— on searching for life’s purpose (and realizing that the answer does not lie in capitalism, despite the entire book being about different characters finding jobs) 

 

 

“what you’re looking for is in the library” is a book that i’ve been eyeing for an embarrassingly long time, but never had the time to pick up. funnily enough, i found that much of the book revolves around that exact premise: knowing that you want to do something, but telling yourself that there will always be a better time to do it. 

 

the book, a compilation of short stories, follows many different characters in their journey of finding their purpose in life. from a young woman unhappy in her unfulfilling corporate job to a man who struggles to find meaning once he retires from his position at a major company, “what you’re looking for is in the library” shows that our search for purpose and identity is a never-ending task. however, despite that seemingly pessimistic message, each character manages to slowly discover what they’ve been truly yearning for in life when they check out a book recommended by the local librarian. 

 

personally, my favorite part of the book was how random each character’s life-changing book recommendation was. it the sense that every book in a library, no matter how absurd or childish or “non-literary”, has the capability to change a person’s outlook on life. it’s a message that totally contradicts the common trend of elitism and moral evaluation of literature, and it’s a message i will continue to shout from the rooftops for as long as i exist. 

 

“what you’re looking for is in the library” is a cozy, wonderfully simple read that holds your hand as you slowly discover what it truly means to live, and how to find purpose in your own terms. 

 

★★★★★ | #eastasianliterature #translatedliterature #asianliterature