Before the coffee gets cold
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
ISBN: 9781529029581
5/5
Before the coffee gets cold is an outstanding piece of literature that goes far beyond the prosaic way of storytelling. This book was first published in 2020 in Japanese, but has since been translated into English and has gained global attraction.
This positive feedback is without a doubt well-deserved. Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s ability to create authentic characters within an unrealistic, magical realism setting deserves great praise. He is able to craft an incredibly convoluted storyline, rooted in complex human emotions and still manages to make the novel accessible for all ages.
The novel is set in a retro café in Tokyo where time travel is possible via a cup of coffee. Four visitors show up to the café in hopes to travel back to the past and change their prior decisions. However, they need to return to the café before the coffee gets cold. We meet Kei who has a serious heart condition, Fumiko with a disorderly romantic life and Kazu with a detached demeanour. Each one contributes to the complexity of the plot.
This book gives an insight to the human psychology and how humans experience loss in different ways by exploring the effect loss has on them, physically and psychologically. Because of the peculiar nature of this book, it is captivating and impossible to put down. After reading this novel, you feel enlightened and also entertained. This book is definitely one of a kind and a must-read for everyone. It takes its readers on an emotional journey. Whether you read it for educational or entertainment value, this book will not disappoint, but rather leave you at the end of the last chapter feeling satisfied, as well as informed.
Kawaguchi deserves the world of respect and praise for creating such a compelling novel. The plot pulls on your heart strings like no other, forging a permanent place in your heart for these characters and their endeavours.
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