Goodnight Tokyo - by Atsuhiro Yoshida (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A symphony of interconnected lives that offers a compelling reflection on life in modern-day metropolises at the intersection of isolation and intimacy in Yoshida's English-language debut

Set over several nights, between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., in and around Tokyo, this mind-blowingly constructed book is an elaborate, energetic fresco of human nocturnal existence in all its mystery, an enigmatic literary mix of Agatha Christie, Teju Cole, and Heironymous Bosch.

On this journey through the labyrinthine streets and hidden corners of one of the world's most fascinating cities, everybody is searching for something, and maybe searching in the wrong places. Elements of the fantastical and the surreal abound, as they tend to do in the early pre-dawn hours of the morning, yet the settings, the human stories, and each character's search are all as real as can be.

Goodnight Tokyo offers readers a unique and intimate take on Tokyo as seen through the eyes of a large cast of colorful characters. Their lives, as disparate and as far apart as they may seem, are in fact intricately interconnected, and their fates converge against the backdrop of the city's neon-lit streets and quiet alleyways. In his English-language debut, Yoshida masterfully portrays in captivating and lyrical prose the complexities of human relationships, the mystery of human connection, and the universal quest for meaning.

Review Quotes

★ "A quiet slice-of-night-life novel, Goodnight Tokyo explores the hushed surprises and understated mysteries enmeshed in daily human connectivity."--Foreword Reviews (Starred Review)

"Readers will be reminded of Jim Jarmusch's 1991 movie Night on Earth, which also takes place in the wee hours of the morning and threads together the stories of strangers."--NPR

"Here, readers can find everything from a quiet slice of life to moments of wry humor to surprise encounters bordering on the unreal. The result is an energetic mix of episodes and snapshots that come together in a seamless tapestry, illustrating not merely the lives of the assorted characters, but of the complexity of the city of Tokyo itself."--Hadyn Trowell, Electric Lit

"The timeless quality of Tokyo in the wee small hours is evoked as taxi driver Matsui encounters eccentrics and insomniacs alike. . . rewards are plentiful."--Financial Times

"A cacophony of characters and events and emotions that come together in a portrait of Tokyo, of course, but really humanity."--Parade Magazine

"There's something magical about these late-night fairy-tale interactions, every person unwittingly walking the city with the key to a stranger's mystery in their pocket."--Kirkus Reviews

"Best-selling Japanese writer Yoshida's English-language debut, enabled by Australian literary translator Haydn Trowell, is a delightful montage portraying strangers serendipitously connecting in the wee hours despite the vast anonymity of living in one of the world's busiest, most populous cities."--Booklist

"Looking at the books I'm loving lately, I can't help but draw the conclusion that readers and writers--and probably people in general--are yearning for community: Goodnight Tokyo . . . is about place, neighbors, and interconnectedness. . . Through their stories, the author explores all of the surprising and mysterious ways we affect each other."--Bustle

"It's easy to ignore the inner-workings of a city, to miss all of the cogs that need to be kept turning night and day, but Yoshida describes these processes with a fluidity that will likely keep readers engaged until the very end. After all, whether it evokes a wanderlust or sends agoraphobia into overdrive, Tokyo is undoubtedly a city full of wonder, and Goodnight Tokyo is a little window through which to see it."--Asian Review of Books

"Solid, atmospheric ensemble-piece, neatly meshed together, an engaging slice of Tokyo and its inhabitants (and, more generally, how individuals cope in an enormous and often impersonal metropolis) as seen from an unusual all-night vantage point."--Complete Reviews

"A tender ode to life's unexpected moments of happiness."--Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany)

"After closing this book, think of a friend or someone you know. Try to imagine their friends, the people they know whom you don't. Tokyo is made of such people. Definitely."--Sankei Shimbun (Japan)

"A must-read for Murakami fans."--Hotlist (Germany)