Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Published by: Picador
Pages: 192
Format: Paperback
My Rating ★★★★
Published by: Picador
Pages: 192
Format: Paperback
My Rating ★★★★
Hidden down a side street in Tokyo, café Funicili Funicula boasts many things: good coffee, good conversation, a friendly cast of regulars. But the café also offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel in time.
There are rules you must stick to: you have to sit in the right seat, accept the coffee poured for you, and finally – most importantly – you must return to the present before the coffee gets cold.
There are rules you must stick to: you have to sit in the right seat, accept the coffee poured for you, and finally – most importantly – you must return to the present before the coffee gets cold.
My thoughts:
I was very excited when I heard that the other books in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi were going to be translated into English! I adored the first book and eagerly pre-ordered this one from my local bookshop as soon as I heard about it.
‘You sit in a chair, someone makes you a coffee, and you return to the past... that’s all I’ve heard.’
Tales from the Cafe is the second set of short tales from Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, which follows people on a journey into the past (or future) within a magical cafe. Following on from the previous book, Tales from the Café introduces us to another diverse collection of individuals.
Among some faces that will be familiar to readers of Kawaguchi's previous novel, this one tells a story of four new customers each of whom is hoping to take advantage of the time-travelling experience.
Already being familiar with the cafe environment and staff, I felt more of a connection this time around and found the stories to be more cohesive. Although they're all contained within their own story arc, the staff offer a more complex and slow building tale that connects everything together. We also finally discover who the enigmatic lady in the white dress is too, which added a bit of closure to some of the mysteries left open in the previous installment.
Some old names, some new, the tales kept me engaged. Hope threads together the stories that seem oddly plausible despite the obvious fantasy elements. The staff of this cafe play such an integral role, even with their minimal interaction they hold the key for a successful transportation to happen. I enjoyed getting more insight into these characters this time around and seeing the important impact the staff members have on the café and customers.
This book is just as beautiful and heart-wrenching as the first. It is moving, imaginative, emotional, poignant and thoughtful. This was the perfect light read I needed, and I think I may have enjoyed it even more than the first book. I'm hoping we’ll get at least one more addition to this series soon.
Overall reaction:
I was very excited when I heard that the other books in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi were going to be translated into English! I adored the first book and eagerly pre-ordered this one from my local bookshop as soon as I heard about it.
‘You sit in a chair, someone makes you a coffee, and you return to the past... that’s all I’ve heard.’
Tales from the Cafe is the second set of short tales from Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, which follows people on a journey into the past (or future) within a magical cafe. Following on from the previous book, Tales from the Café introduces us to another diverse collection of individuals.
Among some faces that will be familiar to readers of Kawaguchi's previous novel, this one tells a story of four new customers each of whom is hoping to take advantage of the time-travelling experience.
Already being familiar with the cafe environment and staff, I felt more of a connection this time around and found the stories to be more cohesive. Although they're all contained within their own story arc, the staff offer a more complex and slow building tale that connects everything together. We also finally discover who the enigmatic lady in the white dress is too, which added a bit of closure to some of the mysteries left open in the previous installment.
Some old names, some new, the tales kept me engaged. Hope threads together the stories that seem oddly plausible despite the obvious fantasy elements. The staff of this cafe play such an integral role, even with their minimal interaction they hold the key for a successful transportation to happen. I enjoyed getting more insight into these characters this time around and seeing the important impact the staff members have on the café and customers.
This book is just as beautiful and heart-wrenching as the first. It is moving, imaginative, emotional, poignant and thoughtful. This was the perfect light read I needed, and I think I may have enjoyed it even more than the first book. I'm hoping we’ll get at least one more addition to this series soon.
Overall reaction: