Description

“Rewards are plentiful.”- Financial Times

“A must-read for Murakami fans.”- Hotlist

Set in the early hours of the morning in and around Tokyo, this ingeniously constructed English language debut is an energetic fresco of nocturnal existence. Hailed as a melange of Agatha Christie, Teju Cole, and Hieronymus Bosch, Goodnight Tokyo is a compelling reflection on human relationships in modern-day metropolises at the intersection of isolation and intimacy.

Matsui is the driver of a taxi the colour of the night sky. Every night between the hours of 1 am and 4.30 am, when Tokyo’s eccentrics and insomniacs emerge, he guides his taxi around the streets of Tokyo, collecting passengers and their stories.

Yoshida’s novel offers readers a unique and intimate take on Tokyo as seen through the eyes of a large cast of colourful characters whose lives are mysteriously but intricately interconnected and whose fates converge against the backdrop of the city’s neon-lit streets and night-time alleys.

Publisher Review

"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 * "This short novel is the perfect introduction if you've not encountered the world of Japanese fiction." * Buzz Magazine * "Dream-like and elegant... These tales are compelling. All life is here, and Yoshida's writing is a perfect lens to see into the dark recesses of the heart." * CrimeTime FM * "There is a whimsicality to this playful novel that vanishes in the harsh light of day." * Irish Times * "A charming collection of interlinked short stories that take place in the Japanese capital by night... it's a lot of fun, packing a lot of 'adventures' into its twelve stories." * Tony's Reading List * "A charismatic reading experience. Exploring the fragility of human nature it examines the concept of fate and why, as individuals, and for whatever reason, we journey on a path that can take us on an unexpected yet, ofttimes, welcome adventure." * Swirl and Thread * "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 * "A tender ode to life's unexpected moments of happiness." * Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany) * "A quiet slice-of-night-life novel, Goodnight Tokyo explores the hushed surprises and understated mysteries enmeshed in daily human connectivity." * Foreword Review (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 * "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) * "Despite being full of lively characters, the most vibrant personality in Atsuhiro Yoshida's Goodnight Tokyo might be the city itself. . . 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." * Asian Review of Books * "A 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 Review * "A bewitching nocturnal portrait of a mysterious, eerie and surreal Tokyo." * Literary Review * "Satisfyingly uplifting and full of unexpected, magical moments." * The Japan Times *