Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Lots of ambience, not much else

Japanese fiction seems to be having a moment, so I figured I’d participate. I got what I was expecting: not a particularly deep or moving novel, but a quiet, ambient experience. What many Japanese authors do well is this idea of the place that never changes, the constant routine, the comfort it all brings. The idea of a hot cup of coffee in an old cafe, waitresses swishing about, regular customers in their regular seats — it’s all very evocative, comforting, and quintessentially Japanese.

Was I moved to tears? No. Will I read more in this style? Probably only if I am craving a sense of order and calm (so, yes, more than likely — but only when the mood strikes).