Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Fiction, Fiction & Poetry, General Fiction
Paperback Published on: 19/09/2019
£10.99
Bookseller Reviews
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You Don't Need Coffee This Story Will Keep You Awake
Oddly enough, this title is a lyric from a song that holds great meaning for me, so when it came into my vision I immediately purchased it and took it home... READ MORE
Short but sweet.
This time travel story gently demands your attention. A short, but sweet, story of four characters and their decisions for choosing to sit in that seat.
I... READ MORE
Beautiful and moving
This is a beautiful and very moving book. The pace and feel of Japanese literature is very different to Western writing I find and this can take a bit of ... READ MORE
Unusual read
This was a quirky and charming book, which I really did enjoy. The idea of the story is wonderful, and it was a lovely, gentle read. I loved the characters... READ MORE
Though-provoking, atmospheric and unique.
I read this book whilst commuting, and it was perfect to accompany me on a busy train to take me away from the hustle and bustle of early morning commuters... READ MORE
Makes you think
Introspective and sweet, Before the Coffee Gets Cold poses the question: if you could travel through time, who from your personal life would you want to me... READ MORE
Charming & Heart Warming
This is a sweet little book! Set in a small, sepia-light basement cafe in Japan with a peculiar quirk, if you sit in a particular seat and drink the coffee... READ MORE
Charming and gentle
A beautiful and heartfelt book. Full of warmth and hope. A prefect pick-me-up story with enough substance to give you something real to ponder.
Quirky, thoughtful gem of a book.
I love Japanese fiction and this is a perfect introduction to it for new readers.
The premise is intriguing a coffee shop that allows you to go back in ti... READ MORE
Clever, charming and simply beautiful
In short, I love this book!!! It tells the story of an underground Tokyo café where rumour has it if you drink the coffee , you can travel back in time. On... READ MORE
An intriguing concept that follows through
This book is beautiful. It may not touch on reality, what with the time travel and all that, but it is one of the most real books I have read in a while a... READ MORE
A quirky time travelling tale that’s both heartbreaking and warming at the same time.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is one of those books that makes me so glad I’m a reader. Perfectly formed, bittersweet, touching, hopeful and whimsical all at... READ MORE
Best served with a latte and muffin
I picked up this book with the hopes of expanding my barriers of reading. This is perfect for anyone wanting to do the same.
I’m sure everyone would want... READ MORE
A beautiful little heart warming book
4.5 stars
I really loved this! A few weeks after finishing, I’m still thinking about it. The book is divided into 4 mini stories, all set in the cafe, ... READ MORE
Short but very sweet
Such a sweet and sorrowful little story. Questions what we would change if we could and how we would tackle situations differently. Don’t let the beginning... READ MORE
Intriguing Concept,nice quick read
Interesting concept,4 short stories woven together via a basement cafe.There are a lot of conditions to using a particular chair to travel back or forward ... READ MORE
Nice story, but didn't live up to the hype
This was recommended to me by a good friend and honestly I really liked the sound of it.
It’s only a short read so I got through it quite quickly and I co... READ MORE
Read it and love it — it’s a simple as that.
This is a book to treasured. Bursting with character and charm, it’s cosy, loveable and wonderfully entrancing. The tragic beauty is, at times, just so hea... READ MORE
Heartwarming, thought provoking & beautifully written!
This book is beautiful! I went into it blind, not really knowing what it was about and I was pleasantly surprised, it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. W... READ MORE
Charming and Life-affirming
I've only just started a foray into translated fiction and found this very enjoyable. A charming and excellently translated Japanese novel about a coffee s... READ MORE
A perspective changer
This book follows different characters stories as we follow the coffee shop through time. Whether they're visiting a lost reletive or want to see someone t... READ MORE
Sweet and lovely
There isn't much bad to say about this sweet book, and it brought a couple of tears to my eyes. It is less a science fiction time-travel book than a book w... READ MORE
A Lukewarm Cup of Coffee
I had been waiting to read this book for a while and was very excited when I finally received a copy! But... maybe I was expecting too much. Before the cof... READ MORE
Nothing can change the past, but the future...
