English title: On a cold night This book is a short story collection of Kaori Ekuni. The storytelling is very light, on point and doesn't really explain much. It just presents and shows what's happening in few words and lets the reader get to conclusions. These short stories were easy to read and felt like small fairytales including ghosts and spirits in everyday life. It's very Japanese and I wonder if someone who is not used to Japanese culture/literature would like it as well.
The stories pick out a moment of life which can happen to anyone, such as while being at school, going home or while eating. To this average moment, the author adds a ghost, a spirit or anything to make it special for a blink of an eye and it's gone in the next moment. The stories really feel magical and dreamy. Obviously, I didn't like all of the short stories but my favorite is the second story in this collection "Before the summer comes".
Despite its name, this book caresses me softly and covers me in its warmth like an early bright morning. Each story feels real and touching without being too overly dramatic. Mundane stories that grip my heart and stay with me long after reading them.
Also kudos to the translator. She conveys the friendly simplicity of this book really well and there are even some sentences and paragraphs I read over and over because they are just so beautiful.