A review by solitary
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

3.5

this book is a reminder of how important it is to participate in life, not just watch it occur.

all the lovers in the night follows fuyuko, a mid-thirties freelance proofreader who has trouble connecting with people and life in general. her days are extremely unembellished, with most of them revolving around working from home. no other routines, no hobbies, no interests, and no friends.

the closest thing she has to a friend is her editor, hijiri, whose attitude is the complete opposite of hers. while fuyuko would rather sit and listen, hijiri is unreserved and assertive. for a while, i wondered how their “friendship” worked, and how fuyuko, aloof that she is, found some ease in hijiri and her outspokenness.

the narrative was built up really well. kawakami’s writing reads like a somber, drawn-out scene in a film. on every page, i recognized a bit of myself in all her characters, especially in fuyuko.

the build-up fell to an anticlimactic and somewhat unnecessary part that, in my opinion, gives up the opportunity for fuyuko to finally show some development. and while the central idea of the book roots in her desire to change her life, i would’ve liked to see her actually take matters into her own hands more.

overall, this is a reflective read that made me ponder how different life could be if i participated more. if i was braver. how many opportunities did i pass up because i let the waves of life drift me to where i thought it wanted me to be?

buddy read with ro and lili
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