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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A gentle heartwarming read. I really enjoyed watching all the characters grow and mature, and seeing how this affected their interactions with each other. The ending made me smile. Would recommend to a friend.
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
When I started reading this slice of life book, it was very comforting to me. That being said, as time went on, I began to feel the story dragging. A young girl working in a shop with some quirky characters, sure; but it just became too predictable to enjoy much further. When Hitomi and Takeo get together and then do their strange fizzling out, I got so annoyed, I almost didn't want to finish the book. All in all, I was disappointed in this story. I felt like it was missing something, or should have been much shorter.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It felt so familiar to be in this thrift shop and I love it so much. It's like being with your family and it's so sweet. I also loved how awfully awkward everything was between Takeo and Hitomi! Usually every single "love story" is perfect with great dialogue and this one was probably the one closest to reality! Some greatly written couple of stories.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5⭐
“There are plenty of people in the world I don’t dislike, some of whom I almost like; on the other hand, I almost hate some of those whom I don’t dislike, too. But how many people did I truly love?”
The Nakano Thrift shop by Hiromi Kawakami is a quiet slow paced story that is in turn funny, thought-provoking and insightful. A slice of life story that focuses on the owners and the employees of a second-hand shop in Western Tokyo ( no antiques, please!), the story is narrated in the first person by our protagonist, Hitomi, an employee of the shop who embarks on a complicated on/off relationship with her colleague Takeo, who comes across as socially awkward and difficult to read resulting in confusion, anxiety and heartbreak for Hitomi. After a brief introduction to the shop , the larger part of the narrative is divided into different segments, each featuring an item that is either being acquired or sold in the shop. As the narrative takes us through the daily working of the shop we get to meet the store owner Mr. Nakano and his artist sister Masayo, both of whom lead interesting lives. Their respective eventful personal lives result in some humorous situations, awkward (but often meaningful) conversations and unlikely complications for Hitomi and Takeo who find themselves entangled in the lives of their employers.
The author skillfully touches upon themes of love, relationships, friendship, acceptance, and trust. It should be mentioned that the characters in this story are ordinary people, with ordinary people problems. Love and relationships as depicted in this story are not all about grand gestures or dramatic outbursts. As these characters go about their days at work or in their personal lives, the emphasis is on the simple, even banal, but important everyday things-– what we say or don’t say to one another, what we do or don’t do for each other, our willingness to accept the other person with his/her flaws and vice versa and how we cope when things do not go according to plans or as per our expectations, the lessons we learn and how we evolve as individuals.
“It was as if everyone doled themselves out in such small portions. Never completely open, not all at once.”
This book might not be for everyone as some might find the story too slow or bland but with its simple yet elegant prose, concise writing, an
interesting setting and a wonderful cast of characters, I found The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami (translated by Allison Markin Powell) to be an enjoyable read.
“There are plenty of people in the world I don’t dislike, some of whom I almost like; on the other hand, I almost hate some of those whom I don’t dislike, too. But how many people did I truly love?”
The Nakano Thrift shop by Hiromi Kawakami is a quiet slow paced story that is in turn funny, thought-provoking and insightful. A slice of life story that focuses on the owners and the employees of a second-hand shop in Western Tokyo ( no antiques, please!), the story is narrated in the first person by our protagonist, Hitomi, an employee of the shop who embarks on a complicated on/off relationship with her colleague Takeo, who comes across as socially awkward and difficult to read resulting in confusion, anxiety and heartbreak for Hitomi. After a brief introduction to the shop , the larger part of the narrative is divided into different segments, each featuring an item that is either being acquired or sold in the shop. As the narrative takes us through the daily working of the shop we get to meet the store owner Mr. Nakano and his artist sister Masayo, both of whom lead interesting lives. Their respective eventful personal lives result in some humorous situations, awkward (but often meaningful) conversations and unlikely complications for Hitomi and Takeo who find themselves entangled in the lives of their employers.
The author skillfully touches upon themes of love, relationships, friendship, acceptance, and trust. It should be mentioned that the characters in this story are ordinary people, with ordinary people problems. Love and relationships as depicted in this story are not all about grand gestures or dramatic outbursts. As these characters go about their days at work or in their personal lives, the emphasis is on the simple, even banal, but important everyday things-– what we say or don’t say to one another, what we do or don’t do for each other, our willingness to accept the other person with his/her flaws and vice versa and how we cope when things do not go according to plans or as per our expectations, the lessons we learn and how we evolve as individuals.
“It was as if everyone doled themselves out in such small portions. Never completely open, not all at once.”
This book might not be for everyone as some might find the story too slow or bland but with its simple yet elegant prose, concise writing, an
interesting setting and a wonderful cast of characters, I found The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami (translated by Allison Markin Powell) to be an enjoyable read.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The just didn't seem to be a plot at all. Things would be mentioned in the book that seemed they might be important and then never referred to again. Did not enjoy this book at all
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
slow-paced