今よりずっと瘦せていた館長と、抱き合っている見たこともない服を着た女性。
Somehow I fail to parse the part after comma.
A women who wore clothes that never saw hugging each other?? This makes no sense.
Perhaps it’s (今よりずっと瘦せていた館長と、 - the curator who was much thinner than now and,) 抱き合っている (見たこともない服を着た女性 - a woman who wore clothes I’ve never seen before) but what noun does 抱き合っている modify?
This was the second book I finished after 時をかける少女, and I quite enjoyed it (except of chapter 2, which was too similar to chapter 1.) (I enjoyed 時をかける少女 too.) But I probably will have to skip the next book and instead try to finish Tobira and Try! N2. Will hopefully join the club again for the book after the next.
It’s the women in the photo: the curator (much slimmer than she is now) and a woman who the curator is hugging, a woman wearing clothing that Kino has never seen before.
Q1
I couldn’t say why, but it’s common when listing (and greeting) multiple people.
Q2
Your second parse is correct. 抱き合っている is modifying 女性 as well. the picture shows the curator, and a woman who she is hugging who is wearing clothes Kino hasn’t seen before.
It was spoiled for me by the Internet. The author tweeted in response to someone that the meaning of the message is up to everyone’s interpretation. Mostly, I believe he did it for the lulz.
Interesting. It seemed kind of weird that the lady would make up such an elaborate story that the country would buy into knowing it was false just so they could have war games (?) instead of a real war. I also didn’t really notice until I saw the first son’s name. When she said there was a fourth son, I was like “oh never mind it must have been a coincidence”, and then his name started with yo.
I take this to mean that she loaded Hermes to the max - is that correct?
(literally: “she shopped until piling up more onto Hermes would probably be impossible”)
One or two pages later
When they get to the library again and start talking to the librarian. Hermes just made a remark.
館長は、そうですかと言って、そして発言を足すようにキノを見た。
First I read this as “the librarian looked at Kino as if she(the librarian) wanted to add a remark.” But then I wondered whether it actually means “the librarian looked at Kino to see whether she(Kino) wanted to add a remark.” (also supported by the fact that Kino actually speaks next.)
How can this be distinguished (other than from context)? And what is the correct interpretation here?
Haven’t read that far yet, but I think 着た is probably past tense because its actual meaning it to put on. So, the clothes she put on in the morning. (and is consequently, wearing now)
I have to say, even though it might not appeal for some, I like how in many cases there’s no actual resolution in the chapters. You’re left thinking whether what’s going on is right or wrong, just like Kino.
Hm, I don’t understand why the author chose to put in the forest b first and in the forest a last. I feel like the end of in the forest a would have been the perfect cliffhanger and in the forest b brings the answer at the end
It had a small spoiler for chapter 5 though, and it assumed we already knew the stuff that was reintroduced in every chapter, so I can also see why it was at the end and not the beginning.
Unrelated to that, regarding this week’s reading, I think I’ll consider all those dots judgmental enough to call them a reaction and say I got what I said I wanted last week.
Oh, and we’re done with the book! That means I’ve now read five books in Japanese. The afterword of this one was a bit amusing, even if I personally read it last to avoid spoilers.
Just gonna say that with this over, I’m glad I decided to join this book even after lots of doubt when it first started. I thought I wouldn’t make it because it was going to be either too hard (it was at some points), or I might get too bored. Thank you all, I didn’t have much time to be more involved in the discussions because of work but I almost read every single message in all threads. Glad I joined and looking forward to other books with everyone here
