The Webs We Weave

In beginning Ruth Ozeki's novel All Over Creation, I was bewitched by the way she unraveled the complexity of the lives she created. Much like our actual lives, the story entails different perspectives. As though each life is a string, they connect to make a web. Ozeki beautifully illustrates the characters trials, traumas, personal fears and desires through giving each an opportunity to express themselves. Ozeki gives depth to her characters by giving multiple outside perspectives and internal evaluations. The story is only made that much more dynamic because it gives the reader multiple lenses to look through. Unlike many other stories, the reader is not subjected to adhere to one voice but given the opportunity to hear many. To see the pain of Yumi's parents through Cass's eyes and read the emotion of Yumi's face through Llyod's perspective is something intrinsically valuable in a literary sense. The way that Ozeki builds the characters up separately but joins them together is spellbinding. I am excited to see where the story takes us. I already see so many valuable connections between identity and environment that are applicable to the real world and anticipate that Ozeki will only grow upon these connections further.