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A review by nerdygnome
Mr Kato Plays Family by Milena Michiko Flašar
3.0
This book was a hard one for me to peg down. While comparing it to "A Man Called Ove" wil be effective in catching some extra readers, I don't think the comparison lands favorably in the end.
Mr Kato is a retired man, trying to grapple with his changing lifestyle and his aging and tired relationship with his wife. While walking one day and pining for the dog his wife won't let him get, he meets Mei, a young woman who offers him a unique job: pretending to be a family member for others. He accepts the position and begins to "play family" with a host of strangers, exploring what family means in the process.
Much of the book is meandering. It isn't written in first person, but it certainly feels that we are lost in Mr Kato's head. Given his contemplative and somewhat confused perspective facing the nearing end of his life, being in his head often felt a bit jarring. I suspect there's a certain amount here that was lost in translation, both in the pacing and style of the book. I found myself expecting a bit more to happen — more pivotal events, more character growth, more of something I can't quite put my finger on.
Mr Kato is a retired man, trying to grapple with his changing lifestyle and his aging and tired relationship with his wife. While walking one day and pining for the dog his wife won't let him get, he meets Mei, a young woman who offers him a unique job: pretending to be a family member for others. He accepts the position and begins to "play family" with a host of strangers, exploring what family means in the process.
Much of the book is meandering. It isn't written in first person, but it certainly feels that we are lost in Mr Kato's head. Given his contemplative and somewhat confused perspective facing the nearing end of his life, being in his head often felt a bit jarring. I suspect there's a certain amount here that was lost in translation, both in the pacing and style of the book. I found myself expecting a bit more to happen — more pivotal events, more character growth, more of something I can't quite put my finger on.