Ordinarily, a book like this probably won't get five stars from me. But this book means something else to me, not because of the writing, but because of the setting.
I was attracted to this book by these words on the sleeve: 钢笔 (fountain pen), 神户 (Kobe). When I read the back of the book, the description of the fountain pen shop immediately reminded me of Pen and message, a quaint fountain pen shop I visited in Kobe. I thought this book must be based on the shop.
The story is quite typical of a Japanese light novel and unfortunately, the characters are not well-developed: Mr Fuyuki could have been more interesting.
But being a fountain pen enthusiast, there are a number of meaningful takeways as I read the book.
1. The pen that suits the user need not be an expensive one. Mr Fuyuki treats them with equal respect. Witness the way he spoke about the Pilot Kakuno and Platinum Preppy, and even recommended a Pelikan Junior to someone who is obviously very rich.
2. Every fountain pen user has his/her own quirk. A slight tuning is therefore required, and of course, the tuning needs to be done taking the user's quirk into consideration. Coincidentally, three days before I bought I book, I brought my pen to a nibmeister for tuning. After reading this book, I know that I one that I went to didn't bother about how I hold the pen when I used it, how much pressure I put on it while writing. He did his job the way he would for anyone.
3. “真是幸福的笔” A fountain pen that is used frequently by the owner is a lucky one. That explains why I am not a collector. Every pen I buy, I use.
4. All the familiar places - Sannomiya, Junkodo Bookstore, and Nagasawa!
Most of all, at the acknowledgement at the end of the book, the author paid a special tribute to the owner of Pen and message. :)
Thank you T-san, for bringing me to this beautiful shop.