A review by paigeinthepages_sg
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Before the coffee gets cold is a collection of short stories about the Funiculi Funicula cafe, a place where customers can go back in time to speak with a loved one in the span of time or takes their drink to cool. The 4 stories of this book explore love and loss in a unique way. 

Before The Coffee Gets Cold is a 
perfect short story collection for fans of Japanese magical-realisim. I also think it could be a great introduction to the genre, especially with a lack of Murakami-like descriptions of women.

Many readers who I highly respect have given this book 5 stars, which makes me think I was just not in the proper headspace for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I had a really hard time keeping track of the characters which I think may have muddled the experience a little.