53 pages • 1 hour read
Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Transl. Geoffrey TrousselotBefore the Coffee Gets Cold
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi explores a small, time-traveling café called Funiculi Funicula, where patrons who sit in a specific chair and drink a special coffee can travel back in time, but must return before the coffee gets cold. Through interlinked stories such as "The Lovers," "Husband and Wife," "The Sisters," and "Mother and Child," the novel delves into themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Toshikazu Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold offers a heartwarming, whimsical tale about time travel, enriched by Geoffrey Trousselot's translation. Praised for its emotional depth and unique premise, it sometimes suffers from repetitive elements and less developed characters. Overall, it remains a comforting, reflective read that many will enjoy.
Who Should Read Before the Coffee Gets Cold?
Readers who enjoy heartwarming, introspective narratives with a touch of magical realism, akin to The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger or Midnight Library by Matt Haig, will find solace and intrigue in Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated by Geoffrey Trousselot.