All the Lovers in the Night

By: Mieko Kawakami

Narrated by: Mirai

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

The bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs, Mieko Kawakami, invites listeners back into her immediately recognizable fictional world with this new, extraordinary novel and demonstrates yet again why she is one of today’s most uncategorizable, insightful, and talented novelists.

Fuyuko Irie is a freelance copyeditor in her mid-thirties. Working and living alone in a city where it is not easy to form new relationships, she has little regular contact with anyone other than her editor, Hijiri, a woman of the same age but with a very different disposition. When Fuyoku stops one day on a Tokyo street and notices her reflection in a storefront window, what she sees is a drab, awkward, and spiritless woman who has lacked the strength to change her life and decides to do something about it.

As the long overdue change occurs, however, painful episodes from Fuyuko’s past surface and her behavior slips further and further beyond the pale. All the Lovers in the Night is acute and insightful, entertaining and engaging; it will make listeners laugh, and it will make them cry, but it will also remind them, as only the best books do, that sometimes the pain is worth it.

©2022 Mieko Kawakami (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

A beautiful,, poignant book

Sometimes frustrating in the excruciating detail the main character sees in every experience, this is truly a beautifully poignant, and ultimately uplifting book. The characters Kawakami creates are so memorable, Marai's performance is remarkable. You won't forget it.

Wow only a Japanese author could write this

I am a student of Japan and love everything about Japan so I really enjoyed this book. But someone who has not spent extensive time in Japan and doesn’t understand Japanese culture would not be able to appreciate this book the way I do. It’s very noir and not much happens but that’s the whole point. Beautifully written. Love this book.

Love the author, excellent writing

Having read a later book, Breasts and Eggs, I realized the many parallels between the two novels. I love the depth of the author's characterizations in both novels.

Poignant and beautiful

A story of self discovery, healing, joy and immense sorrow slowly unfolds in the first person telling by a simple woman leading a simple life where not much happens. She gets unstuck and finds her way, something most of us wish we could to do but cannot.

Enjoyable listen

I'm a fan of Mieko Kawakami's Breast and Eggs, so when I saw this new audiobook I immediately restarted my Audible subscription. The book's synopsis really appealed to me because I'm a loner like the main character. I enjoyed the book, and listened to it twice in a row. I really hope Audible will produce an audio of Kawakami's Ms. Ice Sandwich.

Promotes reflection on one’s own life and choices or lack there of

Unsurprisingly, this story was exceptionally well written and delightfully narrated. That being said, I prefer Kawakami’s other stories and protagonists to this one simply for the fact that Fuyuko is a drifting character. Most things in this book happen to Fuyuko; she rarely chooses anything for herself that doesn’t coincide with the path of least resistance and discomfort. It can be rather boring to follow her inaction and wandering, but this is an important lesson and story nonetheless. How many of us are the same as her and live our lives by convenience?
I’m pretty sure the symbolism or meaning of the title went over my head though. Did not understand at all.