I was so excited to have a new book to read Hiromi Kawakami — (a one-of-a-kind Japanese writer).
Awww and now that I’ve had my ‘Hiromi Kawakami’ fix (again) ….I can get a more restful nights sleep
If you haven’t (yet) read any books by Kawakami….
…think quirky -
…think sweet -
…think about loneliness-
…think translated -
…think adult fairytale atmosphere-
…think award winning -
…think introspective anxieties …think about memories -
…think relationships -
…trust and or apprehension - …lessons learned -
…think about many types of love - loss - grief -
…think commonplace -
…think slim books -
…coming of age -
…marriage -
…THINK UNIQUENESS… [out-of- the box wise little messages]
…And endearing & enchanting storytelling - [with references to other Japanese literature]…
Ha…..
Obviously I’m a *Hiromi Kawakami* fan.
I’ve read the following books by her:
….”Strange Weather in Tokyo”
….”The Nakano Thrift Shop”
…. “People From My Neighborhood”
….”The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino”
….”Under The Eye of Big Bird”
….”Parade”
….”Record of a Night Too Brief
….”The Book of Tokyo: A City in Short Fiction
And now ….
….”The Third Love”.

I’m not a gambler. I don’t really want to toss my money down on a felt table in Vegas. But from what I hear, gambler’s will continue gambling win or lose.
I guess it’s fair to say there’s a slight addiction quality,

I think I have that same addiction quality when it comes to Hiromi’s books. Some of her books I like more than others,
but it doesn’t seem to matter.
I’m going to read any translated book she publishes that I can find: period!!!

So…
Wondering about the title?
“The Third Love”?
“The Third Love" refers to the main character, Riko, contemplating whether she is ready for her third great love after experiencing love with her husband and then with another man, Mr. Takaoka. The book explores her journey as a woman, wife, and lover as she reflects on her past relationships and questions if she is ready for another significant love. 

The concept of "three loves" is also connected to a popular theory about love that suggests people experience three distinct types of love throughout their lives: lust, passion, and commitment. This theory proposes that each love teaches different lessons and shapes the individual. 

The book uses the idea of "three loves" as a framework for Riko's self-discovery and exploration of love in different forms. 

Oh … and it’s fun - charming - easy & quick to read — tenderly sweet! But not saccharin.
I clearly enjoyed this novel!!!!

Here’s a little tasting teaser:
“Let me talk a little more about Mr. Takaoka”.
“When I was in the fifth grade, the school made the decision that a full-time janitor was no longer needed, and Mr. Takaoka had to go”.
“This could be a propitious moment for me, he told me not long before he left. I hadn’t heard the word ‘propitious’ before, but it seemed fitting coming from him”.

Four years later, Mr. Takaoka seemed younger to Riko. She wondered how he kept looking younger and young younger.
Mr. Takaoka told Riko that it was ‘magic’. Somebody taught him how to look younger with ‘magic’.
It sounded mysterious to Riko and she wanted to know more. Mr. Takaoka said he would tell her one day but now it wasn’t the time.

“I want to get married soon, I announced to my mother one day”.
“What? But you’re still in high school, Riko! Who would you marry, anyway?”
“Naa-Chan, of course”.
“Would Naa-Chan agree? my mother asked, incredulous”.
“You don’t think he would?”
“He seems to have a girlfriend, you know”.
“Yes, I’ve heard”.

In the winter Riko got engaged to Naa-chan. She didn’t ask about his past lover, the Kyusha woman. “After all, he loved me completely, and I loved him just as much”.
Riko’s mother predicted her marriage to Naa-chin would be plagued with problems from the start. The first problem was that he had not made a clean break with the woman from Kyusha.
Overtime the atmosphere surrounding Naa-chan began to change.
Their conversations were limited to standard greetings.


Riko dreams of becoming an
‘oiran’ (a high ranking courtesan) — later after having a child she dreams of being a lady-in- waiting (a princess).

From innocence…. coming of age … to wife … mother … ‘women-of-society’ … to self clarify and identity
…. this was a satisfying reading experience.
LOVE IT!
LOVE Hiromi Kawakami 💕📘