FICTION • MAGICAL REALISM
A Sweet Little Slice of Life With A Cup of Coffee
Book Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
May 11, 2023
Estimated 1 mins 30 sec read time
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is Kawaguchi's debut novel. This magical realism genre book has been originally adapted from a play which makes sense because Kawaguchi is, in fact, a playwright.
The premise is that you can visit a moment in your past at a magical cafe in Tokyo BUT only under particular rules: you can only visit your past as you were in that specific cafe, you can only visit the past for a set amount of time and you cannot leave your seat while traveling through time (otherwise it would be wayyyyy too easy to f*ck sh*t up). The narrative follows the people who visit the cafe for its magical properties and the people who work at the cafe and facilitate this light time travel.
The characters are the main appeal in this story. The reader may come to like them and be invested in their lives and futures. They each have their relatable vices and likewise goals and dreams.
“Although set in Japan, the themes I have explored in my work are universal – love, loss, memory, friendship, regret and redemption,” Kawaguchi said this about his novel while also revealing that his book was currently being adapted for screen. So - adapted from a play, made into a book and now adapted for the screen ... feels like maybe it lost it's footing along the way slightly but no matter!
Apparently the play is very good! I wouldn't mind seeing it because I loved Anton Chekhov when I was a teen and I can definitely see this being just like one of Chekhov's plays on stage.
Why should you read this book?
The story is sweet, the characters likable. It touches on universal themes like love, regret, loss, guilt and longing. If you have experienced any one of these things then you will probably relate to some of the character stories. It could also be a comforting read especially if you're going through it.
If you're a fan of slow-burn dramas you will love it.
Why would you possibly not want to read this book?
For readers who like their stories a little more meaty you may find this book boring. It is a slow-burn drama. The time-travel element gets lost in the drama part, which isn't a bad thing, but if you're looking for a book about time travel then this is not the one you want. The hopping back in time is really a way for the reader to explore the psychology of the characters rather than for anything major to happen plotwise.
For me the characters were also a little one-dimensional. They experience face-value emotion where I'd like to explore and read about the messier variations. Their pain and suffering is quite neat. The emotions are very simple. There have also been a couple comments online about one-dimensional women characters ... to be fair they can be a little not very complex.
At times the language is a little flowery and wordy. Kawaguchi describes a very pretty or emotional scene for a couple pages and the reader is meant to appreciate that or be moved.
I just really would've liked more substance to the story. The whole narrative would've worked equally as well, if not better, without the time travelling cafe; which was disappointing because I had read "time-travelling cafe" in the blurb and got excited. A really great example of this idea done even better is the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - there is an exploration of memory, regret, loss and some extra valuable and interesting things like memory as our own unreliable narrator; the characters are impulsive, messy, feeling a multitude of different things at one time. If you have read this book then really watch Eternal Sunshine because the premise is almost identical but Kaufman and Gondry really nail the emotion and characters and balance the magical and the realism very well. Another even simpler example of this idea done better is About Time; it's a bit more drama-ery than Enteral Sunshine although maybe more romcom genre but the time travel is integral to the story and poses some interesting questions within its unique restrictions. And so, after having seen things like Eternal Sunshine and About Time, Before the Coffee Gets Cold really fell short for me.
Admittedly the drama genre is not for me, I struggled even to write the review. If you're into drama with a very slight sprinkle of magical realism then you may feel differently.
Who would like this book?
Fans of slow-paced dramas. In fact, this one is for the K-drama fans. Like K-dramas with a little magical realism, it focuses more on the drama aspect with a very light touch of the magical element.
As I mentioned before if you have ever read and liked Anton Chekhov you will really like this book. Almost exactly the same vibe for me.
Apparently this book is similar to Matt Haig's work, I have not read any of his books. I've read people say it's like Mitch Albom's work and yeh I would agree with that, although I would say that Albom's stories are a bit more action packed than, at least in his debut novel, Kawaguchi's.
Rating: ✌️
P.S. eleanorbigby, if you're reading this, please review more books I would 100% read all your hot takes and cherish them.
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