A touching tale that truly demonstrates the idea that you can't change the past, but you can use it as a tool to make your future a better place.
Taking p... READ MORE
To read and read again.
I received a digital copy after I requested it from Netgalley, however that will not affect the review. My opinions are my own.
This was such a bittersw... READ MORE
Cosy Caffeinated Time Travel
A beautiful, cosy and immersive read. We are transported into a retro café in Japan that can take its visitors back in time.. as long as several rules are ... READ MORE
A emotional book with a big heart!
A highly emotional read! One that will make you appreciate your life and everyone in it.
Set in a small Japanese basement café, in a timeless, nothing ou... READ MORE
Synopsis
What would you change if you could go back in time?
In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe 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.
In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe's time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the cafe, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .
Toshikazu Kawaguchi's beautiful, moving story - translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot - explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?
- Publisher: Pan Macmillan
- ISBN: 9781529029581
- Number of pages: 224
- Weight: 166g
- Dimensions: 196 x 131 x 15 mm
Customer Reviews
View allSecond chances!
This book is charming. It flows in a leisurely pace. You must sit in a certain chair in this particular coffee shop. There is nothing you can do while in t... READ MORE
A little stretched, but fun ideas and confidently handled
I was charmed by the idea and found many things to like in the novel.
It's imaginative, as good time travel tales are. There are fun bits and ingenious bi... READ MORE
Gentle Read
Bought this for my daughter who loves everything Japanese. Now my whole family have been enchanted by this series of tales relating to staff and customer... READ MORE
Some smart time-travel ideas, but thinly spread
I was charmed by the idea and found many things to like in the novel.
It's imaginative, as good time travel tales are. There are fun bits and ingenious bit... READ MORE
Amazing adventure
This book is one of my absolute favourites it just is so interlocking and wonderful. Written absolutely beautifully. It’s funny, adventurous, heartwarming ... READ MORE
A sweet quick read
A sweet quick read, translated from the Japanese, which I really enjoyed.
In one seat of a little backstreet cafe, the coffee drinker can travel through t... READ MORE
A Tedious read!!
A see a lot of reviews here rate this book highly. Unfortunately, I don't! I found it very boring and couldn't get continue beyond the first dull story.
As... READ MORE
Small but Impactful
✨ REVIEW - Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi ✨
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This Japanese best seller translated to English, set in a small underground café in Tok... READ MORE
Lost in translation, maybe?
This was not a book of my usual genre as it was bought for me as a Christmas present, and whilst being open to a range of texts, I wouldn't say I disliked ... READ MORE
An interesting concept
I was sent a copy of Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi to read and review by NetGalley.
This novel had a very interesting concept, not all... READ MORE
Charming
A short, quirky little novel which I really enjoyed. It has to be said that the translation is a little clunky in places but, in some ways, that adds to it... READ MORE
weird but interesting
This is an honest review as a thank you for the proof copy I received. This was an interesting book. it was intriguing to imagine what we would be like to ... READ MORE
Pure, crisp and heartwarming
I can't stop recommending this to customers. I'm not usually a reader of comtemporary fiction, but this is a work of art. I fell in love with the pure mess... READ MORE
I absolutely loved this book
This book may be short but it certainly packs a punch. It captures human relationships perfectly. The writing had me smiling and crying at the beauty and i... READ MORE
Mindblowing!
Typical phenomenal Japanese style book.
The story is just so original, intricated and mindblowing.
A book that leaves something with you, a book that moves... READ MORE
Thought-provoking, atmospheric and unique.
I read this book whilst commuting, and it was perfect to accompany me on a busy train to take me away from the hustle and bustle of early morning commuters... READ MORE
Subtle little gem
‘If you could go back, who would you want to meet?’
