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A review by nhdiary
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
4.0
"I don't think it really matters whether you know a lot about books or not. That said, I don't know that much myself. But I think what matters far more with a book is how it affects you."
A very heartwarming story that takes place in Jimbocho, Tokyo's popular "used bookstore" district. The lovely atmosphere of the neighbourhood and the tightness between its unique residents created a cosy and safe environment for our narrator, Takako, to recharge and find a deep love for books.
At first, I was surprised by the pace of the story, which was slightly faster than what I am used to in this type of Japanese literature. But it worked so well that I didn't mind. It's only after reaching Part 2 that I realised that the telling of the months Takako spent living at the Morisaki Bookshop was solely the focus of Part 1. I was a little taken aback since I was led to assume otherwise, but I was also even more intrigued to get to know Momoko.
I loved the dynamic between the characters, and how unconventional Satoru and Momoko are, to some extent. Especially Satoru. He is my favourite kind of character by how hard he is to grasp: peculiar, contradictory, knowledgeable, and yet quite stubborn and naive at times. The bond with his niece and how they helped one another with their own struggles was very moving. Each character had their own charm and I was truly absorbed by their exchanges and the way they got to understand and grew on one another. I found myself highlighting a lot of lovely words throughout the story.
A very heartwarming story that takes place in Jimbocho, Tokyo's popular "used bookstore" district. The lovely atmosphere of the neighbourhood and the tightness between its unique residents created a cosy and safe environment for our narrator, Takako, to recharge and find a deep love for books.
At first, I was surprised by the pace of the story, which was slightly faster than what I am used to in this type of Japanese literature. But it worked so well that I didn't mind. It's only after reaching Part 2 that I realised that the telling of the months Takako spent living at the Morisaki Bookshop was solely the focus of Part 1. I was a little taken aback since I was led to assume otherwise, but I was also even more intrigued to get to know Momoko.
I loved the dynamic between the characters, and how unconventional Satoru and Momoko are, to some extent. Especially Satoru. He is my favourite kind of character by how hard he is to grasp: peculiar, contradictory, knowledgeable, and yet quite stubborn and naive at times. The bond with his niece and how they helped one another with their own struggles was very moving. Each character had their own charm and I was truly absorbed by their exchanges and the way they got to understand and grew on one another. I found myself highlighting a lot of lovely words throughout the story.