Reviews with content warning for Grief - Una Velada en la Librería Morisaki

First of all: Why has every version of the cover art a cat on it when there are a grand total of 0 cats in the book?

I read this book in Dutch and I am sure most of my opinions on it are because the translation felt very bad. The sentences just did not flow well at all, which made it jarring to read. Besides that, I wonder if there is just too much of a culture gap here for me to understand this book and its characters.

I disliked the main character, Takako. Sure, she got out of a bad relationship and was feeling depressed, but she was behaving like such a whiny child that I often forgot she was supposed to be 25.

The whole storyline with the aunt that came back after rudely disappearing for 5 years, was so weird. Were we supposed to feel for her? Because I kinda didn’t. Sure, she was still processing the loss of their child, but it still felt flat.

I’m also going to say it, there are some… questionable things in the story and language used. First, the bath scene felt weird. Second, why was Takako asked if she was into girls when she was (in a strange way I agree) trying to hug her aunt? She was asked the same when she looked at a waitress for 3 seconds earlier in the book. To me that is just not something to joke about

So yeah. Me and this book did not vibe, but if I ever get the chance to read it in English, I am willing to try it.

Content Warnings

lucyatoz's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

"A tale of families, love, new beginnings, and the comfort that can be found in books."

The first line of the synopsis for Days At The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa does kind of sum up the story of Takako, who finds herself unexpectedly living in the room above her Uncle Satoru's secondhand bookshop in Tokyo. This novel is in two parts and deals with lost of relationships and how one young woman navigates the challenges of these so that she and her Uncle can move onwards in life.

I would highlight that issues around loss and grief are part of the story and how this effects the relationships with those we love the most. It is written in a very poignant way and had a profound impact on me.

I own a copy of this book and listened to it on cloudLibrary. I read this for prompt 28, a yellow spine, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.

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radhi's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Lovely, heartwarming tale. I think it’s a great depiction of depression and how strong relationships can change your life for the better.

Grief - I can’t believe it ended like that

Bookstore, female protagonist, book references

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thekristinashow's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Pretty sure this will get the award for my shortest read of the year, coming in at 147 pages total.

I really enjoyed this translated story, focused on Takako’s journey to finding herself after a bad breakup. From living in her uncle’s used bookstore for a while to her strengthening of relationships with herself, her uncle, and her aunt who has reappeared after 5 years - so many heartwarming takeaways.

If you’re looking for a short, not too heavy read - consider picking this one up.

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jstilts's review against another edition

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emotional reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another Japanese slice-of-life book that is so gentle and slow it's hard to call it an exciting page-turner, but nevertheless I find myself utterly absorbed - and complete these books faster than any other type.

A book of two halves - so much so it's almost a novella and it's sequel - this quiet emotional book follows Takako into her uncle's bookshop as she retreats from a life that just fell to pieces.

We see her anger, we see her grieving, we see centre herself, we see her uncertainty at her ability to ever leave the cosy confines of the bookstore. I'd like to say there's a dramatic twist, but this book is very grounded in reality - life just goes on until you choose to make changes happen.

Unexpected events do occur, but it's refreshing to read a book where the characters truly are in charge of their own destiny - and the obstacles they need to overcome are usually ones from within, dictated by their personality, drives and emotions.

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bexi's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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fkshg8465's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Makes me miss evening I love about Japan. Looking forward to the sequel.

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