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What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

A Slender Novel by Michiko Aoyama

Introduction

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a novel by Michiko Aoyama, translated from the Japanese by Alison Watts. The book connects a series of vignettes about largely disconnected individuals living in contemporary Tokyo. The central hub of the many spoked story is the community library with its large librarian who seems like a character who has stepped out of a Miyazaki film.

Features

The novel comprises five vignettes, each focusing on a different character. These characters are not sure what they want to do in their life and somehow find themselves at the community library. Each chapter begins with a black and white line drawing of the next narrator. The librarian, who needle felts, greets each patron with the simple yet profound question, "What are you looking for?" After listening to their response, she prints a list of book recommendations and offers a "bonus gift" of a small felted creation.

Characters

The characters include a disillusioned twenty-three-year-old salesperson, a middle-aged man with a dream that seems unrealistic, a middle-aged professional woman who is also the mother of a young child, a thirty-year-old NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training), and a sixty-five-year-old retiree. Each seeker responds to the librarian's question with slight discomfort, focusing on some subject matter they feel they ought to pursue. However, each character understands that the question involves something bigger, setting them on a path to make a change, embrace a truth, or follow their dreams.

Storylines

Each story in the novel includes a character experiencing some level of inner crisis, but by the story's conclusion, that character has shifted their thinking and grown through the stasis of their original troubles. The stories are charming and wholesome, making the novel hopeful and life-affirming. The librarian's simple question and the characters' interactions demonstrate the incredible power of libraries and reading to improve people's lives.

Specifications

• Number of Chapters: 5
• Characters: 5
• Setting: Contemporary Tokyo
• Language: English (translated from Japanese)
• Format: Novel
• Publication Date: 2023

Conclusion

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a book about small epiphanies, championing growth and human connection. It provides readers with ample opportunities to reflect on self-growth and the power of libraries in improving lives.