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s 2015 novel now gets an English-language publication, translated by Geoffrey Trou... READ MORE
Short novel set in a cafe in TOKYO
A magical mystery novel set in a basement cafe named the Funiculi Funicula which of course is the title of a Neapolitan song to commemorate the opening of ... READ MORE
Beautiful and heartbreaking story
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a beautiful and heart-breaking story about coming to terms with loss.
The story is set in a little cafe designed for people ... READ MORE
Beautiful
Absolutely wonderful book which pulls you in and keeps you reading. It's all set within the same coffee shop and around the same people but is four separat... READ MORE
Such a good read !!!
Loved this book , really interesting plot and likeable characters. It really makes you think and is superbly well written.
Enchanting and original, but strangely believable.
Where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, in a nondescript coffee shop in Tokyo. This story has only a few characters. Everyone in the coffee shop has a ... READ MORE
Useful and insightful
A pocket book to keep with you everyday.
Use it in the tube, at home, anywhere really.
Instead of not mindfully using your phone and scrolling down on FB n... READ MORE
I loved this
What a delightful treat. Waterstones recommended this beautiful little book which I read in the bath one night.
Can’t recommend enough. I loved it start ... READ MORE
Four ‘mini-fables’ comfortably merge into a single heart-warming read.
A peculiar urban myth surrounds a cafe called ‘Funiculi Funicula’ and the heart-wrangling needs of its customers, as astonishingly its courteous service an... READ MORE
An interesting, gentle tale.
In a little basement cafe, tucked away in a Tokyo side street, the unprepossessing decor hides a not very well kept secret. Urban legend has it that you ca... READ MORE
Time-travelling twist
A gorgeous spin on the subject of time, this novella is a literary treat. Reminiscent of the film About Time, the four interconnected stories set in this t... READ MORE
Lovely book!
I picked this book on a whim and I’m very pleased I did! 4 stories that are interlinked, and I enjoyed it a lot - a very sweet read.
It was ok
Funiculi Funicula - a small coffee shop in Tokyo where you can travel back in time provided you sit in a particular seat and drink your coffee before it ge... READ MORE
poignant read
I loved this book, so much I read it twice, something I only do if the book touches me in some way. I also read the last paragraph twice as well. I am no... READ MORE
Book club read
Read this title for book group. Would give it a 7/10. Enjoyable read but easy to see it has been adapted from a play.
Delightful story
In a little back alley in downtown Tokyo lies a small cafe and for the price of a cup of hot coffee you the customer can be transported back (or forward) i... READ MORE
Makes you think
I enjoyed the fact that although there were 4 short stories within it, they all linked together which led to a very emotional ending. I’ve honestly never r... READ MORE
Lovely heartwarming story
I saw this all over bookstagram and although it sounded completely different to the type of book I usually read I added it to my wishlist anyway and despit... READ MORE
Underwhelmed
Honestly...I struggled to write this review because I just feel so disappointed and underwhelmed by this read. Although it isn’t one of my lowest scoring r... READ MORE
boring
just a really overhyped and boring book!
I loved every word
These stories are a beautiful testament to the powerful impact that a change of perspective can have.
We all need a mystical time travelling cafe in our li... READ MORE
First book
Read this as my first book and honestly i loved it! It has really made me think of the present and appreciate what I have and how I can be a better person!... READ MORE
Fascinating storytelling
I loved this book. The premise of time-travel has always been interesting to me. The way the characters traveled back in time by the coffee shop is so intr... READ MORE
Charming, beautiful novel filled with character!
This is such an enchanting, inspiring and emotional story. It builds some incredible relationships with the characters, and the cute café in which the stor... READ MORE
Beautifully bittersweet
One of the best novels I’ve read in the past year, a wonderful set of intertwining stories where the concept of time travel is less a focus and more a side... READ MORE
before the coffee gets cold
I have just heard that this book has also been a play and when you read it you can see why. A quiet little book with 4 stories of love and loss.
Just amazing
Honestly I don't know what else to say apart from the fact that I love this book so much.
