There are some bookclub books I don’t bother writing about. There are some I can’t be bothered finishing reading. And then there’s this one. It’s a book I will thoroughly recommend, such a lovely piece of writing. Translated from the Japanese, I find similarities to other books I’ve read which have been translated from Japanese. Having found these phrases and way of speech across several books I’m wondering if it’s just how the Japanese speak. I’ve not spoken to a Japanese person in such a long time I don’t recall hearing what I’ve noticed in print.
It’s the story of community and how a library and the librarian can bring a community together. Other people might argue that it’s actually about people and how you need to change your viewpoint in order to get ahead. I think it depends on what you see in this book as to how you view the story. It’s one of the points that the librarian, Sayuri Komachi, makes about the books she recommends. It’s what you see in the books that can change your life in different directions.
Each chapter features a different person. We see where they are in their lives, they all want some sort of change, but don’t know how to make it happen. They find themselves in the library talking to the librarian who asks them ‘What are you looking for?’ The questions aren’t always easy to articulate, but the librarian pulls something out of the air and hands over a page of recommendations. Each person takes away the books, reads them and finds their way through to a new future. Sometimes it’s not what they expected, they are more satisfied though.
I love how this book is structured. Everything takes our character to the library, and then back to the library, and then gives them books to imbibe. Librarians are very good at creating change in a person just with the books they recommend, and this book helps to illustrate it.
One thing I love about this book is how the wheel turns, and how one person can influence others. We’re not shown each character interacting with all of the others, but we’re seen how one person’s actions can influence another to change their life. It’s a beautiful little book and one I thoroughly recommend.
The post What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama appeared first on Suz’s Space | Book Reviews | Editing | Proofreading.
