Reviews

Night on the Galactic Railroad is dreamy, and easy to get absorbed in quickly. The relatable protagonist, Giovanni drifts off and finds himself on a journey through the cosmos where he encounters friends and new acquaintances who seem barely grounded to a physical form. Besides the descriptions of the ethereal world Giovanni travels through, the story is mostly driven by the emotions he internalizes regarding the people around him which makes him feel like a natural and vulnerable focal point.

I wasn't as fully committed to the other stories in this collection. Nighthawk, and Signal and Signal-less were a little too disjointed for me and it was difficult for me to buy into the anthropomorphism choices that were made.

jamessss's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

heartpages's review against another edition

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4.0

Reading Eastern stories with a Western sensibility is always interesting because I realize how conditioned we are to expect a certain type of ending, especially one with distinct closure. It's a breath of fresh air - albeit a jarring one - to read literature that challenges that discourse.
These stories, though distinct from each other, together do reflect our relationship with the sky and beyond. They fit a theme that features a sense of wonder and possibility in the midst of fataliam and acceptance of it.

cozycaterpillar's review against another edition

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2.0

2.5
This collection contains four stories.
1) The Star-Circling Song - This is a poem. I'm not really into poetry so I guess this was alright. It was one page.
2) The Nighthawk Star - This is my favorite story in this collection. It feels like a good old fashioned folk tale.
3) Signal and Signal-less - I honestly do not remember this one.
4) Night on the Galactic Rail Road - This is the longest story and what the collection is named after. I need to read this again because it started out boring and then it got interesting, and then it got super trippy.

zeroiv's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

esorkcalbre's review against another edition

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4.0

A very fun journey! This collection was very beautifully written. Miyazawa was a very talented writer carried by his faith, his observations, and his love for animals.

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