Lovely
I read this last year, it’s wonderful.
A sweet little story!
I wouldn’t usually pick up a book by its cover but in this instance it was certainly what drew me towards it. I’m very glad I picked it up. There are a few... READ MORE
Smell the coffee and be prepared for tears.
I’m sorry but, here is a book that made me cry.
I have always enjoyed the fantasy of time travel and the temporal anomalies associated with it.
In the... READ MORE
A quirky, Ingenious, thought provoking but gentle and reassuring story. Unforgettable
This was an impulse buy. The front cover caught my eye and I wondered what a Japanese best seller would be like. The mini reviews were interesting too ... READ MORE
Sometimes you don’t need to change the past or alter the future. Sometimes all you need is to finally say what was left unsaid…
‘’The cafe’s name was Funiculi Funicula. It had become famous, with long queues each day, an account of time-travelling. But it wasn’t possible to find any... READ MORE
Before the coffee gets cold
I reakt enjoyed it and each individual short story were realy interesting and different from each other.
Subtle and charming
I like the slower, studied considered pace one finds in some Japanese writing. I admire the time given here to observe the characters and the setting.
That... READ MORE
Magical read
Thoroughly enjoyed the mix of characters and magic that this book brings.
Heartwarming and cleverly written it left me pondering life and what’s really imp... READ MORE
Tepid translation
Overall, i enjoyed the book but felt the translation would have benifitted from a bit more liberal approach to make it flow better.
Quirky
I’m very fond of these little gems coming from Japan and China. They show a completely different way of telling stories and this one is delightfully peculi... READ MORE
Unusual and beautiful
A gem of a book. I’ve gifted several copies and everyone has felt the same. I won’t spoil it by revealing more
Lovely
I bought it in store.
I love Japanese literature, is just what I need right now. Also it give you quite a deep insight....if you are ready for it ;)
Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a delightful read with stories to tell of the customers who regularly use this coffee shop. They can ... READ MORE
A Good Read
A nice read, The characters have good development and you understand their emotions. A book you cant put down while reading.
Absolutely Charming
Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is an absolutely delightful contemporary novel that will warm your heart as you learn what is really imp... READ MORE
A book for everyone, a must read!
A charming and fun book which explores the quirky and somewhat supernatural, yet also emotional, lives of the customers and staff of the café. By the end, ... READ MORE
I adore this little understated book
I have been meaning to read this book for so long. Today I saw it recommended by a fellow member of an online book group, and was so grateful to find it on... READ MORE
Quaint and thought provoking
Intrigued from the outset, and I found it hard to put down with it's ease of reading. You meet some interesting characters along the way, each with a diffe... READ MORE
Beautiful
I absolutely loved this book, the four intertwined stories made it an easy read, yet the concepts were so emotional and real. I finished it in one sitting ... READ MORE
love it xx
this book is my favourite book ever !! i’ve read all 3 books (tales of the cafe and before ur memory fades) and honestly the book has literally made me cry... READ MORE
A quick, quality read that keeps you engaged
This is the only time-travel book I’ve read that I’ve ever liked.
The idea of this is unique, I loved the short story layout, it kept my attention.
T... READ MORE
A must-read!
This book was not perfect. I will have to say that. If you read this book for the fantastical element of time travel, you may be disappointed. There are ma... READ MORE
My Coffee Has Gone Cold With Tears
This book is absolutely stunning. I cannot put into words how much I adore this book, the way that Kawaguchi forms his sentences and outputs them onto the ... READ MORE
Slow and Thought-Provoking
This short novel is composed of four short stories, each focusing on different customers of the Café. Each story focused on a slightly different theme but ... READ MORE
Slice of Life
I have been meaning to read this book for YEARS and when the very lovely publishers were offering ARC I finally went for it. I adored the book and the litt... READ MORE
Interesting idea but not very exciting
I thought the idea behind the book was interesting, but I never really felt that I connected with the characters, partially due to the short story-structur... READ MORE
Brilliant!
