Quick Review: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

(Not my picture!)

Note: This is a spoiler-free post!

Somewhere during my Japanese-book fever last year, I decided to read What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama. Judging from the title, I expected this book to single-mindedly revolve around, well, books and libraries - perhaps something like Sosuke Natsukawa’s The Cat Who Saved Books. But apparently I was in for a pleasant surprise. Little did I know that this book was going to become one of my favorite books!

A Brief Blurb

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library follows five different central characters. These five come from various walks of life and don’t directly know each other, but all of them feel stuck in the same rut. They are frustrated with their careers. In the midst of it all they somehow stumble into a library and meet librarian Sayuri Komachi. We then follow our featured characters as they try to make sense of their situation, and also Ms. Komachi’s rather…odd, book recommendations.

A Strong Resemblance

This book strongly reminds me of Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before The Coffee Gets Cold (and its sequels). If you like that book, you might like this one. They are structured similarly: we are given an assortment of seemingly unrelated short stories where each one focuses on a different main character. The story “formula” looks quite similar too. To begin with, we have a place that serves as the common thread throughout the stories - Ms. Komachi’s library in this book, and Cafe Funiculi Funicula in Kawaguchi’s book. Then we have an assortment of troubled people who, by some force of nature, end up visiting the place. Perhaps both Michiko Aoyama and Toshikazu Kawaguchi being Japanese authors have something to do with it.

Navigating Work

Nevertheless, a major difference between Kawaguchi’s and Aoyama’s books is the theme in their stories. Kawaguchi’s series tend to feature short stories with varying themes. The stories in What You Are Looking For Is In The Library, however, all deal with work. Thus Aoyama’s book feels much more solid in terms of theme.

Though the title of the book appears to advertise itself as - perhaps - a love letter to libraries and books, the book’s discussion on work really steals the spotlight for me. And so I think of it more as a book about work. It gives form to the work-related frustrations many feel but perhaps aren’t able to clearly express. Not only that, the book attempts to provide comfort regarding these troubles. Therefore, it’s safe to say that this is a hopeful book!

I feel like this book must be especially profound in Japan - most likely the book’s original intended audience - considering Japan is famous for its tough work culture.

Overall...

Since this is a spoiler-free post, I’d have to leave it at that. If I were to recommend this book to someone, I would actually recommend this not only to those who simply love libraries and books, but also to those who feel lost regarding their career. Those who are struggling with work and are in need of encouragement can especially benefit from reading this book. How do books and libraries fit into this story about work, you ask? Well, give the book a shot!

Lastly, let me leave you with a short passage from the book that I really like:

‘What do you think about pineapple in sweet and sour pork?’

I stare at her in confusion.

Red-faced, she begins explaining: ‘A lot of people don’t like it, do they? They can’t stand pineapple in sweet and sour pork. But it never disappears, does it? Why is that?’

‘Er, I don’t know - why doesn’t it?’

‘Because the people who like pineapple in sweet and sour pork may be in a minority, but they don’t just like it, they’re crazy about it. It’s a question of passion. The majority may not accept something, but as long as there are some who do, the existence of that thing - whatever it may be - is protected….’