16 KiB
Ascendance of a Bookworm. Manga where a bookworm is reborn as a commoner in a fantasy land where only aristocrats and merchants and such are literate. Light novel original version in comments.
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Author: u/alliteratorsalmanac *
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URL: https://mangarock.com/manga/mrs-serie-19056/chapter/mrs-chapter-19057
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Score: 34
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Created: 2017-11-27T07:12:12
Post:
Comments:
u/alliteratorsalmanac [+10] (a minute later)
http://blastron01.tumblr.com/post/136172483490/ascendance-of-a-bookworm-001
Here's the light novel. I really like Dr. Stone, and this is reminiscent in premise. A pleasant read.
u/tonytwostep [+14] (a day later)
Just finished the LN (at least, what's been translated so far).
(possible very minor spoilers for both Bookworm and Dr. Stone below)
Conceptually it's similar to Dr. Stone (modern day protagonist attempting to recreate technology in a relatively primitive world), but as a story, I like Dr. Stone way more.
The protagonist of Bookworm only cares about technology as a way of acquiring books (and keeping herself alive until then), which is pretty simple-minded and one-dimensional. She's extremely childish and emotional, to the point where I can't actually believe that she's suppose to be a woman in her mid-20s (albeit in a child's body). And her "rational" intelligent application of knowledge/resources isn't actually that impressive - she has problems thinking of modern technologies to attempt to recreate, outside of a few cosmetic/food items, and most of her ideas come to her on a whim instead of through actual planning.
It's a fairly enjoyable read, but IMO not nearly on the same level as Dr. Stone (or other "modern day protagonist in primitive fantasy world" LNs/mangas). It's just OK fiction, and not particularly impressive rational fiction.
u/kaukamieli [+7] (2 days later)
She is not a scientist. People can be childish. Though it is a bit extreme, but it's of course possible the transition to a new body, and a child one too, could have had an effect too.
In my opinion dr stone is a bit too amazing adventure thing. The guy is way too smart. Bookworm feels way more realistic.
u/tonytwostep [+7] (2 days later)
She's not a scientist, but she is a university librarian, who apparently loved reading encyclopedias (as well as other books on psychology, religion, history, geography, education, folklore, mathematics, physics, geology, chemistry, biology, art, fitness, and language), per the prologue. She should certainly be making more technological leaps than introducing paper and shampoo, and she should be showing WAY more initiative with learning about her world. In the LN she's been there for almost two years, and still knows almost NOTHING about the world (she just learned the days of the week!).
She breaks into tears at slight provocations. Small children cause her mild inconveniences, and she starts planning elaborate revenges on them. She has awkward crushes on and gets embarrassed around other small children. Obviously it's a fantasy situation, but I can only think that if I were reincarnated as a kid while keeping my adult mind, I certainly wouldn't think of other 5-year-old children as equals, or naturally act even less mature than they do.
We can theorize that the transition to a child's body affected her psychologically, but there's nothing to actually suggest that in the text (it's not like we get to see her acting non-childish in her adult life prior to her reincarnation).
I do agree that Dr Stone goes far into the other direction, but I think it embraces how over the top it is - it isn't shooting for gritty realism. Bookworm does seem to shoot for "realism", which I think makes its flaws all the more jarring, and the dullness of the protagonist that much less impressive.
u/kaukamieli [+0] (2 days later)
Bookworm does seem to shoot for "realism"
It's a fantasy world with magic.
She should certainly be making more technological leaps than introducing paper and shampoo, and she should be showing WAY more initiative with learning about her world.
The thing is going slowly enough even as it is. If she would ask around finding all that info she would never grow up to actually get anything done.
She literally can't get anything done herself. How is a 6 year old with almost dead body going to be uplifting anything? :S
I think it's pretty amazing what she has done already. I don't think I could recreate shampoo, for example.
Even if it's not the transition that messes her up, it's probably the frustration with the sickness and the uselessness she feels.
But hey, it's certainly not perfect, but it's way better than the gamer and I'm a bit ashamed to say I'm devouring that. :S
u/KilotonDefenestrator [+8] (2 days later)
Bookworm does seem to shoot for "realism"It's a fantasy world with magic.
