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People From My Neighborhood - Hiromi Kawakami

5/5

This collection of short stories from Hiromi Kawakami takes the reader through the streets and peeks into the lives of the people from the neighborhood.

The grumpy chicken farmer, a school principle who trains dogs, and a delinquent for a best friend. In between the mundane happenings of these people Kawakami creates a universe filled with mystery and occasional mayhem. Drastic transformations of people and places, reverting back by the end of these bite sized tales.

3-4 page stories, packed with a satisfying story from start to finish. Learning little bits and pieces of characters that have been expertly woven throughout the pages. This collection was my first short story collection in years and the first one of 2022.

I’ve read other works by Kawakami, and I was so excited to see this collection. The eye catching pink cover with little figurines depicting Japanese styled houses was the first thing that caught my eye. It was cute and interesting. I ended up reading the entire collection in one sitting because I was so invested in the lives of our unnamed narrator and people from their village.

All in all, a solid collection of intriguing stories you don’t want to miss.

1/22/22

*This review was previously posted on my Google Site.

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