i loved this so much more than i thought i would by the end. Nothing really happens, its just a collection of events from a character's life in an unorganised and sincere way, kind of like carrying someone's life around with you, and thats kind of comfprtung in a way. I really like kawakami's way of describing minute details of things throughout the book, its kind of a reminder for myself to pay attention to these things in my own life too. But the one thing that kawakami detailed best in this book, and what i find that the whole premise of this book is, is the struggle of humans attempting to forge connections with eachother. The fact that all the chapters are named after each object that is introduced to the nakano shop, and how objects in themselves have human stories attached to them. And the fact that the whole story is set in a thrift shop too?? Its all just an attenpt to understand and know humans, regardless if that is ever understood or known, because this is the struggle we ourselves face every day, and knowing that those stories and lives exist in those objects is beautiful in itself, even if it remains a mystery. This continuous attempt to understand and want to have these connections regardless of their futility is what this is all about.
God i could talk forever about this book.