Using the word "realism" as in "exactly like the real world" when describing a fantasy world, which by definition has elements that are not present in the real world, would be unlikely.
I think its safe to assume that when talking about "realism" in fantasy works what people really mean is "internally consistent and plausible given how the fictional world works".
u/tonytwostep [+7] (2 days later)
Bookworm does seem to shoot for "realism"
It's a fantasy world with magic.
Sure, but fantasy worlds with magic can still shoot for realism. In this case, she's a poor sick girl whose family is focused on keeping food on the table, and fully expected their sick child to die (as was common in the actual historical period the story's loosely based on). I mean, that's a key part of rational/rationalist stories, to create "realistic" fantastical/sci-fi worlds - not in a sense of "this actually exists!", but rather in a sense of "given the premise of XYZ, how would an actual world unfold, and how would a real, intelligent protagonist act/react?"
The thing is going slowly enough even as it is. If she would ask around finding all that info she would never grow up to actually get anything done.
The author could easily weave questions about the world into sections where she's just hanging around the house with her sister, cooking/weaving baskets/etc. "The author is bad at story pacing" does not really excuse the protagonist being oblivious and singleminded (in her pursuit of books) to an unbelievable degree.
But hey, it's certainly not perfect, but it's way better than the gamer and I'm a bit ashamed to say I'm devouring that. :S
Well, I definitely agree with your assessment of The Gamer (had to stop reading that a while back). And I don't think there's anything wrong or shameful about reading and enjoying it (I mean, I did). But for me at least, I can enjoy something and still recognize that it has major flaws.
u/IgonnaBe3 [+2] (2 days later)
Hmm i think her childishness is way overplayed but i agree. Not everyone is a freaking scientist and becasuse of that its way more realistic than Dr. Stone because it doesnt have crazy highschool geniuses or overly capable strongmen.
u/kaukamieli [+1] (2 days later)
Yea, I said it's a bit extreme. But a Hero's war is pretty awesome read and in the midway. Not a total reboot, some actual uplifting and the mc seems to be actual human.
u/alliteratorsalmanac [+2] (a day later)
Yeah, I agree. The light novel isn't on the same level as Dr. Stone, on a rationalist level or otherwise. I think the manga for Bookworm is better than the light novel, although it's kind of hard to tell. I don't hold light novels to a very high standard, but I haven't read that many.
u/tonytwostep [+3] (a day later)
I did enjoy the Bookworm manga (or at least what’s been released so far) a lot more, especially in terms of pacing, dialogue, and characterization. It’s just a much more polished experience overall.
But unfortunately, it’s the same story and protagonist, which are not particular rational or impressive (as it sounds like you agree).
Still, thanks for posting! If nothing else, was a decently entertaining way to spend an evening :)
u/kaukamieli [+3] (2 days later)
I think Stone just poses as rationalist. He is this ubergenius who just knows everything they need and can macgyver things out by banging two rocks together. He even dispels what seems to be a magical spell...
Hero's war is where it is at.
u/KilotonDefenestrator [+1] (3 days later)
She's extremely childish and emotional
I assumed that was a result of being incarnated in a living child's mind (she got some kind of memory dump from the host, why not emotions as well?). Like a partial mind merge. Also, the biological brain (and body) is young, with all the neurochemical effects that could have.
u/tonytwostep [+2] (3 days later)
But see, that's just baseless conjecture, there's nothing actually suggesting that in the books.
On the other hand, we do know that Urano still kept her same desires (e.g. obsession with books), her same tastes in food, her same cultural preferences (e.g. using chopsticks), and her same lifestyle preferences (e.g. staying clean), even though they were completely alien to the original Maine and her family. Why would she just get a few selective emotions (like crushing on 5-year-old kids), and nothing else?
Maybe if Urano/Maine started thinking "wow I've been more emotional lately than I was in my past life...am I being influenced by the original Maine? Oh god, how much of me is still me??", or something like that, it would actually explain her immaturity.
