Judith’s Comments (group member since Jan 01, 2023)

Judith’s comments from the (not) a book club group.

Now reading: Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

I loved how heartwarming the first one was, so I’m hoping this and the third one will make me feel the same way.

This book really knows how to play with one’s emotions. Each chapter takes you on a rollercoaster journey; I could be smiling at a heartwarming exchange one chapter, only to be absolutely disgusted the next.

I was expecting the absolute worst to happen and have that left as the ending, but was pleasantly surprised when I completed the book feeling like I do with most modern Japanese literature… with a bittersweet heartache and a tinge of angst. Honestly, the fact that this book could leave such an impact in a mere 167 pages deserves a 5/5 rating in my book, even if I felt highly uncomfortable at times.

I'm 75% through the book, and I have to say... some of the bullying scenes are pretty graphic. I felt so bad for the protagonist that I could feel myself tearing up a bit (when do I not, though—)

Other than that, the scenes where he's with his only other friend are quite heartwarming. There's a pretty interesting chapter slightly past halfway through the book that provides a pessimistic/realistic(?) perspective on the cruelty of life and how sometimes there is no reasoning as to why people may act a certain way... they just do.

It's definitely one of those books that'll make you pause at certain moments to simply digest what just happened. It's at a 4/5 on my scale for now, but we'll see how depressing it can truly get at the end considering that Kawakami's known for her not-so-happy endings.

I'd like to see some themes that lean more towards psychological thriller or mystery at some point!