Jan 24
Book Talk — 麦本三歩の好きなもの 第一集 (Mugimoto Sanpo ‘s Favorite Notions, Book I) by Yoru Sumino
Title: 麦本三歩の好きなもの 第一集
Author: 住野よる
Publisher: 幻冬舎
Publication Date: 2021 January
Page count: 289 pages
ISBN: 9784344430525
In their sixth novel, author Yoru Sumino tells stories about Mugimoto Sanpo, a university library staff. Before reading the book, it is not hard to notice that many people shared how they were touched, moved, and cried after reading this book on Twitter and Amazon.jp.
The book is broken up into 12 chapters with the themes and the notion that Sanpoo likes. For example, Mugimoto Sanpo likes to walk, Mugimoto Sanpo likes the library, Mugimito Sanpo likes you, etc.
You might wonder how a novel about daily life can make someone so emotional? While the stories are unfolding one after another, readers would find the author uses almost a documentary filming style to present
Sanpo’s daily life episodes. If you are a person like Sanpo who loves her job and life or tries to make a life you want, you would be touched.
Sanpo’s daily life has many notions of being appreciated, like the smell of the book and the library, the morning, the food, the pudding, and people. She wishes to be alive, lives well, sleeps well, and eats well. That's why for most of the time, I find Sanpo’s stories are comforting to read and enjoy. Meeting a good book that speaks to one’s heart is a blessing.
On the last page, the author writes, “Mugimito Sanpo’s life goes on,” the same to everyone who strives to live.
