Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales From the Cafe - Toshikazu Kawaguchi

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time...

From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold comes a story of four new customers each of whom is hoping to take advantage of Cafe Funiculi Funicula's time-travelling offer.

Among some faces that will be familiar to readers of Kawaguchi's previous novel, we will be introduced to:

The man who goes back to see his best friend who died 22 years ago

The son who was unable to attend his own mother’s funeral

The man who travelled to see the girl who he could not marry

The old detective who never gave his wife that gift...

This beautiful, simple tale tells the story of people who must face up to their past, in order to move on with their lives. Kawaguchi once again invites the reader to ask themselves: what would you change if you could travel back in time?

Blurb taken from Goodreads. 

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I read Before the Coffee Gets Cold last year, and it quickly became one of my favourite reads of 2021 (you can read my review of it here). I thought it was a wonderful idea, and the stories were absolutely magical. As soon as I finished, I knew I had to get my hands on this follow-up too. I was hoping it would be just as enchanting!

I loved getting back to this magical little cafe. It had the same charm, and I loved these new uplifting stories. I don't think this instalment was quite as enjoyable as the first; it definitely had emotion, but there didn't seem to be the same depth and connection to the narrative. However, it was still wonderful to revisit this world, and it's definitely worth a read if you enjoyed the first!

Rating: ✫✫✫✫

My Thoughts

The structure of the book is exactly like the first. There are four separate stories that all tie together to create the overarching story of the cafe. These make the book so manageable, and I loved being able to read one at a time. I know some readers have struggled with the format, because it reads like a play. However, I found this very direct narrative really refreshing to read!

The stories themselves were very sweet. I found this time they were a lot more reflective on past events rather than the actual conversations when the individuals went back in time. This didn't feel to me to be as easy to connect with, and I found that I didn't grow as attached to the character this time around. I still felt they were very emotive, and very powerful. They just didn't seem to me to have the same sparkle they did last time.

However, I did like the thread of the regular characters over the different stories. I love the idea that different stories are tied together by the cafe staff, and they were what brought most of the heart to this book in my eyes. I loved learning more about the cafe and how it had changed over the years - especially the little girl who wants to pour the coffee herself! I wish there had been more touches like that, because I feel it would have made me connect a little better with the book. 

The Verdict

I have a lot of love for the stories from this cafe. I loved the first book, and think the whole idea is totally magical. However, this second set just didn't quite connect with me in the same way. It's hard to describe what was missing, because it was all there, just like with the first book. The same idea, the same cafe, and the same characters, with great stories to explore. There was just something missing that I can't quite put my finger on. 

I feel awful criticising it, because I still absolutely loved the collection, but that extra sparkle wasn't quite as bright this time. However, I still loved delving back into these stories. They made me feel uplifted, and they were wonderful to read - they really do give you a warm feeling. If you enjoyed the first, I'm sure you'll love this instalment too.