Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Ratings668
Average rating3.7
this was so beautifully written and i really enjoyed the stories told in this. they were so meaningful and heartfelt. i especially loved the second and fourth.
I found this a really sweet exploration of love, loss, and acceptance. I thought the vignettes were compelling and it was a super atmospheric read all around. After finding out that this was originally a play, a lot of the stylistic and structural choices made sense to me and I do think it would be great for the stage.
J'ai vraiment adoré l'ambiance du livre ! tout doux, émouvant... peut-être un peu trop lent et sans grand événement marquant, mais paisible
EN/FR review:
"Before the Coffee Gets Cold" is a novel that captivated me with its gentleness, slowness, and the stillness of its stories. Set in a small café in Tokyo, this book tells time-travel stories in a unique and introspective manner.
Author Toshikazu Kawaguchi creates a calm and thoughtful atmosphere that invites the reader to immerse themselves in the characters' lives and emotions. Each story is imbued with deep humanity, highlighting moments of regret, forgiveness, and love.
I particularly appreciated how the narrative takes its time, allowing emotions to develop slowly and naturally. This slowness, far from being boring, adds a layer of depth and contemplation that makes the reading experience even more enriching.
"Before the Coffee Gets Cold" is a touching novel that reminds us of the beauty of the present moment and the importance of human connections. I highly recommend it to those looking for a gentle and introspective literary experience.
"Tant que le café est encore chaud" est un roman qui m'a captivée par sa douceur, sa lenteur et l'immobilité de ses récits. Situé dans un petit café à Tokyo, ce livre raconte des histoires de voyage dans le temps d'une manière unique et introspective.
L'auteur, Toshikazu Kawaguchi, parvient à créer une atmosphère tranquille et réfléchie qui invite le lecteur à s'immerger dans les vies des personnages et leurs émotions. Chaque histoire est imprégnée d'une profonde humanité, mettant en lumière des moments de regret, de pardon et d'amour.
J'ai particulièrement apprécié la façon dont le récit prend son temps, permettant aux émotions de se développer lentement et naturellement. Cette lenteur, loin d'être ennuyeuse, ajoute une couche de profondeur et de contemplation qui rend la lecture encore plus enrichissante.
"Tant que le café est encore chaud" est un roman touchant qui nous rappelle la beauté des moments présents et l'importance des connexions humaines. C'est une lecture que je recommande vivement à ceux qui cherchent une expérience littéraire douce et introspective.
Maybe this is a bit over hyped. It was perfectly nice and enjoyable but I'm glad I got this from the library and didn't pay for it. Probably won't check out the next book
I'm not crying!! You are!! The man with Dementia, or the woman who lost her sister... It was all just sad but made you realize to appreciate the life you have because everything could change in a minute.
كرسي في مقهى, يتيح للجالس عليه السفر عبر الزمن . ولكن يبقى السؤال, ما الجدوى ؟
رواية جميلة استمتعت بقراءتها .
Honestly, the only imperfection is because its a translated work the writing style sometimes feels a little stilted or stammering in places. Otherwise I loved this book and the heart behind it. I also saw it as an allegory for counselling in a way. Like you sit in a chair, have a conversation and walk away changed. Not necessarily changing the future or the past but changing the way you see it enough that you can walk away lighter, healthier, happier etc.
This book feels like reading a play having four acts. While the writing and characters are simple enough, the book as a whole makes you feel raw with emotion.
I loved that.
I am honestly not sure what or how to properly word my feelings.
This was a real cozy and pleasureble read for me. I went that when I read this book I was sitting down and relaxing. The writing was not overly complicated and I understood what was haping. I liked that the stories were seperated but they also connected so much.
In earlier experience I have felt like the stories are so long and kinda have so many small details that I do not need in shortstories collections. For me this was not a problem while reading this. I felt honestly I was just sitting down and relaxig and enjoying a good and relaxing book with a small presentage of confusion.
The stories were all long enough to make you feel you were not left out of anything but short enough that I did not want to rip out somone troath so the story continoues along.
I also really enjoyed the whole idea of this timetraveling. It is simple in the idea and does not complicate the storyline too much. It is short and just as a small litte experince. I alomost felt like it is just like when you have a cup of coffe (or tea for my taste) and you start daydreaming. But in that daydreaming you get lost and suddenly you have bad time and need to drink as fast as you can and get along.
And I feel that the consept where the timetraveling is only while the coffe is worm (so not a long time) can in some ways be the same. So on the same topic the ghost, is somone that got lost in the daydream. And so is not anymore connected with the real world and lost all that mattered in the present.
Anyways I just felt it was a good and relaxing book, so overall I really enjoyed reading it.
Nunca pensé que un libro de 200 páginas se me haría así de pesado y monótono.
Los personajes se me hicieron vacíos y repetitivos, al igual que la trama en sí. Aunque la premisa de viajar en el tiempo para experimentar una versión alternativa del pasado me resultó intrigante, la ejecución y escritura dejaron mucho que desear.
No he tenido la fuerza suficiente para acabarlo, pero sé que si lo hubiese hecho le habría puesto una estrella igualmente.
This book takes place in Cafe Funiculi Funicula in Tokyo. It may look like a regular small cafe, other than the fact that it is in a basement, and has three clocks that don't show the same time, but it hides a bigger secret. Following a set of rigid rules, visitors to the cafe may travel in time! The book follows the story of four different people looking to find closure, healing, forgiveness, and acceptance.
One of the main rules of time travel in Cafe Funiculi Funicula is that no matter what you do in the past, you cannot change the present. They also have to drink their coffee before it gets cold to return to their present, otherwise, they will face harsh repercussions. So what motivates people to travel back in time to their pasts?
We meet a woman whose boyfriend left her to go to work in America, and she regretted not asking him to stay. We meet a man who has Alzheimer's, and his wife who is heartbroken because he cannot remember her anymore, and they attempt to define the parameters of their new dynamic.
We also meet a woman who is estranged from her family, and who kept rejecting her sister's attempts to reconnect until she lost that sister. And, finally, we meet a pregnant woman who knows she is going to die if she carries on with her pregnancy, but all she wants is to give her baby a chance at life and make sure that they are happy. Each of those people was seeking closure, forgiveness, or an attempt to express their feelings one last time, and even though none of their presents changed, they all managed to find some peace.
Four short stories that made me sad but happy at the same time. The writing style felt a little bit simple at times, but that didn't really bother me.