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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don’t get the hype. I’m giving this 3* because parts of it were nice and there was a good idea there, but I can’t get over the lack of logic:
1. “before the coffee gets cold”, first of all, how cold are we talking? Is lukewarm still fine? How can you tell when it’s too cold or not (they had an alarm for that, why not give it to everyone)? Speaking of, why did the first character’s coffee go cold almost instantly so she barely had time to speak while another one had the time to eat an entire meal before it got cold, in the same temperature?
2. The second woman choosing to not be called Kohtake anymore is presented as a very significant thing at the end of the second story, however she continues to be referred to as Kohtake for the rest of the book for some reason. Not sure why they even use her last name when the rest of the friend group is on a first name basis, but even that aside it still makes no sense.
3. Why did she go back in time to read her husband’s letter when he still had it in the present and they lived together so she could have read it? I understand if she just wanted to go back to before he lost his memory to see him, but the fact that she went specifically for the letter makes zero sense to me.
4. Hirai gives up on the life she actually likes and goes back to one she never wanted (where she also has to deal with the parents who disowned her just because she wanted to do something other than run the family business) just because her dead sister would have wanted her to. Speaking of, her sister was overly insistent while alive, calling Hirai selfish but then spending years SELFISHLY trying to get her to come back because that is her dream? Maybe Hirai wouldn’t have hid so much and they could have had a good relationship if her sister had been able to respect her decisions and talk about anything other than the damn inn.
5. Why were they able to see the daughter when she came from the future, but when Hirai’s sister visited they didn’t see Hirai coming from the future? The rules are very inconsistent. I won’t even talk about all the arbitrary rules that are never even explained because Kazu just likes being obnoxious with that.
6. Are we still at the level of the woman dramatically choosing to keep a child knowing it would kill her, and her husband being unable to choose between her and a 4 week old fetus? Give me a break.
7. Not a logic flaw, but I don’t need to know what each character is wearing at each outfit change. This was adapted from a play and it shows too much. It is also overly repetitive, maybe the author is good at writing plays but I don’t think his novel writing skills are as good. The language felt very dry to me but that might also be a translation issue.
Anyway. I guess this just wasn’t to me. I don’t get the 5* ratings, but maybe it’s because it’s a very feelings-based not logic-based book. I still don’t think all these inconsistencies should have been left in. It was an okay book, but I am curious to understand what people saw in it that was so amazing.
1. “before the coffee gets cold”, first of all, how cold are we talking? Is lukewarm still fine? How can you tell when it’s too cold or not (they had an alarm for that, why not give it to everyone)? Speaking of, why did the first character’s coffee go cold almost instantly so she barely had time to speak while another one had the time to eat an entire meal before it got cold, in the same temperature?
2. The second woman choosing to not be called Kohtake anymore is presented as a very significant thing at the end of the second story, however she continues to be referred to as Kohtake for the rest of the book for some reason. Not sure why they even use her last name when the rest of the friend group is on a first name basis, but even that aside it still makes no sense.
3. Why did she go back in time to read her husband’s letter when he still had it in the present and they lived together so she could have read it? I understand if she just wanted to go back to before he lost his memory to see him, but the fact that she went specifically for the letter makes zero sense to me.
4. Hirai gives up on the life she actually likes and goes back to one she never wanted (where she also has to deal with the parents who disowned her just because she wanted to do something other than run the family business) just because her dead sister would have wanted her to. Speaking of, her sister was overly insistent while alive, calling Hirai selfish but then spending years SELFISHLY trying to get her to come back because that is her dream? Maybe Hirai wouldn’t have hid so much and they could have had a good relationship if her sister had been able to respect her decisions and talk about anything other than the damn inn.
5. Why were they able to see the daughter when she came from the future, but when Hirai’s sister visited they didn’t see Hirai coming from the future? The rules are very inconsistent. I won’t even talk about all the arbitrary rules that are never even explained because Kazu just likes being obnoxious with that.
6. Are we still at the level of the woman dramatically choosing to keep a child knowing it would kill her, and her husband being unable to choose between her and a 4 week old fetus? Give me a break.
7. Not a logic flaw, but I don’t need to know what each character is wearing at each outfit change. This was adapted from a play and it shows too much. It is also overly repetitive, maybe the author is good at writing plays but I don’t think his novel writing skills are as good. The language felt very dry to me but that might also be a translation issue.
Anyway. I guess this just wasn’t to me. I don’t get the 5* ratings, but maybe it’s because it’s a very feelings-based not logic-based book. I still don’t think all these inconsistencies should have been left in. It was an okay book, but I am curious to understand what people saw in it that was so amazing.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 ⭐ |
It was such a heartwarming reading! All the stories are lovely in their own way. The ability to express feelings without necessarily talking about them creates such a comforting experience.
The only downside is that I could tell it was written by a man… It’s just the way some women are described. Call it a superpower of mine or me just being picky, but it really bothers me. Like in The Sisters—the idea that a woman can only be truly happy by fulfilling her family’s expectations (I get that abnegation for the family is a deeply cultural thing, but come on, honest conversations exist for a reason). Also, why would you like to describe a man as someone who considers that the gynecology is a sanctuary for women where men should not venture
It was such a heartwarming reading! All the stories are lovely in their own way. The ability to express feelings without necessarily talking about them creates such a comforting experience.
The only downside is that I could tell it was written by a man… It’s just the way some women are described. Call it a superpower of mine or me just being picky, but it really bothers me. Like in The Sisters—the idea that a woman can only be truly happy by fulfilling her family’s expectations (I get that abnegation for the family is a deeply cultural thing, but come on, honest conversations exist for a reason). Also, why would you like to describe a man as someone who considers that the gynecology is a sanctuary for women where men should not venture
3.5 stars rounded up. Although I don’t necessarily agree with many of the themes in the book, I can appreciate the differences in cultures. And any book that makes me cry, I have to give at least 3 stars. This was heavyyy though - I need a palette cleanser now
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Bello ma in alcuni punti un po’ ripetitivo.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Such a cozy book, !!! I personally think that the simplicity of the composition + the way the stories were written was the charm of the book. While reading i thought about how i could lend this to my younger relatives so they could read and enjoy:( would love to see this as a play!