| Name of the Book | Tales From The Cafe |
| Author | Toshikazu Kawaguchi |
| Publisher and Year of Publishing | Harper Collins, 2021 |
| Price | ₹ 510 (The White Owl, Paperback) |
CHECKLIST RATING: 5/5
REVIEWER: Ajungla, BA 5th Semester, Sociology Honours, Tetso College
Seasons flow in a cycle.
Life too, passes through difficult winters.
But after any winter, spring will follow.
‘Tales from Cafe’ is the follow-up to Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s global hit ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold,’ which took us to a magical cafe in Tokyo where customers can return to the past and meet their loved ones for a limited period of time, i.e., ‘before the coffee gets cold.’
In this sequel, we are introduced to four new customers, each hoping to take the advantage of Café Funiculi Funicula’s time travelling offer, with their own set of regrets and reasons for returning to their pasts. The four stories titled Best friends, Mother and Son, The Lovers and The Married Couple featuring Gohtaro, Yukio, Kurata and Kiyoshi. Each story has its own charm that fills you with satisfaction. These four stories are connected by the common themes of love, loss, friendship, hope and family. The storyline is astounding, appealing, heart-warming and bittersweet. At the same time, it is also inspiring as it delves into the power of mind, teaches us to enjoy every moment of life, and to appreciate everything that happens in our lives without any regrets. I should say Kawaguchi’s prose is simple yet elegant, with a touch of wit and imagination.
I was intrigued by the ambience that Kawaguchi created around the cafe, how he emphasized on the background of the cafe itself, the rules, all the little details as well as the history of those who work there and he even managed to bring out the insights of Japanese culture and society, customs as well as the position of women in the society.
Even though I sobbed till the last page, I was also happy at the same time as the stories were filled with hope, optimistic, and cheerful. It was a lovely blend of wholesomeness and melancholy. I can’t wait to get myself a copy of the third sequel ‘Before your memory fades’ and return to the cozy, magical, coffee-scented atmosphere of Cafe Funiculi Funicula’s.
If you’re looking for something little different from the usual like Japanese literature and enjoy a quick roller coaster of emotions, I would highly recommend reading this book. I would suggest reading the first book to get into the mood with a cup of coffee by your side. But just make sure you read it before the coffee gets cold.
CHECKLIST is a review column initiated by Tetso College that aims at giving students, reviewers and writers a platform to review and reflect upon books, movies, television shows, documentaries, magazines, restaurants and catering services, games, software, and product reviews. The reviews should be a reflective writing encompassing the writer’s opinions about the subject matter while avoiding unprecedented subjective bias. This is an unsponsored review column. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the Institution.
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