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A review by hayleyjames24
What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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? Yes
4.5
"From now on, I intend to gather close all the things that are important to me, I will make my own anthology."
I grinned and kicked my feet through the last pages of this. It was so freaking charming and whimsical. If you are ✨soft, emotional girl in your twenties✨ you'll love this. (It reminded me deeply of "Before the Coffee Gets Cold so if you liked that, I think you'll like this)
"What you are looking for is in the library" follows 5 characters in all different ages and stagesin a slice of life format. All of them have a gripe with life or wish for things to be different than their current circumstances, and they all find their answers within a Community House and Library.
I personally really connected with Ryo (35, accountant) Natsumi (40, former magazine editor) and Hiroya (30, NEET, not in employment, education or training)
I personally love a translated Japanese fiction that meanders along with the characters teaching lessons and giving you warm and fuzzy feels. This novel was so charming and cosy and I loved it. I wrote down so many quotes and felt like I could journal or mull over a lot of the conversations that were had throughout. I read this from Friday afternoon to Saturday night and found myself completely immersed in the settings and the minds of these characters.
It romanticises the mundane in the most gorgeous way, and really digs into the deep physiological questions a lot of us have from our mid twenties onward.
It explores what it means to have a good life, muses about work and careers, retiring and what it actually all means, pursuing the jobs that we actually want vs the safe option, motherhood and careers, being a woman and having a career, anxiety, depression and feeling like you were made for more. (Man this made me feel alllllll the feels.)
The importance of third places was deep throughout the novel with all the characters get all their information and great thinking points from their community house/library. It makes it such an important structure and representation for learning about life and the characters taking small evening classes at their local community house/school was a beautiful nod to the importance of community.
Also loved the discussion on creativity and being a creative while also having to do "real life" and it not being "realistic" to pursue those dreams. (these bits really hit for me in the current stage I'm in with my own creativity.)
The importance of third places was deep throughout the novel with all the characters get all their information and great thinking points from their community house/library. It makes it such an important structure and representation for learning about life and the characters taking small evening classes at their local community house/school was a beautiful nod to the importance of community.
"Everybody is connected. And any one of their connections could be the start of a network that branches in many directions. If you wait for the right time to make connections, it might never happen. But if you show your face around, talk to people and see enough to give you the confidence that could work out then 'one day' might turn into 'tomorrow'"
It has deep themes of trust, in ourselves, each other and the universe to bring it all together - I especially loved this theme in terms of creativity (see above lol) It pushes how important it is to believe in yourself and your creativity and how its not a failure to have a "proper" job and also pursue your creativity and be happy with that and it doesn't make your creative endevours any less important.
Loved this quote "What kind of job do you think is totally secure?"
"A public employee like you, or a big corporation?"
"Nothing is," He replies gently "not one single job I could name is absolutely secure. Everybody just does their best to hang in there, trying to balance it all"
The characters are all intersperesed however briefly into each others stories and its such a delight to see the characters pop up again.
I think this quote is a great conclusion for this long ass review
"Belonging is an ambiguous state"
I grinned and kicked my feet through the last pages of this. It was so freaking charming and whimsical. If you are ✨soft, emotional girl in your twenties✨ you'll love this. (It reminded me deeply of "Before the Coffee Gets Cold so if you liked that, I think you'll like this)
"What you are looking for is in the library" follows 5 characters in all different ages and stagesin a slice of life format. All of them have a gripe with life or wish for things to be different than their current circumstances, and they all find their answers within a Community House and Library.
I personally really connected with Ryo (35, accountant) Natsumi (40, former magazine editor) and Hiroya (30, NEET, not in employment, education or training)
I personally love a translated Japanese fiction that meanders along with the characters teaching lessons and giving you warm and fuzzy feels. This novel was so charming and cosy and I loved it. I wrote down so many quotes and felt like I could journal or mull over a lot of the conversations that were had throughout. I read this from Friday afternoon to Saturday night and found myself completely immersed in the settings and the minds of these characters.
It romanticises the mundane in the most gorgeous way, and really digs into the deep physiological questions a lot of us have from our mid twenties onward.
It explores what it means to have a good life, muses about work and careers, retiring and what it actually all means, pursuing the jobs that we actually want vs the safe option, motherhood and careers, being a woman and having a career, anxiety, depression and feeling like you were made for more. (Man this made me feel alllllll the feels.)
The importance of third places was deep throughout the novel with all the characters get all their information and great thinking points from their community house/library. It makes it such an important structure and representation for learning about life and the characters taking small evening classes at their local community house/school was a beautiful nod to the importance of community.
Also loved the discussion on creativity and being a creative while also having to do "real life" and it not being "realistic" to pursue those dreams. (these bits really hit for me in the current stage I'm in with my own creativity.)
The importance of third places was deep throughout the novel with all the characters get all their information and great thinking points from their community house/library. It makes it such an important structure and representation for learning about life and the characters taking small evening classes at their local community house/school was a beautiful nod to the importance of community.
"Everybody is connected. And any one of their connections could be the start of a network that branches in many directions. If you wait for the right time to make connections, it might never happen. But if you show your face around, talk to people and see enough to give you the confidence that could work out then 'one day' might turn into 'tomorrow'"
It has deep themes of trust, in ourselves, each other and the universe to bring it all together - I especially loved this theme in terms of creativity (see above lol) It pushes how important it is to believe in yourself and your creativity and how its not a failure to have a "proper" job and also pursue your creativity and be happy with that and it doesn't make your creative endevours any less important.
Loved this quote "What kind of job do you think is totally secure?"
"A public employee like you, or a big corporation?"
"Nothing is," He replies gently "not one single job I could name is absolutely secure. Everybody just does their best to hang in there, trying to balance it all"
The characters are all intersperesed however briefly into each others stories and its such a delight to see the characters pop up again.
I think this quote is a great conclusion for this long ass review
"Belonging is an ambiguous state"