Mari’s melancholy is catchy and makes for a particularly nostalgic read. A sweet and quick read, this is one of Yoshimoto’s best novels. Nothing of note truly happens, we are simply lulled by Mari’s narration. Hajime, who is grieving her grandmother, begins working alongside Mari and the two, over the course of summer, forge a tentative friendship. Mari eventually is joined by Hajime, who is the young daughter of one of her mother’s friends. Yoshimoto is particularly attuned to the natural world and there are plenty of lovely descriptions of the sea and other nearby landscapes. She observes how her town has changed, from the increase in the elderly population to how young people tend to leave as soon as they are of age. Here she opens a kiosk selling shaved ice, opting for more natural flavours and less artificial colours. This novel takes place during the summer months and Mari has just moved back to her hometown by the sea. We have the quintessentially Yoshimoto-esque narrator (usually a quiet young woman who is grieving someone or longing for something), a slice-of-life storyline and a small-town setting. 海のふた (The Sea’s Lid?) is very much a typical Banana Yoshimoto novel.
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