How Do You Live?
- Subject
- Places - Asia
- Age
- 9-12 years
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Algonquin Young Readers
- Size
- 13.7 cm × 20.8 cm
- ISBN
- 9781643753072
As featured in the Oscar-nominated Hayao Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron: the coming-of-age novel How Do You Live? is a Japanese classic that became a New York Times bestseller.
After the death of his father, fifteen-year-old Copper must confront inevitable and enormous change, including the aftermath of his own betrayal of his best friend. Between episodes of Copper’s emerging story, letters from his uncle share knowledge and offer advice on life’s big questions. Like his namesake Copernicus, Copper looks to the stars and uses his discoveries about the heavens, earth, and human nature to answer the question of how he will live.
First published in 1937 in Japan, Genzaburō Yoshino’s How Do You Live? has long been an important book for Academy Award-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle). Perfect for readers of philosophical fiction like The Alchemist and The Little Prince, How Do You Live? serves as a thought-provoking guide for young readers as they grow up in a world both infinitely large and unimaginably small.
Data provided by BiblioShare.
What reviewers said
“A heartwarming and empathetic text engineered to help kids comprehend the world around them and their places in it . . . Like the best Miyazaki films, [the] lessons are often deceptively simple, but they have implications for every person who comes of age through adversity.”
A New York Times Bestseller
An Indie Bestseller
“A teen ponders the complexities of life, history, and humanity in this 1937 classic from Japan being animated by Hayao Miyazaki . . . Simple and beautiful seasonal details reflect Copper’s emotional journey. Small glimpses into prewar Japanese life and culture, including tofu making, school social hierarchies, city life, and the intricacies and symbolism of words, contribute to the atmosphere . . . A childhood favorite of Miyazaki’s and one that is sure to find a select, but eager, readership outside its homeland.”
“Thoughtful and hopeful in the vein of classic children's literature. [An] excellent translation, providing insight into Miyazaki's works.”
“[A] deeply thoughtful Japanese classic . . . A gentle tale of self-discovery and reflection, and a compassionate guidebook on integrity punctuated by rich sensory details . . . Yoshino’s timeless lessons will resonate with sensitive readers young and old.”
“A thought-provoking coming of age novel that teaches children how to navigate through life…beautiful…engaging.”
