It was great to learn more about travelling in time I mean those cafés being not just in Tokyo, and what it means to live an everyday life that is wisdom and magic! From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Tales from the Cafe comes another story of four new customers, each of whom is hoping to take advantage of the cafe's time-travelling offer. Among some familiar faces from Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s previous novels, readers will also be introduced to: The plot was fragmented into 4 episodic tales with each reflected the same slice-of-life theme like the previous instalments; an affecting journey on resentment, loneliness, loss love, grief and late confession. Bit glimpse at the beginning on Kei transporting to the future to meet Miki in Café Funiculi Funicula; a narrative that was brought forward from the last story in Book 1 before Kei passed away. All 4 stories appeared to share a very similar heartrending nuance to me yet I love how each was so pleasantly written. Perhaps because one of the regulars in this café was Saki the psychiatrist, the plot highlighted bits on psychological concerns as well; of depression and trauma, suicidal ideation, hallucinations, anxiety issues and mental breakdown.

Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - The Last Reader Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - The Last Reader

Ogni storia la sentirete vicina a voi, come se ciò che viene descritto vi fosse capitato, per questo è impossibile non farsi coinvolgere emotivamente. I would say that this series is a great starting point if you want to start reading Japanese literature. It is both beautiful and easy to read, has amazing prose and sentence structure whilst still being simple to comprehend. It is a beautiful book, and an even more beautiful series, which I thoroughly enjoyed and I am sad I have to let it go, at least for now.

Customer reviews

I didn’t even know there was a third book in this until I chanced on it at my favorite bookstore. Sadly, the series is getting a bit repetitive. There were too many characters, and the stories weren’t as poignant as in the earlier books. The writing appeared a bit hasty, maybe the translation. And overall, it didn’t really hit the right notes. Meet more wonderful characters in the next captivating novel in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, Before We Say Goodbye, releasing November 14, 2023! A special big thanks to Irina for recommending the first book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, that has become a new favourite, extending the frontiers of time-travel and making us more human!

Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

love de nieuwe setting met de bergen en de natuur en de nieuwe mensen en toch een mooi geheel met het tokyo café, en weer even hartverwarmend en hartverscheurend tegelijkertijd als altijd of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi I dont really understand why the book repeats itself so much - it’s like bingeing a TV series that’s forcing you to watch the ‘last time on…’ every episode.

Reiji was now realizing how important the ordinary life that we take for granted is and how much happiness can be experienced from having someone you care about by your side. Things that you put off saying until tomorrow are sometimes never said.”

Before Memory Fades An Autobiography - Archive.org Before Memory Fades An Autobiography - Archive.org

it took me exactly 4 months to finish this super short book as i just didn’t feel the same magic i had in the previous installmentsWhen you give a gift to someone who is striving to achieve their dreams, you have to give them the most cherished thing you have. Some days that person who is chasing their dreams will not be able to find the strength to keep going. [...] When that happens the person gifted with the most precious thing will be able to fight on a little more. [...[ I want you to fight for your dreams.” The third novel in the international bestselling Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. Having read the first two, we can attest it will be just the thing to curl up with on a rainy afternoon. Still in love with Kazu’s personality and what a twist to know that she has a daughter now who inherited her magical touch of serving the cup of coffee. I don’t fancy Reiji’s character that much but the last story of him and Nanako really gets my heart broken a bit. Light and delightful ways of writing despite how the author still having that same writing habit like before; to repetitively info dumping stuff he already mentioned in each story. Bit hopeful too for the old gentleman ghost as I thought one of the story would be about him but none yet; was wondering as well whether he was the same ghost from Café Funiculi Funicula or a different one(?) but I guess I need to wait the translated Book 4 to read his closure, maybe?

Before Your Memory Fades - Toshikazu Kawaguchi - Google Books Before Your Memory Fades - Toshikazu Kawaguchi - Google Books

was my experience with this novel the same as the other two? no. was it as blissful or enjoyable as the other two? also no. We are introduced to new customers and their stories. We have a young woman who resents her deceased parents for leaving her alone, a famous comedian who wants to share his recent achievement with her dead wife, a young woman who is still grieving her sister’s death, and a young man who wants to confess his love to his childhood friend. From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Tales from the Cafe comes another story of four new customers, each of whom is hoping to take advantage of Café Funiculi Funicula's time-travelling offer. Among some familiar faces from Kawaguchi's previous novels, readers will also be introduced to a daughter, a comedian, a sister, and a lover, each with something they wish they had said differently.The author has a way of talking about the human condition that I just found so enthralling. His beautiful yet simple prose offer a moral on life at each part of the book, in a poetic and breathtaking way. I absolutely love this man's writing and I am so excited for the 4th book ! Even though I liked this book the least out of the three I have read so far, it made me feel emotional and I enjoyed it :)