Toshikazu Kawaguchi - Before We Say Goodbye (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #4)

 

Toshikazu Kawaguchi - Before We Say Goodbye (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #4)

4⭐

Genre: Fiction, Mystical Realism, Asian Literature, East Asian Literature, Japanese Literature, Short Stories, Book Series, Translated Books, Fantasy, Paranormal

Original Title: さよならも言えないうちに

Original Language: Japanese 

Translated by: Geoffrey Trousselot 

Pages: 192

Format: Paperback Proof

Publisher: Picador 

Date Published: 14th September 2023

Huge thank you to Picador for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

Book Blurb: 

The regulars at Café Funiculi Funicula are well acquainted with the whimsical ability it grants them to take a trip into the past—as well as the strict rules involved, including that each traveller must return to the present in the time it takes for their coffee to get cold. In Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s previous novels, patrons have been reunited with old flames, made amends with estranged family and visited loved ones. Now readers will once again be introduced to a new set of visitors.

The Husband with Something Important Left to Say

The Woman Who Couldn’t Bid Her Dog Farewell

The Woman Who Couldn’t Answer a Proposal

The Daughter Who Drove Her Father Away

In Last Chance to Say Goodbye, which is translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot and features signature heartwarming characters and wistful storytelling, Kawaguchi once again invites the reader to ask themselves: What would you change if you could travel back in time?

My Review: 

I adored Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series, as well as I love Japanese literature, and this book is no exception. It was so amazing to come back to the Funiculi Funicula café and reunite with the café’s owners, and its regulars, yet at the same time immerse myself in new stories about people who chose to travel back in time for various reasons.

In this book, there are four more stories of people who decided they want to travel back in time. We met a husband who wanted to tell something very important to his wife who is in a coma. We also met a woman who wanted to say goodbye to her dog but didn’t have a chance before. There was also a story about a girl who couldn’t say yes to her boyfriend’s proposal until it was too late and we learn about a daughter who regretted pushing her father away and wants to set wrongs to rights.

I didn’t think all the stories were as strong as in the first three books, but I particularly enjoyed the one about the girl wanting to meet her father and say what she actually felt before she pushed him away. It was such a great story that linked to a significant event from a recent Japanese history and was perfectly intertwined with the main point of the café – to say what you want to say but didn’t have a chance before it is too late.

Overall: I really enjoyed being back with the characters that I grew to love over the last three books and the stories themselves were unique, different to one another and very heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I just wish there were more than four stories in each of the books as I love the style of writing, the mystical realism and how well the main characters are developed throughout this book. Truly recommend! 

About the Author:

Toshikazu Kawaguchi (in Japanese: 川口 俊 和) was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971. He formerly produced, directed, and wrote for the theatrical group Sonic Snail. As a playwright, his works include COUPLE, Sunset Song, and Family Time. The novel Before the Coffee Gets Cold is adapted from an 1110 Productions play by Kawaguchi, which won the 10th Suginami Drama Festival grand prize. Before the Coffee Gets Cold is his debut as an author. It has become an international bestseller and has been adapted for the screen in Japan.

https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/toshikazu-kawaguchi/28093