Before the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, 213 pages, paperback, Picador, £7.49.
If you could go back, who would you want to meet?
Kawaguchi’s novel takes its readers on a journey through time and how a brief encounter can make a massive difference.
Although this book was originally a play, the simple setting of the cafe doesn’t remind me of this fact. Instead I feel that the setting of this novel provides its readers with a sense of community. This is further evident in the structure of the novel.
Structure
Before the Coffee gets Cold is split into 4 sections. These could be perceived as chapters or they could be split into 4 short stories. Although I would normally prefer to see these as chapters, I found it much easier to see these sections as short stories as each section is over 50 pages. Interestingly, the way in which all of the stories are connected reminds me of Love Actually. Each have a different perspective of love and can be viewed as separate stories or as one. This is a similar structure to Kawaguchi’s novel.
Time travel with a difference
The subject that ties his stories together is the element of time-travel. The rules are always the same, yet the reader is given a different experience, each time they follow someone into the past or future. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as each person who uses the seat to transport them to wherever they like, are relatable and have different reasonings for using the seat. I also love how the same characters are used in each story, only with a different focus. This allows the readers to form an attachment with each character and really emphasise the feeling of belonging within a community.
TV Adaptation
After reading this book, I might even try and track down the play as I’m intrigued to see what it would look like in the mode in which it was originally written. This book also has another in its series, Before the Coffee gets Cold: Tales from the Cafe. Although this book was originally written as a play, the trailer for the film can be watched here.
I strongly encourage you to read this. It may only be a small novel but it’s rich in dialogue, lyrical to read and will leave you feeling thankful for your own community that you surround yourself in.
The biggest message from this novel would be to not judge a book by its cover. This message coincidentally also relates to my viewpoints of the novel but also to the nine perfect strangers. The more you read, the more you will realise that nothing is ever just black or white.
Charlotte Anne Barker 