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How Do You Live?

by Genzaburo Yoshino

A coming-of-age story shaped by questions about how to live

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A coming-of-age story shaped by questions about how to live

Set around fifteen-year-old Copper’s changing life, the novel pairs his emerging story with letters from his uncle on life’s larger questions. Copper is reckoning with his father’s death and the consequences of betraying a close friend; his interest in the heavens and the natural world becomes part of his effort to understand human nature and his own choices. First published in Japan in 1937, the book brings personal change into conversation with broad philosophical questions, using Copper’s experiences and his uncle’s reflections as complementary strands.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Young readers interested in coming-of-age fiction and questions about personal choices.
  • Readers who enjoy stories that combine a young character’s experiences with reflective letters and advice.
  • Those curious about a Japanese novel first published in 1937.

Themes

Coming of ageGrief and changeFriendship and betrayalHuman nature and the natural world

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

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.
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