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REVIEW: Kiki's Delivery Service Novel




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Blackiris_



Joined: 06 Sep 2013
Posts: 537
PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:26 pm Reply with quote
This was the first novel I read in Japanese and I’m happy it’s out in English now with a new translation (though I can’t judge the old translation). The story holds a special place in my heart for different reasons than the Ghibli movie – the tones of the stories are quite different.

I hope English readers will also get the remaining five novels. All of them follow roughly the same pattern of mostly episodic stories (that are still interconnected; there are lots of recurring characters), but focus on a different part of Kiki’s growth. In the last novel Kiki is already an adult with kids!

Thank you for covering this on ANN. I agree that the magic in this book is very much universal and will appeal children (and adults) regardless of all cultures. In fact, I think Kadono’s writing (not all of it, but this series) feels quite similar to works of European children’s authors. The still have a very unique flavor in Japanese though, and it was probably challenging to translate (or leave out) the tons of onomatopoetic words.

On a related note, Kadono has also written novels with strong autobiographical elements. One is about her experience during WW2 as a child (The Tunnel Forest 1945). I don’t expect those to be published in English, but if a publisher decides to pick them up, I’d be very happy.
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JennLegacy



Joined: 12 Oct 2013
Posts: 112
PostPosted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 4:42 pm Reply with quote
My first time reading this book was all the way back in 3rd grade when I found it in my school's library. Back then, my first thought was why the cover looked nothing like the movie, lol. Really looking forward to revsiting this and I hope the rest of the series gets translated as well.
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manapear



Joined: 02 May 2014
Posts: 1538
PostPosted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 1:00 am Reply with quote
I've been so excited for this, I'm so happy! I can't wait to read it, and I look forward to the rest of the series.
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