At the End of the Matinee

By: Keiichiro Hirano, Juliet Winters Carpenter - translator

Narrated by: Brian Nishii

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Bestselling author Keiichiro Hirano offers a timeless ode to love’s fragility and its resilience in this delicate, award-winning novel.

Classical guitarist Satoshi Makino has toured the world and is at the height of his career when he first lays eyes on journalist Yoko Komine. Their bond forms instantly.

Upon their first meeting, after Makino’s concert in Tokyo, they begin a conversation that will go on for years, with long spells of silence broken by powerful moments of connection. She’s drawn by Makino’s tender music and his sensitivity, and he is intrigued by Yoko’s refinement and intellect. But neither knows enough about love to see it blooming nor has the confidence to make the first move. Will their connection endure, weaving them back together like instruments in a symphony, or will fate lead them apart?

Blending the harmonies of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nocturnes and the sensuality of Ian McEwan’s Enduring Love, At the End of the Matinee is an enchanting and thought-provoking love story.

©2016 by Keiichiro Hirano. Translation © 2021 by Juliet Winters Carpenter. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Love this author

This author sensitively creates wonderful stories and characters with a deep moral core. I have also listened to his other book translated into English, "A Man" and will read or listen to anything else he has written that becomes available in English. The audio performance is excellent too. I totally recommend this author.

Fabulous book

This book is so skillfully written, so lyrical, and so deeply infused with the ineffable ways of the human mind and the possibilities of true and lasting love that happens, as is said, “at first sight,” that I didn’t want it to end. This needs a sequel…please, KH! I beg of you! I have about 1200 books in my library, and hundreds in another audio site, and a house overflowing with hardcover books, and this story will remain in my mind and heart for as long as I’m around to remember. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Very Engaging

Beautifully written and exquisitely narrated, I am so delighted to have had the experience of listening to this audiobook. Richly textured, touching on many worldly happenings as well as questioning numerous moral issues and societal responsibilities, although not preachy, I found this a gem of a book. It’s also a love story.

I didn't want the story to end

beautifully written truth about the irony of life... it was an easy "read." narrator's voice told the story well.

Great

Kept my attention from beginning to end, which says a lot. For the past couple of months, I have been getting bored with books before I reach the end. If I had one (slight) negative it would be the voice used for Yoko, and that might me being a bit too picky.

Platonic relationship at its best

Beautifully knitted-together story of two people that had too much going on in their lives and the people they cared about. The story is heavy laden with details of the characters' professional world: classical guitarist, international affairs journalist, record label staff, film maker, economist. I didn't mind the slow pace of the story because it is full of long philosophical passages, opinionated conversations, and description of the setting or circumstance. This is the second novel by Keiichiro Hirano that I listen to, and again the theme of the present that can change the past or how the present and the past can transform a person virtually overnight is in both.

Lovely story, but meanders a bit

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and it especially moves along well with the excellent vocal interpretation of the reader. The tale is far more philosophical than a typical romance we'd find in the U.S., which helped me to remain interested. But it did begin to drag across the last third of the story and could have used a bit of trimming of the various points of view. Still worth listening to, and I was surprised how much I was moved emotionally at the end.

Bad narrative performance; confusing contents

It’s very hard to distinguish characters. Sometimes i don’t even know if it’s male or female speaking. Content wise, bad mixture of eastern/western style. No zen feel. No love. No grasping plots. Disappointing!

Awful narration

The narration was so annoying that I couldn’t continue listening. He sounded as if he is out of breath.

Does not work

I tried going from chapter to chapter but no voice. that sucks. I do not advise a purchase of this Audible book.