天国はまだ遠く

by Maiko Seo, 瀬尾 まいこ

仕事も人間関係もうまくいかず、毎日辛くて息が詰りそう。23歳の千鶴は、会社を辞めて死ぬつもりだった。辿り着いた山奥の民宿で、睡眠薬を飲むのだが、死に切れなかった。自殺を諦めた彼女は、民宿の田村さんの大雑把な優しさに癒されていく。大らかな村人や大自然に囲まれた充足した日々。だが、千鶴は気づいてしまう、自分の居場所がここにないことに。心にしみる清爽な旅立ちの物語。

Genres: Japanese Literature, Japan, Novels

183 pages, 文庫

First published June 23, 2004

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

How do you move from suicidal to not suicidal?
Gradually.

Reading Maiko Seo's novel gave me a feeling like the colors of the book cover: thoughtful, calm, and warm. The beginning of the novel was colorless and empty due to the narrator's mindset. But through daily life activities of countryside living, the narrator slowly comes back to life.

Due to my lower Japanese literature reading level, I struggled to complete this novel that was not plot driven. I didn't feel interested for a good 3/4ths of the novel. But I'm glad I made it to the ending. The narrator knows its time to leave and has no plan for what's next. It's reassuring to know it's ok to not have a plan and be accepting that that's just the place you are in life right now.

[Katie Hemmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read. I love a love story without a happily ever after and seeing a person who struggles with similar depression issues fight to find herself and recover as best as she can . It’s okay to rely on people. Its magical to find the joy in small things. Great message.

[aku · Rating 3 out of 5]

なんか浅い