All the Lovers in the Night

Why does the night have to be so beautiful? (...) Because at night, only half the world remains." (...) Why is the night so beautiful? Why does it shine the way it does? Why is the night made up entirely of light? The music flows from the earphones filling my ears, filling me it becomes everything. A lullaby. (...) It's like the night is breathing, like the sound of melted light. The light at night is special because the overwhelming light of day has left us, and the remaining half draws on everything it has to keep the world around us bright. They're all so sure that they're the ones who have seen the light.(...) They're always so loud about it, too, like they need you to see how happy they are. People act like feminism is a dirty word. As if being a stong, hard-working woman has fallen out of fashion. Nor that these people have ever thought about any of that before. They say its different for me. That not everyone is as strong as I am, that most people are weak or whatever. But that's not it. They aren't weak. They're dull. They don't pick up on things. And I'm not strong. I'm honest." When it comes to love, the only weapon that we've got is our emotions, right? So what can you do when your foundation's all messed up? If that's the state you' re in, there's no way you can ever get serious with anybody. In a way, touching means you can't get any closer. There he was, and there I was, the same person who was paralyzed by loneliness at home, but here, touching him. (...) I'm touching you, I said quietly, If this means I can't get any closer, I'm fine with that, because I'm touching you.

I picked up All the Lovers in the Night last year in New York, shortly after discovering my appreciation for Japanese authors. Mieko Kawakami is no exception—her writing style immediately drew me in. She has a way of focusing on details without over-explaining, creating an atmosphere that feels quiet yet deeply immersive. One of the most striking aspects of this novel is how unapproachable the main character, Fuyuko, seems. She almost feels like a blank page —lacking opinions, hobbies, or defining characteristics. This absence makes the story feel incredibly heavy, as if we’re trudging through her isolation with her. The dialogues with Mitsutsuka, rather than offering relief, only deepened this weight. Also I was disappointed that his letter wasn’t included in full, because it felt like a missing piece that could have added more emotional depth. The lightest moments of the novel were, without a doubt, the interactions between Fuyuko and Hijiri. I really liked Hijiri as a character. She exuded confidence and had a presence that which literally filled the room. While she’s undoubtedly a tough person who sometimes oversteps boundaries, her dynamic with Fuyuko added much needed energy to the narrative. That said, I’m still unsure whether this book had a central message or if it was more about sharing a collection of small, well thought ones. Either way, All the Lovers in the Night will stay with me for a while. Even though it had its slow moments, I truly enjoyed reading it.

Interesting story. Took me a bit longer to finish than expectet. I love the charakters.