Is there a place that changed your life?
Think of someplace, any location at all, that has a lot of meaning for you. Maybe it was part of your childhood, and it brings you comfort whenever you think about it. Maybe you haven’t been there yet, and thinking about going there gives you something to look forward to. Or maybe this someplace only exists within the realm of imagination, and it’s where anything seems possible.
For Takako, that place is her uncle’s bookshop. And Days at the Morisaki Bookshop details the setbacks that led her there, the healing she went through, and the steps she took to improve her life and those of her aunt and uncle.
At face value, the book reads as a typical Japanese cozy read. With the slow pacing, the plot centered on mental health, and details on the setting, it’s exactly the kind of book one would want to read on a quiet Sunday afternoon. There’s also some family and relational drama thrown in so the book doesn’t feel too uneventful. I could easily see Studio Ghibli making a movie adaptation of this book if they felt so inclined.
But what put me off was how I was led to expect a different kind of story, and then found myself disappointed when I didn’t get it.
One of the big selling points of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is the love and appreciation of books. I expected something like Michiko Aoyama’s What You Are Looking For is In the Library, where we see specifics on what the characters are reading and how those books leave an impact on them. Or something like Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted, where the main character reads different stories throughout the novel and finds herself relating to the characters she’s reading about.
But that’s not what Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is. We get some exposition of Takako coming back to herself when she starts reading, and there’s a mini-arc about how one book helps her make a friend and understand her aunt and uncle better. That’s pretty much it. It would’ve been cool to see Takako immerse herself in books during her recovery, note some details about them that stick out to her, and then apply some of those takeaways to her daily life. Or finding characters she relates to and drawing inspiration from them. And yet for a story that markets itself on being about the love of books, it doesn’t seem all that interested in any of the books Takako reads.
I’d argue Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is more about how we handle life’s setbacks; more specifically, the opportunity to rest and find sanctuary until we have the strength to get back up. And that’s not a bad plot for a story at all, I just feel like the marketing didn’t hit its mark.
On the whole, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a book with interesting ideas yet a somewhat predictable execution. While I was disappointed with the lack of attention on the books of Takako’s world, I found her story still has some good takeaways in regards to mental health, prioritizing rest, and how we face the problems that come our way. You might be disappointed with the direction the book takes (as I was), or you might find yourself pleased with how the story goes. Give it a read and see for yourself.
Many thanks for reading.
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