As I was reading A Tale for the Time Being, I was struck by how clear and distinct the two narratives of Nao and Ruth were. Nao’s voice is directing her writing to an existing audience (Ruth) and the self-awareness colors her writing, while Ruth’s narrative reads as a typical novel might. It’s intwresting because this contrast makes it even more difficult for me to determine if the author Ruth Ozeki is implied to be “Ruth” in the novel because unlike 10:04 and I Hate the Internet, it never conflates the author with the character “Ruth” at any point.