I know I'm very late to this party - but it had been on my wish list for ever!
Anyway, all you need to know is that I agree it's superb and yes I will be r... READ MORE
The drawing of characters is rather good
There are certain tropes in literature which tend to pose the question of readability and legitimacy of the text. Here our design must include the belief o... READ MORE
Interesting and opens new ideas
A quirky story relating to something we can all identify with - staff and customers of a coffee shop. Now I can't sit in one without wondering about the pe... READ MORE
An interesting read with a great concept
Rated 3.5/4 /5
The writing was interesting. Parts of it did confuse me and I had to keep rereading bits to try and fully understand what was happening. ... READ MORE
Time travelling in a cafe!
The way all characters get connected by the end of the story is just impressive! All having one desire in common and that is travelling to the past to see ... READ MORE
Stick with it
Stick with this book. The beginning wasn’t really for me, mostly because I felt the translation wasn’t that good and that consequently the characters were ... READ MORE
Sweet book
Although was sweet and short I think this book will be a hate or love affair it was love at first read for me.
The collection of stories about the stra... READ MORE
Cute and Quirky
'Before the Coffee Gets Cold' (Picador, 2019) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and translated from the Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot is a cute and quirky novel set... READ MORE
A thought provoking gentle read
A cafe where if you sit in a certain seat and follow the rules you can travel in time but you must return before the coffee poured for you goes cold.
T... READ MORE
I liked it but..
This is a very simple yet sweet book. I found the premise of the book very interesting and it was carried out well. In certain parts it did become repetiti... READ MORE
Not worth it
The chapters are unnecessarily long. Takes 40 pages for the excitement of the chapter (little story) to get started. Written in a poor way making it diffic... READ MORE
Fascinating and thought provoking!
I wasn't sure what to expect when I made this purchase but I'm now a convert to the author and this intriguing exploration of
time travel set in a cafe! ... READ MORE
Overrated but cute
To be honest I bought the book because I seen so many people hype it up on social media platforms as well as the fact that the back of the book had caught ... READ MORE
Soppy and boring.
Don't fall for the buzz around this book like I did. It might be the most overrated thing I've ever read.
Incredibly basic and boring writing, usually des... READ MORE
Very easy and touching
I have read this book in two evenings because I couldn’t stop. Once you are at the dark cafe in the basement you cannot leave it…
Heartbreaking/heartwarming
A rollercoaster of emotions reading this one. Totally hooked on the series now and on the third book. Referring to the relationship map of characters helpe... READ MORE
Unique and engaging book.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is indeed a unique and engaging read. Set in a small Tokyo café where patrons can time-travel, but only ... READ MORE
Heart-warming and Heart-breaking
I personally find that this book is very well written in its own way, despite a couple of questions popping up in my head while reading it. The language us... READ MORE
Beautiful
Four beautiful stories about time travelling and taking second chances. Very good for easy holiday reading, exploring love and loss.
The writing can somet... READ MORE
Thought provoking but easy to read
Read this with my book club. Have to admit I wouldn't normally have picked this up but I loved it. Very real people with real feelings that we can all rela... READ MORE
Beautiful short read
I adore this book and its sequel "Before the Coffee gets cold: Tales from the Cafe"! I had been finding it hard to read for quite a few years and whilst br... READ MORE
“It takes courage to say what has to be said.”
I recently ventured into a bookstore for the first time since COVID and proceeded to go into what can only be described as a book frenzy. I was only lookin... READ MORE
Absolutely incredible
This book was so incredible. I loved every second of it. I could feel the emotion through the page. I love the authors writing. Would recommend
Beautifully written
I haven't picked up a book in ages, however this book has got me reading again. It is a beautifully written story that takes a few unexpected turns. Lettin... READ MORE
Americano, I always ask for hot milk!
I’m sorry but, here is a book that made me cry.
I have always enjoyed the fantasy of time travel and the temporal anomalies associated with it.
In the... READ MORE
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