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A review by roses_and_alice
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As many other readers have noted, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop peaks in the first half then weakly drifts through a rather dull final part.
I enjoyed reading about how the bookshop and the encouragement of her uncle helps Takako turn her life back around. However, I do think the second part should have kept it's focus on the bookshop. Whilst I sympathised with Momoko, I couldn't understand her motivations nor interactions with Takako and Satoru. I ended up really disliking her and just wanting the book to end.
My only other nitpick is that sometimes the translation felt a little bit stilted and I could 'hear' the Japanese underneath. This tends to be a common issue with recent translations of Japanese literature. Perhaps the current trend is to directly translate rather than localise to the target language?
I enjoyed reading about how the bookshop and the encouragement of her uncle helps Takako turn her life back around. However, I do think the second part should have kept it's focus on the bookshop. Whilst I sympathised with Momoko, I couldn't understand her motivations nor interactions with Takako and Satoru. I ended up really disliking her and just wanting the book to end.
My only other nitpick is that sometimes the translation felt a little bit stilted and I could 'hear' the Japanese underneath. This tends to be a common issue with recent translations of Japanese literature. Perhaps the current trend is to directly translate rather than localise to the target language?
Content Warnings
Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion