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amelie_s's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
njones97's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
a lovely and cosy fast read. there were some quite heavy topics dealt with but not with much depth, which felt just right for the vibe of the book
clairewick4's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
futuretreeman's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Chill, relaxing read. It was about some big topics but it still managed to feel no pressure. I don't think I got much big things out of it but that's not bad. It was a lovely story with great characters; made me feel good to read.
alex_craciun's review against another edition
3.0
Coming after "My Brilliant Friend" was not an easy task for any book. A welcoming entry point into Asian literature albeit simplistic in its writing and themes.
mtnest's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
justinkhchen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Harmless and inoffensive, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is another entries to the gradually growing collection of translated Japanese 'cozy' literature, similar to Before the Coffee Gets Cold. While I appreciate the gentleness and the intimacy of a single location, human-focused stories, I can't help but feel something is lost in translation—the unadorned prose feels superficial, and the emotional delivery is more Hallmark greeting cards rather than something more heartfelt and profound, as if the English vocabulary only managed to convey the straightforward, surface level action, without contextualizing the nuance in the subtext.
While I'm happy to see contemporary Japanese literature making wave in the market, I don't think for me reading stories like this in English is the best option. Even though I can't read Japanese, I'll be curious to re-read this in its Chinese iteration to see if I feel any different!
Harmless and inoffensive, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is another entries to the gradually growing collection of translated Japanese 'cozy' literature, similar to Before the Coffee Gets Cold. While I appreciate the gentleness and the intimacy of a single location, human-focused stories, I can't help but feel something is lost in translation—the unadorned prose feels superficial, and the emotional delivery is more Hallmark greeting cards rather than something more heartfelt and profound, as if the English vocabulary only managed to convey the straightforward, surface level action, without contextualizing the nuance in the subtext.
While I'm happy to see contemporary Japanese literature making wave in the market, I don't think for me reading stories like this in English is the best option. Even though I can't read Japanese, I'll be curious to re-read this in its Chinese iteration to see if I feel any different!
elaceyg's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0