Review: Tales From the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (audio)
how do you make peace with the past?
Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, narrated by Kevin Shen, is the second book in this magical realism story about a time-traveling seat in a back-alley cafe called Funiculi Funicula. Similar to the first book in this series, patrons want to travel back in time for different reasons, but ultimately, they all need some form of closure to move forward with their lives. There is one story in which a character does attempt to travel to the future, but that’s all I will say about that.
The quote from the book that resonates in these stories the most is this:
“People tend to feel happy when spring arrives, especially after a cold winter. When spring begins, however, cannot be pinpointed to one particular moment. There is no one day that clearly marks when winter ends and spring begins. Spring hides inside winter. We notice it emerging with our eyes, our skin and other senses. We find it in new buds, a comfortable breeze and the warmth of the sun. It exists alongside winter.”
Grief is so much like that winter and the breaking through that grief can feel like a spring where everything seems better. The desire to return to the past is about self-absolution. They try to free themselves from self-imposed guilt about someone’s passing, things left unsaid, or even providing some moment of happiness to someone in the past. But the present won’t change.
If you’re engaged in your own battles with grief, this novel-in-stories could provide you with hope that things will get better with time, but you may not want to read it right away if you are in the early stages of grief.
From a man with a terminal illness to a husband who lost his wife tragically, these stories explore questions of work-life balance, learning to communicate more clearly with a spouse, friend, brother, mother, etc., and owning up to our own faults and trying not to carry too much blame for circumstances beyond our control.
I was happy to learn more about the ghost that sits in the cafe seat, where patrons can sit to travel back in time. It was a grand reveal that left me satisfied. I was pleased with the resolution to that tale. Kawaguchi’s narration is quiet and his characters are multi-layered, offering readers time to think about these situations in depth.
Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a solid second book in this series, and I’m eager to start book three to find out what happens next.
RATING: Quatrain
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 a 1110 Productions play by Kawaguchi, which won the 10th Suginami Drama Festival grand prize.
This seems like a really good series!