(Review by Mankar Ritik Vikas FYBHMCT Student at MSIHMCTRS, Pune) Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a reflective, heartwarming novel that explores themes of time, relationships, and human regret. Set in a small, atmospheric café in
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(Review by Mankar Ritik Vikas FYBHMCT Student at MSIHMCTRS, Pune)
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a reflective, heartwarming novel that explores themes of time, relationships, and human regret. Set in a small, atmospheric café in Tokyo, the story revolves around the unusual opportunity it offers: the chance to travel back in time.
However, this time-travel experience is not without its peculiar rules. The traveler must sit in a particular seat, the journey must be completed before the coffee gets cold, and the past cannot be altered. Through the eyes of four main characters, Kawaguchi delves into the emotional landscapes of their lives, offering readers a poignant exploration of how past regrets shape our present selves.
The novel is set in a small café tucked away in the bustling city of Tokyo, called “Funiculi Funicula.” What sets this café apart is its magical yet restrictive ability to send customers back in time — but only briefly. The rules are clear: time travel is only possible if one sits in the same chair, orders the café’s signature drink, and completes the trip before the coffee gets cold. Once the coffee cools, the time-travel experience ends.
Kawaguchi’s writing is simple yet evocative, perfectly complementing the novel’s gentle, introspective tone. The straightforward prose style allows the emotional depth of the characters’ journeys to shine through without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary complexity. There is a quiet beauty in the way the author unfolds each character’s story, and the novel’s pacing feels deliberate, allowing readers time to absorb the weight of each emotional revelation.
The author’s use of time as a narrative device is subtle yet impactful. The limited time-frame in which the characters can travel back creates a sense of urgency, as each person must face their past and make peace with it before the moment slips away. The café setting, with its cozy, timeless atmosphere, contrasts with the fleeting nature of the characters’ journeys, creating a poignant tension between the permanence of the café and the impermanence of the time-travel experiences
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