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A review by aish_dols
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
You know how we stress about the past at times, blaming some of our actions or inactions, wishing we had done something entirely differently, that perhaps it would change our present lives and make some current happenings better because one decision or indecision can alter the route of our lives?
Well if there’s one thing you can take away from ‘Before the Coffee gets cold’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, it is that whatever is in the past should stay there, it can not alter our present. Similarly it brings us hope that what we do in our present lives is what matters and can change the future no matter how uncertain it can be.
With his ponder-inducing stellar work, he has written something beautifully unique. There’s a cafè in which a particular seat can time travel to the past and you’ve to be done with your sentiments before the coffee gets cold unless there are dire consequences. The novel is divided into four parts: the lovers, husband and wife, the sisters, mother and child. Each part, reveals more about characters that reoccur in its pages, making us sympathize with their unraveling stories. It shines light strongly on attachment, relationships and human interaction.
Sometimes it goes too much into detail repeating already known facts like the reiteration of the rules, description of outfits and certain lines were too stretched to induce suspense but I think it also has to do with the translation from Japanese to English. The translator did a brilliant job though seeing that some form of language and context can be inevitably lost in translation. It’s a notable work of fiction.
I will definitely be reading more Japanese literature, and not just this month, seeing as I’ve learnt a lot from their ways and picked certain new things too. That’s why tags like #Japanuary which helps us diversify our reads are so helpful!
Well if there’s one thing you can take away from ‘Before the Coffee gets cold’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, it is that whatever is in the past should stay there, it can not alter our present. Similarly it brings us hope that what we do in our present lives is what matters and can change the future no matter how uncertain it can be.
With his ponder-inducing stellar work, he has written something beautifully unique. There’s a cafè in which a particular seat can time travel to the past and you’ve to be done with your sentiments before the coffee gets cold unless there are dire consequences. The novel is divided into four parts: the lovers, husband and wife, the sisters, mother and child. Each part, reveals more about characters that reoccur in its pages, making us sympathize with their unraveling stories. It shines light strongly on attachment, relationships and human interaction.
Sometimes it goes too much into detail repeating already known facts like the reiteration of the rules, description of outfits and certain lines were too stretched to induce suspense but I think it also has to do with the translation from Japanese to English. The translator did a brilliant job though seeing that some form of language and context can be inevitably lost in translation. It’s a notable work of fiction.
I will definitely be reading more Japanese literature, and not just this month, seeing as I’ve learnt a lot from their ways and picked certain new things too. That’s why tags like #Japanuary which helps us diversify our reads are so helpful!