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55 pages 1 hour read

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015

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Book Brief

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Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Transl. Geoffrey Trousselot

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015
Book Details
Pages

213

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Tokyo, Japan • Contemporary

Publication Year

2015

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi explores a small, time-traveling café called Funiculi Funicula, where patrons who sit in a specific chair and drink a special coffee can travel back in time, but must return before the coffee gets cold. Through interlinked stories such as "The Lovers," "Husband and Wife," "The Sisters," and "Mother and Child," the novel delves into themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

Melancholic

Bittersweet

Contemplative

Nostalgic

Serene

Reviews & Readership

4.2

41,846 ratings

70%

Loved it

26%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Toshikazu Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold offers a heartwarming, whimsical tale about time travel, enriched by Geoffrey Trousselot's translation. Praised for its emotional depth and unique premise, it sometimes suffers from repetitive elements and less developed characters. Overall, it remains a comforting, reflective read that many will enjoy.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Before the Coffee Gets Cold?

Readers who enjoy heartwarming, introspective narratives with a touch of magical realism, akin to The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger or Midnight Library by Matt Haig, will find solace and intrigue in Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated by Geoffrey Trousselot.

4.2

41,846 ratings

70%

Loved it

26%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Character List

Kazu Tokita

A part-time waitress at café Funiculi Funicula and a student at Tokyo University of the Arts, known for her enigmatic presence and skilled coffee-pouring ceremony, acting as a guardian of the café's time travel rules.

The café's manager and chef, Kazu’s cousin, with a reserved and intimidating presence, who focuses on supporting his family and the café visitors, although he has limited involvement in the time travel rituals.

A bold and playful staff member at the café, married to Nagare, whose warm presence and acceptance of life’s transience provides comfort to guests.

A newcomer to the café and time travel, a successful businesswoman who uses her visit to the café to navigate personal challenges and learn about the constraints of time travel.

Fumiko's younger boyfriend, a systems engineer with insecurities about his appearance, whose relationship with Fumiko involves navigating societal pressures and personal growth.

A regular at the café, a dull-looking man afflicted with Alzheimer's, whose deep connection with his wife is explored through time travel, despite his inability to travel himself.

Fusagi’s wife and a nurse, who navigates her husband’s illness and strengthens her understanding of their relationship through her experiences at the café.

A bold and irreverent regular at the café, she manages a snack bar and grapples with family issues, showing a distinct free-spirited style in contrast to conventional expectations.

Hirai's sweet and community-minded younger sister, who runs the family inn and remains hopeful of reconnecting with Hirai despite their estrangement.

The 15-year-old daughter of Kei and Nagare, who enters the café from the future, marked by her advanced technology and connection to the café’s time travel tradition.

Book Details
Pages

213

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Tokyo, Japan • Contemporary

Publication Year

2015

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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