By S.T. | Staff Writer
Much like a warm blanket on a rainy day, this book provided me comfort. Split into four interconnected stories, “Before the Coffee Gets Cold,” published in 2015 by author Toshikazu Kawaguchi and translator Geoffrey Trousselot, is a whimsical and quick read that transports its readers into a mysterious cafe nestled in a narrow back alley which displays a sign bearing its name, Funiculi Funicula.
No, this is not the Neapolitan song composed in 1880 by Luigi Denza, but a well-hidden coffee shop lost in the Tokyo metropolis. Its patrons are able to to travel through time, living with the fact that their actions would not change the course of the future and that they must return before the coffee gets cold. Thereon, readers follow the lives of complex characters who wish to find closure, mend past arguments, and assure loved ones with the help of time travel.
“It is there at the unique cafe, with three large antique wall clocks, where two lovers, a husband and wife, sisters, and a mother and daughter have brief but bittersweet encounters to settle their unfinished business.”
This book does not spend much time on the sci-fi components of time travel and can hardly be labeled as such, which is why I like it the most. It starts off as a simple surface-level story but quickly turns into a meaningful peek into the customers’ experiences.
It is there at the unique cafe, with three large antique wall clocks, where two lovers, a husband and wife, sisters, and a mother and daughter have brief but bittersweet encounters to settle their unfinished business. The value of their visits gave me much to think about the connectivity of the past, present, and future. It is an excellent reminder to treasure our current lives and those around us every day.
The way Kawaguchi and Trousselot approach intense topics like loss is so soft and gentle, oddly enough, and made me feel safe within the pages. How painful yet beautiful it must be to see and speak to a dead partner or family member one more time.
The overwhelming feeling knowing that nothing can be done to alter the characters’ futures sits in my chest and feels heavy. It allowed me to put myself in the shoes of the cafe goers and connect with their suffering as the story evolved and if I delved any further I would spoil too much.
“Before the Coffee Gets Cold” is a novel which definitely leaves long lasting impressions on its readers. While this piece is slower paced and heavily dependent on dialogue more than description, since it was originally written as a play, Kawaguchi and Trousselot created an incredible story woven with themes about time, love, hope, and regret.
It is rare for a book with less than 200 pages to make me feel so touched. This is probably one of the most humane works I have read so far and I am so glad I did. All in all, my visit to cafe Funiculi Funicula was soul-stirring and I highly recommend everyone to try their perfectly brewed cup of coffee.
