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julieyael's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Death, Chronic illness, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
kjm19's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Characters were, unfortunately, pretty one dimensional and stereotypical. Also no cat???
The plot would start moving somewhere and then the author would jump into a deep dive about something vaguely relating to the current focus character. These deep dives would take you out of the natural flow of the story and was frustrating at times. E.g. when Kei, the pregnant owner of the restaurant, is about to go to the future to meet her unborn child there is a deep dive into Kazu, the current waitress, and her university art course.
I love the part where the woman in the white dress closes her book after the first section when a woman goes to the past to see her ex partner and it’s named ‘the lovers’. But this sort of thing is never replicated for future time travellers.
I wonder how much of an impact the translation has made on my impression of the book. I feel that it’s been clumsily written and oversimplified in its vocabulary and descriptions. Is it totally true to the original? Is it translated more to show a word for word meaning instead of implied meanings? I am intrigued.
Graphic: Abandonment, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, and Dementia
readingoverbreathing's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
However, this has been translated from Japanese, which gives it a slightly stiffer tone than I think most English-speaking readers, myself included, are really used to. I do wonder if some of it was the translation, but I also read in the author's bio on the back flap that this was originally a play which the author converted into a novel, which honestly makes so much sense. The comings and goings of the characters, the vignette structure, the slightly artificial feel to the dialogue, the chime of the door's bell, the static setting of the cafe, all would make much more sense in a stage setting. Personally, I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more as a play than I did in this form.
Again, the concept was brilliant and I enjoyed seeing the possibilities and limitations Kawaguchi imposed on the idea of time travelling. The situation in each vignette was slightly different, and slowly allowed you to get to know each of the cafe's regulars and workers and their emotional development, whatever the circumstances they faced — and there were certainly some heavy ones.
I can see why a lot of other readers found this to be a cozy read, but honestly, for me, it wasn't quite that. I think some of that is just how I pictured the cafe in my head — once it was mentioned it was in the basement, I just kept envisioning a rather dark, empty, sparsely decorated space that did not at all invoke a sense of coziness.
I am glad I read this and did enjoy it in the sense that it was so vastly different from anything else I've really read, but I can't say I'm interested enough to read any of the other books in this series. I feel like I got to see enough of the possibilities that 'that chair' was able to offer, and I certainly don't feel a strong enough emotional pull to get invested beyond this first book.
Moderate: Grief, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Death
caleb_makes's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, Dementia, and Chronic illness
drybay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Chronic illness, Car accident, Grief, Terminal illness, and Dementia
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Medical content and Abortion
serena_hien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Death, and Terminal illness
Minor: Car accident
ahanky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Death, and Pregnancy
vbarsi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Minor: Grief, Dementia, Pregnancy, Car accident, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Death of parent
strewnsunlight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Chronic illness and Dementia
Moderate: Medical content, Death, Pregnancy, and Car accident
Minor: Grief and Alcoholism
chaotic_tumbleweed's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Minor: Death, Car accident, Chronic illness, and Grief