Reviews

The Briefcase by Hiromi Kawakami

Only show reviews with written explanations

alexycred's review against another edition

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4.0

sad book for sad girls

fleeting_reality's review against another edition

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4.0

I just love the texture and feel of Japanese literature. At least that which I have read thusfar. It always has this space/spaciousness to it. This book had that. It was beautiful.

darbyleduc's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

hkrowe's review against another edition

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5.0

Utterly fantastic!!

tsukk's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved this book, even if the style and one or two chapters lost me a bit. It's a truly beautiful story about human connection, seeing and being seen, accepting and being accepted, about how loneliness can harden us and connection and acceptance can make us flourish.

At first I didn't like the main characters. Sensei was sexist due to his age and in my eyes he didn't respect Tsukiko. Then Tsukiko was impulsive and insensitive. Both abrasive and immature each in their own styles. The seed of their connection is loneliness, but what grows between them is true and real, based on seeing and appreciating the other person for who they are, and I think being able to show that is very special.

A very particular and intimist view on how much of us lives in others and in ourselves. I'll probably revisit it. Hope you like it.

Content Warnings

thegreatso's review against another edition

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3.0

La frustration déchirante qu'engendre la (parfois) longue parade des amoureux sur les spectateurs avertis, qui pressés de voir aboutir leur union, s'alanguissent des démonstrations infimes et subtiles de tendresse et de respect de l'autre . A leur perte. Bien que récalcitrante face à ce récit qui n'a que faire des conventions du genre, j'ai su me laissée apprivoiser vers la fin du récit, reconnaissante que je suis d'avoir laissé l'auteure m'ouvrir vers une forme d'amour plus intuitive, moins performatrice, plus décalée et audacieuse dans sa simplicité éloquente (et sans doute moins accessible aux lecteurs habitués aux standards occidentaux).

Ps : l’écriture peut être légèrement déconcertante (presque entrecoupée, distante) au départ, il faut juste s’y accrocher. L’apprentissage est rarement un moment facile à passer, mais ça en vaut toujours la peine.