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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
"Even when there was an ashtray right in front of him, Mr Nakano preferred to use anything else as a receptacle for his cigarette butts."
"You know what I mean? When people move to a better place, they want better things for inside their home too,"
"I want to honour my right not to quit."
"You know what I mean? When people move to a better place, they want better things for inside their home too,"
"I want to honour my right not to quit."
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
really liked this because i enjoy novels about places and the way being in spaces affects people. the shop hitomi (the narrator) works at is special because of the various objects sold there, but also because of the connections she makes with mr nakano, takeo, and masayo through working there.
my favourite part of this book was the shop itself. i loved how the author described it and i wish i could actually visit it. such a charming place and i adore the peculiar little things about it. very much a slice of life theme.
mr. nakano was a fun character, weird in a way that made him interesting to read about. i enjoyed both hitomi and takeo, both very realistic characters and the author wrote them in a convincing way. i really loved masayo and i think she was my favourite character.
i adore the writing style, and i like this author’s writing in general. i do have a complaint — the last chapter is so much better than every other chapter in my opinion. that throws off the balance for me, since the most emotional moments of the book are all packed into one chapter at the very end. i will also say that, upon rereading it, i didn’t like it quite as much. still really really good and i do love it !
my favourite part of this book was the shop itself. i loved how the author described it and i wish i could actually visit it. such a charming place and i adore the peculiar little things about it. very much a slice of life theme.
mr. nakano was a fun character, weird in a way that made him interesting to read about. i enjoyed both hitomi and takeo, both very realistic characters and the author wrote them in a convincing way. i really loved masayo and i think she was my favourite character.
i adore the writing style, and i like this author’s writing in general. i do have a complaint — the last chapter is so much better than every other chapter in my opinion. that throws off the balance for me, since the most emotional moments of the book are all packed into one chapter at the very end. i will also say that, upon rereading it, i didn’t like it quite as much. still really really good and i do love it !
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Sometimes, you need a comforting story with low stakes and this book was exactly that. I really enjoyed the slice of life stories and seeing the relationships evolve and develop between the different characters and it was a very enjoyable read.
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this plotless, meandering work, I felt a tinge of interest, frustration, but ultimately disappointment. Through the eyes of Hitomi, a naive thrift shop worker, we glimpse a world of intriguing characters: the titular Mr. Nakano, the creative Masayo, and the reserved Takeyo. Amidst their interactions, the book offers some interesting contrasts between people, objects, and metaphors. Hitomi's struggle with emotions leads to almost comical paragraphs as she fixates on the tangible, everything else being out of her reach.
Yet, my disappointment grew as I read on. Hitomi's emotional suppression remains unexplored, leaving her and her relationships mostly surface-level. The characters and themes lacked any kind of resonance, and I yearned for any kind of connection that will enable me to empathize with the characters.
Yet, my disappointment grew as I read on. Hitomi's emotional suppression remains unexplored, leaving her and her relationships mostly surface-level. The characters and themes lacked any kind of resonance, and I yearned for any kind of connection that will enable me to empathize with the characters.
As a fan of Strange Weather in Tokyo I knew to expect something slow to bloom here but this book started SLOW. Each chapter is named after a thrift shop item and really there is not much that happens BUT you end up so involved in these characters lives - you will start to love it as I did. It’s the subtly that’s so beautiful here!