Also, her brain biologically (or rather, magically in this case) seems to be her adult brain, not a child brain. As one example, the "digital span" (number of digits one can retain in their short-term memory) of 5-year-olds is ~5, but Urano/Maine's has been shown to be way more than that. I don't think normal 5-year-old biology can be assumed in a magical scenario like this.
u/KilotonDefenestrator [+1] (3 days later)
I read the translated manga, not the books. It has a scene where memories flood into her mind from the hosts childhood. Hence my assumption.
u/kaukamieli [+2] (4 hours later)
Thanks a ton for the novel. Read the manga before, but it has just a few chapters.
u/Gigapode [+9] (3 hours later)
Just spent an hour reading all the currently uploaded chapters of the manga. Thanks for the rec.
I'd have thought papyrus would be easier than clay tablets but without Google to tell her the steps I guess she can only go with what she can guess will work.
u/IgonnaBe3 [+5] (6 hours later)
i read it a long time ago but i was kinda frustrated at the time that she didnt try clay tablets again. I know her previous ones blew up but she could just try again this time drying them first or smth...
u/kaukamieli [+2] (2 days later)
She doesn't know why it exploded. For all she knows it could be magical... She is not an engineer or anything. Just likes books and wants to read. And the mother didn't want the tablets in the home anyway.
u/SilverEgo [+1] (4 days later)
I'm fairly sure they explained why in one of the translated light novel chapters - the Manga isn't there yet.
u/None [+7] (9 hours later)
[deleted]
u/alliteratorsalmanac [+23] (17 hours later)
People killed changelings up until the 19th century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling#Changelings_in_the_historical_record
u/kaukamieli [+4] (2 days later)
This. You don't go into possibly very superstitious place and start talking magic without doing any information.
u/ben_oni [+6] (a day later)
A quote from the light novel:
In all of the light novels out there about reincarnation, the vast majority of them dropped the protagonist amongst the rich and noble, and very few of the remainder place her in abject poverty.
This LN is about the life of the poor. This isn't about Maïne attempting to perform uplift; it's about a precocious five year old living in poverty in a previous (and often romanticized) era, and trying to make the best of her situation.
u/AurelianoTampa [+5] (2 days later)
I enjoyed the manga; haven't tried the LN yet. But the main character annoys me to some extent.
As other comments mentioned, she's supposedly a graduate student in a 5-year old's body. She's incredibly immature and short-sighted.
A bunch of things that are immediately curious to me don't interest her in the slightest. What is this "baptism?" What is religion like here? What is the world like? It's pretty clearly not Earth because of all the weird green and blue hair colors. Isn't she interested at all in how or why she was reincarnated? I realize none of those are her priority, but... it's like Middle Ages time and she's young and sick. It's not like she's kept busy and can't ask questions. I would think boredom, if nothing else, would eventually cause her to seek out answers.
Her dad is a soldier (and seemingly a guard leader of some sort). What is war like in this world? Besides unsavory looking people and nobles, who do they guard the gate against?
I think the depictions of how her family is basically working poor in a Middle Ages setting is probably the strongest feature of this work. It's a neat look into how tough life could be. But it still feels romanticized to an extent, mostly because the other characters feel so one-dimensional. Overprotective but kind-hearted dad, patient and caring mom, big sister... all tropes. I imagine their development is second to "look how neat this process of doing something we take for granted is!"
Anyway, thank you for the recommendation. I liked it, and it was a quick read. Any idea how often the manga gets updated?
u/eternal-potato [+3] he who vegetates (7 hours later)
I don't get it, she is bored and wants to consume new information at her usual rate. How is making her own book going to help that in anything but extremely long-term?
u/kaukamieli [+9] (a day later)
At this point she doesn't care about the freshness of the information. She would make a ton of books and sleep on top of them and guard them as her treasure. She has a problem.
u/ben_oni [+2] (5 days later)
... no. She's not bored. She's passionate, and the object of her passion (books) is unavailable. Consider that her driving desire is to be a librarian.
u/RadiantLegacy [+2] *Devastatingly Intelligent * (a day later)
Wow, I love the concept, read all the chapters last night. The artwork is really cute and on point, without being . . . weird, for lack of a better term.
Edit: I'm going to catch up with the light novels today, after I read the latest Ward chapter . . .
u/TheAtomicOption [+1] (2 days later)
holy crap that is so good! :) I wish there were more completed. :(
u/Nterjafnsyj [+1] (3 months later)
I loved the manga it is so intresting and i always wait for them and i wish it come more than only on wednesday so pls put more....