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Before the Coffee Gets Cold
- Narrated by: Arina Ii
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold
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Summary
The million-copy bestselling series.
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s moving Before the Coffee Gets Cold, translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot, explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?
In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.
In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by Alzheimer's, see their sister one last time, and meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the cafe, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .
Continue the beautiful storytelling with Tales from the Cafe and Before Your Memory Fades.
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What listeners say about Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- M. Atkinson
- 26-09-19
Just No
All the male characters are asses. Goro in the first chapter decides the best time to inform his girlfriend of three years that he has accepted a job in America, is on his way to the airport. In the second chapter, the character with Alzheimer's commits two acts of horrendous emotional harm, both of which are spoilers I can't specify. The third and fourth chapters are driven by characters who refuse, for no reason, to discuss PIVOTAL information with their loved ones. So, no. Not an enjoyable listen for me.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Julie
- 23-05-20
Time travel
You probably wouldn't notice this tiny Tokyo café if you just walked past. But according to an urban legend, you can travel in time here. But only if you sit in a particular chair, at a particular time, and remember to return to the present before the coffee gets cold. Who would you go see if you were able to travel back in time for a few minutes?
I really enjoyed this book. It reads a bit like watching a play - like we are watching a stage that is always the same, with characters coming and going. I actually really liked all the rules that has to be obeyed in order to time travel, and I liked that we don't get many answers as to why it is like it is. It's as if we just get to peek into this café for a little while, and then when we leave, it continues to exist without us.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- alice
- 20-12-19
Great story - read very slowly
Really enjoyed the story but I had to listen in x1.25 as the reader is very slow.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Client d'Amazon
- 07-12-21
Tears streaming down my cheeks
Just like the Midnight Diner, expect some tearful moments...
very moving...
Eager to listen to the next book.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Kerry
- 08-06-22
Sorry just didn't enjoy
Empty storyline and hammed up performance - not for me I'm afraid. Very sorry x
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Billy-Ray McEvoy
- 05-04-22
Beautiful
Beautifully written story and very interesting concept. Time travel that is all about love, connections, and humanity.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- E.
- 20-02-22
intriguing story
Intriguing story with a happy ending.
The audio narrator did a great job.
i'd recommend this book.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 02-11-21
Great premise
what a great story, I like how it all tied together even if it was quite predictable.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lucy Matthews
- 19-05-22
Great story
Loved the concept, great tales how their lives intertwined and how going to the past changes them, occasionally a little annoying going over the rules constantly but overall great listen.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss RKL
- 28-09-21
the best book I've ever read!
bought the book physically first and fell in love with it finished it in less than a week. wanted to read it again but didn't and couldn't have time to sit down and read it again so I bought the audio version.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Sharon Spear
- 21-04-21
Not my cup of Coffee
Painfully slow, I really struggled with this book. There was not a single part I liked.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S.T.
- 13-09-23
A lovely story about relationships and regrets.
This is a time travel book unlike all others I have read. Do not expect this to be a normal science fiction, this is first and foremost a drama with a focus on all kinds of relationships and regrets. Customers of a café have a chance to go back to the past but due to many unusual rules this basically comes down to being able to have one conversation with someone from the past. There is no action or excitement, and stakes are low, This story is heart warming and sad at the same time.
In each chapter we follow one customer time travelling to have their one conversation with a loved one. We learn about their situation, their relationship with whom they want to meet and why they want to meet them. The chapters connect by small appearances of previous customers and by learning more about the café's staff in each chapter.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Asem
- 12-07-23
Excellent
Good book but I felt it disconnected with it . I don’t think it deserves such huge attention
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Monika
- 08-06-23
A little sad byt also heartwarming
I am a fan o time travelling stories and this is an interesting and also kind of a unique one.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kseni_ya
- 05-03-23
Beautifully sad
Didn't expect it to be so enjoyable to listen, even though incredibly sad. All the stories were beautifully written and read, so it was a great pleasure to know all the characters and go back in time together with them.
The book is a kind reminder to cherish the present and say to your loved ones what you really feel no matter how hard it might be.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Silvia
- 06-01-23
The best book I’ve ever read.
This book is one of the best I’ve ever read. It touches your soul, and that’s it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 20-12-22
Lovely
Very well narrated, a lovely bittersweet story that makes you thoughtful of your time with the people you love, however, it was a bit slow.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- SidM
- 05-12-22
Great listen, though slightly indulgent
The concept of story is very interesting, but the style of writing is a little long and can be anticipated which is preventing me from giving 5 stars. The narration is excellent.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Kim Stone
- 13-03-22
Listened for Work Book Club
New to me author. This was a book club read. MF time travel story about a Japanese coffee shop and the people who work there.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Claudia Pino
- 07-01-21
Special
An unusual premise, a bittersweet story. I have a renewed appreciation of using time wisely, saying things when they have to be said, and not letting opportunities escape, after reading this book.
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