Blog tour: Four Seasons in Japan

Welcome to the blog tour for Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley!

More about the book…

Flo is sick of Tokyo. She is stuck in a rut, her translation work has dried up, and she's in a relationship that's run its course. That's until she stumbles upon a mysterious book left by a drunken passenger on the Tokyo Subway. From the very first page, Flo is transformed and immediately feels compelled to translate this forgotten novel, a decision which sets her on a path that will change her life...

It is a story about Ayako, a fierce and strict old woman who runs a coffee shop in the small town of Onomichi, where she has just taken guardianship of her grandson, Kyo. Haunted by long-buried family tragedy, both have suffered extreme loss and feel unable to open up to each other.

As Flo follows the characters across a year in rural Japan, through the ups and downs of the pair's burgeoning relationship, she quickly realises that she needs to venture outside the pages of the book to track down its elusive author. And, as her two protagonists reveal themselves to have more in common with her life than first meets the eye, the lines between text and translator converge.

The journey is just beginning.

More about the author…

Nick Bradley holds a PhD from UEA focussing on the figure of the cat in Japanese literature.

He lived in Japan for a decade, but currently teaches on the Creative Writing master's programme at the University of Cambridge.

His debut novel, The Cat and The City, was published in 2020 to widespread critical acclaim.

My impressions…

As a translator with a love of cats and a long-standing fascination with Japan, this book seems like perfection. As a reader, who loves an engaging and cleverly crafted story with relatable characters, this book is perfection!

The structure of a book within a book is well constructed and helps keep the momentum of the narrative going. Words, however, are the stars of the show here. Such beautiful prose. Such tender exploration of intergenerational relationships and the power of art, whichever form it takes.

I look forward to reading what comes next!

Three words to describe it. Tender. Evocative. Warm.

Do I like the cover? Yes, it’s gorgeous.

Have I read any other books by the same author? Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed his debut novel.