When college student Fumiya visits The Friday Bookshop as a last-ditch effort to find a book for his ill father, he is disappointed in its ordinary appearance despite whispers of its peculiar charm. But he soon discovers that it not only includes a cafe where the food menu changes daily on the chef's whim but also a vast underground vault lined with bookshelves, lovingly converted from an old abandoned subway platform. The bookshop, run by a quirky trio who have been close friends since high school, quickly becomes Fumiya's favourite place - so much so that he begins to work there part-time. Fumiya, who was never really a reader, learns to embrace the joy of reading, and that books can be a means to connect with other people and navigate the twists and turns of life. Through colourful interactions with the zany shop owners and their visitors, as well as mouth-watering dishes inspired by the books they recommend, it's impossible not to fall in love with the seemingly ordinary yet enchanting little bookstore in the subway station in Kanto.
What did I think?
I always get excited when I see a book about books and I love translated fiction so The Friday Bookshop was a must-read for me; I wouldn't have missed it for the world and it's an absolute delight to read.
There are 239 pages in the book and only four chapters, so if (like me) you can't put a book down in the middle of a chapter then it won't take you long to read it. What I loved most about the chapters is that they are almost their own self-contained story with a main character who finds their way to The Friday Bookshop but they are all linked together through the overarching storyline.
The bookshop is so vividly described that I felt as if I was there and I would have been lost forever if I ever managed to get into the underground vault that is rather unusually located in an abandoned subway platform. Sawako Natori's writing is exquisite and Yui Kajita's translation is so sublime that I could almost smell the books!
Unexpectedly amusing, often poignant and always bookish, The Friday Bookshop is a book that will sit proudly on my to-read-again shelf and I expect to find myself picking it up again when I need to escape to this wonderful bookshop in Japan. A highly recommended read and an unmissable book for bibliophiles.
I received a gifted paperback for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating:
Buy it from:
Follow the tour:
No comments:
Post a Comment