranes his neck in a painful effort to move ahead in the order somehow, but he never does. Instead he always ends up wrestling with his classmate Kitami-nicknamed Gatchin-in a fierce contest for second or third place. Of course, that's from the back end of the line."

Overall, How Do You Live? is a stunning coming of age novel that reminded me of classic coming of age novels like those by Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume. It was fantastic being transported to mid-20th century Japan and seeing how a teenage boy dealt with problems at school and in life back then. I will definitely see the movie when it comes out, and I will even give this book a reread after I watch the movie to see if it enhances my enjoyment of this book.

If I had to complain about one thing, I would say that I wish that this book had some magic in it. Although this book is philosophical and definitely not a fantasy, I feel like it was missing some of the Ghibli magic that I have come to expect. Judging it on its own merits, though, this book definitely hits all the marks of a classic coming-of-age novel. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of Japanese novels in translation, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in October!

A case of I wanted to like this book more than I actually liked it unfortunately, I decided to stop reading this at 45%. While the philosophising was interesting at first, it quickly became tedious due to it taking up more of the book than the actual story. At the time I quit reading, the current block of philosophising was 13 pages long. It's just too much.

This book was so wonderful. Finding out that this book was a childhood favorite of Hayao Miyazaki definitely put it into a certain perspective for me, but standing alone, despite the fact that it was originally written in 1937, it holds up even today. This is the first English translation of the book, but it is wonderfully done and hard to believe it took so long for this book to come to the English-speaking world.
From the outside, it seems to be merely a tale of a young boy, learning how to make moral decisions and grow. However, there is so much more in the meat of the book. It is philosophical, allegorical, and gives you that unnameable feeling when you know a book has fundamentally changed how you view the world.
The influences upon Miyazaki's work from this book are very evident, and I greatly appreciate that because it sheds a light upon what his work is meant to teach and guide young viewers to do.
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you have a younger child, this is a wonderful addition to their reading list, but even for adults it is engaging and heartwarming as well.

This ebook was provided by the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from Algonquin Young Readers through NetGalley.
Readers meet Copper and learn about his life as a middle school young man. We see his family and friends and the usual struggles faced at this age. Readers also see the tight bond he has with his uncle; he discusses everything with him and looks up to him for advice. Copper's father passed away before the book began so it makes sense that his uncle is the male role model in his life. The book flips between chapters about Copper's life and writings in his uncle's notebook that share more information on topics they discuss.
The book moves painfully slowly and topics are stretched well beyond what is needed to make points. The uncle's writings do challenge readers to think about their own understanding of life. Copper is a likeable character and so are his friends and family. Nothing stands out as they live typical lives. The title comes from the last sentence in the book as Copper thinks about his life and his goals. Readers are challenged to do the same.

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

How Do You Live is a Japanese literature classic. This version is translated into English and will be made into an animated movie by the artist Hayao Miyazaki.

The format was engaging, as it alternated between letters from our protagonist, Copper, and excerpts from his uncle's notebook.

I found this book to be very calming, reflective, and philosophical. I think no matter when it was written, people can still relate to its messages about life.