About the Book:
When her mother emigrates to China for work, 21-old Chizu moves in with 71-year-old Ginko, an eccentric distant relative, taking a room in her ramshackle Tokyo home, with its two resident cats and the persistent rattle of passing trains.
Living their lives in imperfect symmetry, they establish an uneasy alliance, stress tested by Chizu's flashes of youthful spite. As the four seasons pass, Chizu navigates a series of tedious part-time jobs and unsatisfying relationships, before eventually finding her feet and salvaging a fierce independence from her solitude.
A Perfect Day to be Alone is a moving, microscopic examination of loneliness and heartbreak. With flashes of deadpan humour and a keen eye for poignant detail, Aoyama chronicles the painful process of breaking free from the moorings of youth.
Published by Hachette Australia
Released May 2024
My Thoughts:
My affair with Japanese fiction continues on and this little gem, A Perfect Day to Be Alone by Nanae Aoyama, did not disappoint, so much so, I started it at work during my lunch break and read the rest of the novel into the evening once I got home. Unheard of for a work night, but some books have that immersive factor coupled with easy reading that makes for a champion mix.
Billed as a coming of age story, it's a Japanese best-seller. Diving into loneliness and raising questions of purpose, obligation within relationships, love and friendship, the novel spans a year, split into four chapters to mark the seasons. The characters are a realistic and relatable mix of humanity, flawed, sometimes unlikeable, but I remained invested in their journey.
The writing is tight, yet there is still room for introspection, pondering, and taking in the surrounds. Japan is a country that very much experiences the four seasons, deeply cold winters, sweltering summers with monsoon rains, and a proper leaning in and out of this through autumn and spring. The juxtaposition of these seasons against our main character's moods, motivations, introspections, and even morals, along with her daily behaviours, was brilliantly crafted storytelling.
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