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A review by dnietoperafan
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I had heard praises for Before the Coffee Gets Cold, so I decided to pick it up and read it myself. Being such a short novel I assumed it would be a little cute read for autumn... and although the vibes were quite autumn-ey, it was a very emotionally-charged read.
Kawaguchi does a lovely job at slowly introducing all the characters; you'll get attached and then he'll break your heart. To be fair, the beginning was a bit challenging in terms of recognising everyone by name, but as soon as I learned everyone's names and personalities, following the story was fine.
I enjoyed how all the charcters had separate stories and goals, yet they all knew each other and were connected through the café. Kawaguchi makes it easy for you to put yourself in every characters' shoes, therefore the emotional scenes hurt. Nevertheless, I thought they would be even more powerful in a visual medium. So when I learned that this novel was originally a play, it made complete sense to me.
I enjoyed this book. I'm not in a rush to read the other books Kawaguchi has released, but I would be happy if I got them as a Christmas present or something.
Kawaguchi does a lovely job at slowly introducing all the characters; you'll get attached and then he'll break your heart. To be fair, the beginning was a bit challenging in terms of recognising everyone by name, but as soon as I learned everyone's names and personalities, following the story was fine.
I enjoyed how all the charcters had separate stories and goals, yet they all knew each other and were connected through the café. Kawaguchi makes it easy for you to put yourself in every characters' shoes, therefore the emotional scenes hurt. Nevertheless, I thought they would be even more powerful in a visual medium. So when I learned that this novel was originally a play, it made complete sense to me.
I enjoyed this book. I'm not in a rush to read the other books Kawaguchi has released, but I would be happy if I got them as a Christmas present or something.