When The Museum is Closed
Authors: Emi Yagi
Translated by: Yuki Tejima
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 150
Format: Paperback
My Rating: ★★★★
Translated by: Yuki Tejima
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 150
Format: Paperback
My Rating: ★★★★
Rika Horauchi’s new part-time job is to converse with a statue of Venus – in Latin – every Monday, when the museum is closed.
Initially reluctant, Rika starts to enjoy her strange new job. Recommended by her old university professor for her exemplary language skills, Rika leads an otherwise unassuming life, working the rest of the week in a frozen-food warehouse. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of the museum, they talk about everything. Venus opens up new worlds for Rika, both intellectually and emotionally. They soon fall in love. But when the museum’s curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika do?
Initially reluctant, Rika starts to enjoy her strange new job. Recommended by her old university professor for her exemplary language skills, Rika leads an otherwise unassuming life, working the rest of the week in a frozen-food warehouse. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of the museum, they talk about everything. Venus opens up new worlds for Rika, both intellectually and emotionally. They soon fall in love. But when the museum’s curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika do?
My thoughts:
When the Museum Is Closed by Emi Yagi is a short, quietly enchanting novel that blends elements of fantasy, magical realism and literary fiction into a story that feels both intimate and slightly otherworldly. It’s a book I enjoyed reading, even if it didn’t quite reach the emotional heights I’d hoped for going in.
Set largely within the dreamlike space of a museum after hours, the short novel follows Rika, a museum employee whose life begins to subtly shift when she meets Venus - a mysterious figure who exists somewhere between art, myth and reality.
I suggested this book for our December pick because the blurb instantly caught my attention. The premise itself is really appealing, and Yagi handles it with a gentle, restrained touch that gives the book its charm. There’s something lovely about the way the ordinary and the fantastical coexist so seamlessly here, and the atmosphere is undoubtedly one of the novel’s strongest elements.
That said, while the concept is rich, the execution sometimes feels a little too sparse. The prose is notably restrained, sometimes to the extent that it feels almost too minimal, leaving me wishing for greater richness in both description and emotional depth. I soon found myself wanting more description, more texture, and more emotional depth. This sparseness could be a result of the translation into English, but it does mean that certain moments don’t linger as long as they might have done with more expansive language.
In particular, the relationship between Rika and Venus left me slightly wanting. We’re told of their deep, meaningful conversations and growing connection, yet many of these exchanges happen off the page. I couldn’t help but feel that including more direct dialogue between them, allowing us to witness these conversations rather than simply hear about them, would have made the love story feel much more fully realised and emotionally convincing. With a bit more space to breathe, their bond could have become the beating heart of the novel.
Despite these reservations, When the Museum Is Closed remains a very interesting and charming read. Its brevity works in its favour in many ways, making it a “short and sweet” novel that can be read in a single sitting, yet still leaves you with plenty to think about. It’s a book that values subtlety over spectacle, mood over plot, and while it may not fully live up to its potential, it offers enough beauty and originality to make it well worth reading.
A quietly magical novel that I’m glad to have read, and one that I suspect will resonate especially with readers who enjoy understated, atmospheric fiction.
Overall reaction:
When the Museum Is Closed by Emi Yagi is a short, quietly enchanting novel that blends elements of fantasy, magical realism and literary fiction into a story that feels both intimate and slightly otherworldly. It’s a book I enjoyed reading, even if it didn’t quite reach the emotional heights I’d hoped for going in.
Set largely within the dreamlike space of a museum after hours, the short novel follows Rika, a museum employee whose life begins to subtly shift when she meets Venus - a mysterious figure who exists somewhere between art, myth and reality.
I suggested this book for our December pick because the blurb instantly caught my attention. The premise itself is really appealing, and Yagi handles it with a gentle, restrained touch that gives the book its charm. There’s something lovely about the way the ordinary and the fantastical coexist so seamlessly here, and the atmosphere is undoubtedly one of the novel’s strongest elements.
That said, while the concept is rich, the execution sometimes feels a little too sparse. The prose is notably restrained, sometimes to the extent that it feels almost too minimal, leaving me wishing for greater richness in both description and emotional depth. I soon found myself wanting more description, more texture, and more emotional depth. This sparseness could be a result of the translation into English, but it does mean that certain moments don’t linger as long as they might have done with more expansive language.
In particular, the relationship between Rika and Venus left me slightly wanting. We’re told of their deep, meaningful conversations and growing connection, yet many of these exchanges happen off the page. I couldn’t help but feel that including more direct dialogue between them, allowing us to witness these conversations rather than simply hear about them, would have made the love story feel much more fully realised and emotionally convincing. With a bit more space to breathe, their bond could have become the beating heart of the novel.
Despite these reservations, When the Museum Is Closed remains a very interesting and charming read. Its brevity works in its favour in many ways, making it a “short and sweet” novel that can be read in a single sitting, yet still leaves you with plenty to think about. It’s a book that values subtlety over spectacle, mood over plot, and while it may not fully live up to its potential, it offers enough beauty and originality to make it well worth reading.
A quietly magical novel that I’m glad to have read, and one that I suspect will resonate especially with readers who enjoy understated, atmospheric fiction.
Overall reaction:
