The Library of Heartbeats

by Laura Imai Messina

From the international bestselling author of The Phone Box at the Edge of the World: a powerful, moving novel of grief, hope, friendship and love based around a real archive on an island in Japan, where people travel to record their heartbeats.

To find what you have lost, you must listen to your heart . . .

On the peaceful Japanese island of Teshima there is a library of heartbeats, a place where the heartbeats of visitors from all around the world are collected. In this small, isolated building, the heartbeats of people who are still alive or have already passed away continue to echo.

Several miles away, in the ancient city of Kamakura, two lonely souls Shuichi, a forty-year-old illustrator, who returns to his home-town to fix up the house of his recently deceased mother, and eight-year-old Kenta, a child who wanders like a shadow around Shuichi's house.

Day by day, the trust between Shuichi and Kenta grows until they discover they share a bond that will tie them together for life. Their journey will lead them to Teshima and to the library of heartbeats . . .

Genres: Fiction, Japan, Contemporary, Audiobook, Asian Literature, Japanese Literature, Literary Fiction

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2022

About the author

Laura Imai Messina was born in Rome and graduated in Literature from La Sapienza University. She moved to Tokyo at the age of twenty-three to perfect the language and has been permanently living in Japan ever since. She obtained a first level doctorate in Comparative Cultures at the International Christian University with a thesis on the Japanese writer Ogawa Yōko and at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies a PhD with a comparative thesis on the subject of materiality in Japanese and European literature.

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A slowburn and heartwarming literary fiction about two lonely souls who find solace in each other. (No, this isn’t a romance.) Evocative writing, realistic characters. Grief and hope intertwined. Wanted more of the titular library, but the rest was beautiful. This is a mood read. Better if actually read than on audio.

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Plot Preview:

Off the west coast of Japan on the serene island of Teshima is a small library, where the heartbeats of thousands of people from all over the world have been collected. Whether now living or dead, their heartbeats continue to thrum in this quaint library.
In the distant city of Kakamura, there are two persons in very different circumstances but equally lonely. Forty-year-old Shuichi, who has just lost his mother, has returned to his childhood home to clear her house. Eight-year-old Kenta, stuck with separated parents who have no time for him, keeps hovering around Shuichi’s mother’s house. As the two discover each other’s presence, their daily interactions create a bond between the man and the boy. But what have these two people got to do with the library of heartbeats? Read and find out.
The story comes to us mostly in the third-person perspectives of Shuichi and Kenta.

I am not a big fan of Japanese literature. Whatever I have read so far by Japanese authors has not clicked much with me. However, I do surprisingly well when outsiders write books based in Japan. The setting and the social mores are utilised so beautifully by these ‘gaijin’ that it results in deeply poignant stories without the usual constraints (at least in my eyes) of Japanese writing. This book is one of them.

Author Laura Imai Messina is an Italian who has lived in Tokyo ever since she was twenty-three. This book, like all her other works, was originally written in Italian. "L'isola Dei Battiti Del Cuore" (2022) has now been translated to English by her regular collaborator, translator Lucy Rand. I found this book a well-written literary narrative that offers a touching ode to Japanese culture and beliefs.

A character-oriented literary fiction needs well-defined characters, and the two main characters fit the bill perfectly. While there are some women characters in the story as well, it is primarily focussed on the two males. With the large age gap between the two, it is easy to see them in a pseudo parent-child bond. But as they are unrelated, this bond fluidly shifts into a sibling bond or a neighbourly bond or a friendship bond, as per the need of their emotions. I love how the author (along with the translator) was able to capture Shuichi’s and Kenta’s emotions in a genuine manner.

Both Shuichi and Kenta have grief in their past. But the true extent of their heartbreaks, the depth of their familial struggles, and their desperate attempts at overcoming sorrow and loneliness aren’t dumped on us at a go. The story unveils its lead characters’ backstories gradually, so there are many surprises and revelations along the way that help us understand the characters and their emotions even better.

Through this layered pattern of storytelling, the book covers many tricky themes. I won't reveal more beyond what I have said above as these would be major spoilers. But suffice it to say, don’t pick up this book when you are feeling low or maudlin. Of course, there is a lot of hope, love, understanding, resilience, and joy in the story as well. But the dominant tone is somewhat melancholic, so read it only when you are in a strong headspace.

The story is much more than just about the man and the boy connecting over their shared sadness. We see some realistic connections across characters in varied relationships, we see the impact of the past on the present, and we see the role guilt plays in hindering happiness. Shuichi’s connection with his mother is also strongly felt on the pages, even though she is no longer alive when the book begins.

Thanks to the various characters’ interactions, we see several interesting details about how Japanese kanji are formed. I appreciate how the book included the Japanese characters also so that we could actually see the kanji. But my favourite add-on was the part detailing the sound of the heartbeat in various languages – this was such a treat! In fact, the whole book has several interesting titbits about hearts and heartbeats – all amazing facts that trivia lovers will relish.

The titular “Heartbeat Library” felt like such a fabulous but fantastical idea. Imagine a place that records the heartbeats of visitors for perpetuity! As much as I loved learning about this unusual library on Teshima Island, I was even more impressed that the place is not fictional but real. However, unlike what the title indicates, the library is more like a background to the events of the book than the focal point, It is hardly present until the 30%, and even then, it pops up only sporadically. This doesn’t take away anything from the story because patience does show us the importance of the library in the plot. But if you wanted the library to be the main setting of the story, you might need to readjust your expectations.

The writing is truly beautiful. There are so many thought-provoking quotes that made me pause and ponder. The narrative gets a tad abstract and philosophical at times, but the overall feel is still very grounded. While the timeline is linear, there are several interludes from other characters and other time points. These might at times seem unrelated to the main plot but they all connect neatly later in the story. After I finished the book the second time, I went through the interludes again.

Did you notice that I said ‘the second time’? More on this in the next section.


🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at almost 7 hours, is narrated by Kenichiro Thomson. I found it a bit tough to adapt to his inflections at first, but after about 20%, I was able to focus on his reading comfortably. I heard the book at twice my usual tempo because his narration was quite slow. He had the odd pauses typical of Japanese speech patterns, and while this gave an added genuineness to the narration, it also distracted me at times. Plus, he didn’t go out of his way to voice characters distinctly. To top it all, the story isn’t exactly linear. So I believe the audiobook will be a good option only to the most avid of listeners.
While I am quite used to audiobooks by now, I somehow felt like I would have liked this book better had I read it. Luckily, I had access to the digital copy as well. So after I completed the audio version, I dug out my digital ARC and speed-read through the entire book again (Should I count the book twice in my reading challenge, I wonder?!), slowing down only at times to reread some scenes that had befuddled me in the audio version. I appreciated the story even more through this method and actually noticed how well the author’s writing reflected emotions and descriptions. There are several subtleties in the timelines that had made no sense in the audio version. Plus, the kanji is better if visible. My rating after listening to the audio was 3.25 stars. But after reading the book, it shot upwards!


All in all, while I did hope for a story more focussed on a heartbeat library, I still like the plot for what it is. Its character-focussed narrative ensures that we end up rooting for Shuichi as well as Kenta, individually and jointly. The themes, the writing, the plot development and the library itself all makes this a soul-satisfying read when you are in the right headspace.

Definitely recommended. This book has a strong Japanese flavour, but it is not as abstract and meandering as many contemporary Japanese novels are. It is thus a great way of trying Japanese fiction without trying *Japanese* fiction. 😉

4 stars.

Pro Tip: Read the prologue again once you are done with the book. The first time around, it's just curious. The second time, with the advantage of hindsight knowledge, it feels bittersweet.


My thanks to Bonnier Books UK for providing the DRC, and to Recorded Books for the ALC of “The Library of Heartbeats” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


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[TXGAL1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely took my breath away. Poignant, graceful, absolutely beautiful.

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psst! This also happens to be my 1300th book on Goodreads.

3.8 Stars

One Liner: Sweet and melancholic; slice-of-life type novel

Teshima is a tiny peaceful island in Japan with a library of heartbeats. It’s where the heartbeats of people from around the world are collected and safeguarded. Away in Kamakura, Shuichi, a 40-year-old illustrator, arrives to renovate his home after his mother’s death. He spies an 8-year-old boy shadowing the house. After much deliberation, he approaches the kid in his own manner.

As Shuichi and Kenta form a bond, they decide to travel to the library of heartbeats. Here, the journey is as important as the destination.

The story comes in the third-person POV of Shuichi and Kenta, with a few chapters from others.

My Thoughts:

I went into the book with no expectations. From what little I’ve read of Japanese Lit, I know it’s different and needs patience. The beginning is vague and intriguing, even if the pacing is slow. The story comes together in the second half. However, the book will work better if you go with the flow. Categorizing the sections can be confusing.

There is a short note about surnames and pronunciation before we get into the story. It was quite helpful.

Suichi is not an easy character to like at times, but he manages to be very much real. Kenta is, of course, a darling little boy you can’t help but empathize with. Sayaka is fine, though she seems more like a side character. I couldn’t connect with her.

I love the explanation of kanji (Chinese/ Japanese alphabet) and the mini-stories woven around them. Since the alphabet is also provided, it was easy to understand the explanation.

While the writing is melancholic, halfway through, we realize there’s more sadness and death in the book. We see themes like grieving the death of loved ones, dysfunctional families, a wee bit of bullying, types of mourning and moving on, bonding between two seemingly unrelated people (the man and the boy), etc.

A few recurring themes are happiness, past (memories), acceptance, and opening one’s heart to love. There are some ‘moral’ dilemmas too.

The book needs to be read with proper formatting. The ARC (PDF) is missing italics and scene breaks. This made it a bit hard to track the jumps. Luckily, I thought I understood the pattern, but turns out I was wrong and figured it out in the last quarter. The saving grace is that what was supposed to be story-in-story was very much a part of the narrative. I didn’t skip those sections, so I didn’t miss any info.

While the Library of Heartbeats is the title, the book is about hearts and emotions. TBH, I expected a little more about the wonderful place and the setting. But the focus is more on the main characters. I’d have loved it if the island played a more prominent role.

The book has an author’s note, glossary, and acknowledgment page, providing a little extra insight into the content. Don’t skip these, as you will understand why the entire premise has such melancholy to it. And the Heartbeat Archives is a real place (good if you already know; I thought it was fiction).

To summarize, The Library of Heartbeats is a mellow and bittersweet story of loss, grief, family, friendships, and finding love (not romantic) to have the courage to live again. It may not be for everyone and this is a book I would NOT recommend if you are already down. While it does have a hopeful ending, the overall sadness will further affect your spirits.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK (Manilla Press), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley #TheLibraryOfHeartbeats

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P.S.: The page count on NetGalley shows 400, while the book has only 274 pages on Goodreads and Amazon. The GR count is correct.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine a beautiful island surrounded by pristine crystal blue ocean somewhere in Japan. Now imagine that there is a special unique library/museum on this island. Not of books or artifacts, but heartbeats.

“A handover: one heart letting another speak.”

What does this all mean?

“This island is a heart. It contracts with the irregular beat of the waves. The tides prolong its pulse, a beat or two is sometimes skipped. But it always begins again.”

There is a gentleness to the storytelling here even if it is not told in a linear way. Where readers are introduced to the past and present life of Shuichi. His experiences. His heart. (Its own unique character.) His thoughts. His grief. And, the grief of others who find solace on this island for their heartbeats.

The heartbeats are based on a true to life art installation created by artist Christian Boltanski, known as the Library of Heartbeats on Teshima Island. Its intention is to capture and record the heartbeats of the people who come to visit.

“If you live a good life, your heart will complete a journey of three billion beats.”

Because it is not a linear story, it feels abstract, making it a bit confusing to follow at times. The story is told through memories, present time and trips past and present to the island. Still, even if it is hard to follow or keep up at times, there is something unique and special about its thought-provoking, heartwarming and heart-felt message.

Although grief is not always an easy subject to read, the author has created characters who learn and grow, show resilience and persevere despite and because of it. Thus, allowing readers to experience the full emotions that take any of us towards healing.

At the back of the book, readers will be provided with ‘the sounds of the heart in Japanese’ and ‘an important note’ by the author. The author also offers a glossary of Japanese terms, including definitions.


The author in her important note at the end shares…

“…if we renounce pain, joy disappears with it!”

The expectation is for us to feel it all, especially the pain caused by our grief, in order to appreciate joy. In many ways, as we read along, we are being taken on a self-reflective journey.

Kleenex recommended.

[spillingthematcha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piękna w swojej prostocie, pełna uważności i wzruszająca swoją prostotą. Naprawdę chwytająca za serce.

[citesc_cu_sufletul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. Spuneți-mi, vă rog, cum fac să pot scoate personajele din carte și să le îmbrățișez? 😢💔

[Celestina1210 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une très jolie et douce histoire .
Shuchi vient de perdre sa mère et il décide de retourner dans sa maison là bas il va faire la connaissance de Kenta un jeune garçon qui s’était lié d’amitié avec sa mère.
J’ai aimé la douceur de ce roman, j’avais l’impression d’être dans un cocon. La simplicité des sentiments agissent comme un baume pour mon petit cœur. C’est un livre qui parle de soi du deuil mais aussi de reconstruction. Si vous cherchez un livre assez court et poétique n’hésitez pas à le lire.
Moi aussi j’aimerais bien me rendre dans l’île des battements du cœur.

[simona.citeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minunată!!
O carte atât de încărcată de emoție și de sens.

[Nona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lately (in the past year, more specifically) I seem to have fallen in love with contemporary Italian writers, and I've just added a new author I want to follow. Because Laura Imai Messina's writing is splendid. This book, in fact, is splendid from start to finish, in every aspect - not only the prose, but the themes, the characters, the way she handled emotions. "The Heartbeat Library" is the definition if healing fiction.

The novel is set in Japan and follows Shūichi, a children's book author and illustrator, who returns to his hometown of Kamakura to settle his late mother's affairs after her death. During this time, he meets Kenta, an eight-year-old boy who, upset by Shūichi's remodelling activities in his mother's home, begins to steal different objects that had been put into storage. We later discover that Kenta had formed a bond with Shūichi's mother, and the two protagonists - the adult and the child - form an unlikely friendship that changes both their lives. It's a journey of mutual healing, where the heart - seen as both an organ and a metaphysical concept - needs to be mended.

The story uses the real museum of “Les Archives du Cœur” (the Library of Heartbeats) on Teshima Island, a place which houses recordings of heartbeats from people worldwide, as an anchor, a symbol which returns throughout the novel as a place of healing and reconnection.

The novel follows a non-linear narrative. As the friendship between Shūichi and Kenta deepens, we are taken back into both characters' past and understand the events that led to their current state of mind. While Shūichi is battling the memories of his son's death and the failing of his marriage, Kenta hides a secret that ties him to Shūichi's family at a deeper level than anticipated.

The book is all vibes, no plot. Or not so much plot-focused. I found the story predictable, but this didn't really impact my enjoyment and emotional involvement with the story. I am more of a character-focused reader and Messina spoke directly to my heart with her novel. Shūichi, mostly, but also Kenta are fully-fleshed characters, and following their journey was both emotional and uplifting. Shūichi's road is one of reconciling with loss and finding a path forward, while he wrestles with unresolved feelings about his late mother and his life choices. It was a delight following his creative vision change as his heart heals and his life becomes more colorful. Kenta, on the other hand, is a key catalyst for change in Shūichi’s life and comes with a surprising depth of wisdom for his age.

And then there's Shūichi's mother. Although she's dead, she still constitutes a strong presence in her son's life and in the story itself. Her influence is still felt in her relationships, especially with Kenta, and in the memories she left behind for Shūichi, who remembers his childhood as one of artificial happiness, as his mother constantly tried, over the years, to erase from his memory all traces of any unhappy incident that affected him. I find myself unable to agree with her - despite her good intentions, manipulating your own child to believe he had a dreamy childhood where nothing bad ever happened impacted him throughout his whole life, into adulthood.

I absolutely adored Laura Imai Messina's prose, poetic, atmospheric, with a contemplative quality to it. It's a sensory journey that immersed me both into the Japanese culture and in the minds and emotions of the characters. The narrative is sprinkled with moments of quiet reflection, that made me, along with the characters, pause to reconsider my place in the world. The use of symbolism is strong - the imagery of the heartbeats ties directly to the themes of life and death (so many sounds for heartbeats, in different languages and in Japanese, based on the type of emotions felt! Beautiful!).

This novel was an emotional journey for me, on multiple levels. I found here a delicate balance between introspective depth and beauty and it drove me to reflection. Laura Imai Messina is an author I want to read more from in the future.

[Brodolomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Verovatno nikada ne bih uzeo u ruke da je nisam dobio. Ipak, drago mi je da sam je pročitao jer sam se upoznao sa jednim zanimljivim tokom popularne savremenog romana koji, čini mi se, trpi snažan uticaj društvenih mreža iako načelno nema nikakve veze sa njima. Uticaj se oseća od dužine poglavlja, želje da se u poglavljima narativno bude drugačiji, estetizacije, esejizacije, citata, neverovatne sentimentalnosti koja curi sa svih strana kao pokvarena slavina, i tema u rasponu od ličnog gubitka, sećanja, smrti, detinjstva i onog najpopularnijeg na internetu šta je sreća. Ušećereni žele u vrlo lepom pakovanju.

Naslov knjige odnosi se na postojeći muzej-umetničku instalaciju u Japanu gde su pohranjeni snimci otkucaja srca nekoliko hiljada ljudi i gde svako može ostaviti zvuk svog srca. Na lajtmotivu srca, kao međukulturnog simbola života i osećajnosti, gradi se priča o sredovečnom ilustratoru dečjih knjiga i njegovoj borbi da prevaziđe porodične gubitke. Vidi se da je autorka vrlo načitana i da je pročitala brdo esejistike kao pripremu za teme romana. Curenje sentimentalnosti najkritičnije postaje u dijalozima gde junaci ispaljuju životne mudrosti kao petarde za Novu godinu. Ali pretpostavljam da je to sasvim očekivano za ovakav tip romana. Dopadljivo za ljubitelje lepljivog kao što sam ja.

"Čim počnu, godišnja doba prolaze."

[Come Musica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ogni cuore ha un suo battito proprio, un suono che in ogni lingua si dice in un modo diverso.

“Teshima, avviluppata in anni di battiti e limata dalle onde, inizia a vibrare alle dieci della mattina e finisce il suo canto alle quattro o alle cinque della sera. Dipende dalla stagione, dall’ora in cui arriva il tramonto.
«L’isola dei battiti del cuore» l’avrebbe chiamata Kenta, raccontando ai genitori l’avventura. E da allora, per tutti loro, sarebbe stata sempre L’isola dei battiti del cuore.
Avevano salutato Teshima senza troppa nostalgia, certi di tornare ancora.
Appena fu atterrato a Tōkyō, Shūichi scrisse a Sayaka e la invitò a cena. Avevano dismesso da un pezzo le uscite al ristorante, gli incontri casuali. Non serviva più fingere nulla, tentare di mostrarsi migliori di quanto si era. Era il bello di un amore iniziato già grande, consapevole di quanto accogliere la miseria e il ridicolo dell’altro fosse a tutti gli effetti la prova più piena di quell’amore.”

Laura Imai Messina ha il dono di ascoltare le storie e di saperle riportare, emozionando chi legge i suoi romanzi. Questo romanzo rispetto a "Quel che affidiamo al vento" è più introspettivo:

“Mentre scrivevo L’isola dei battiti del cuore mi è tornata in mente l’esortazione preziosa di un’amica, nei giorni più bui: «Anche se stai male, anche se non ti va, esci con i bambini, fingi di essere felice, fingi di divertirti con loro, ma devi crederci, crederci sul serio, altrimenti non vale». Eccola l’immaginazione della felicità: per essere felici bisogna innanzitutto immaginarsi felici!
Quell’agosto del 2021, all’Archivio dei Battiti del Cuore di Teshima ho registrato il suono del mio cuore, ho lasciato un messaggio per i miei figli. Sono salita sulla nave, lasciandomi l’isola alle spalle già avvolta nell’oscurità, con la convinzione che da certi luoghi non sia davvero possibile andarsene, che una parte di loro si depositi dentro di noi. L’Archivio dei Battiti del Cuore, così come anni prima era stato il Telefono del Vento, per me è così.”

Commento a caldo, appena l'ho finito: Bello!!!

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled through 90% of this book.

I listened to the audio and the narrator simply sounded disinterested in what he was reading. Apart from the occasional change he spoke in a monotone throughout.

The actual content of the book may have been easy to follow on paper but the changes of characters and scenes made little sense when the narrator didn't change his tone and the narrative seemed to flow from past to present without any discernible swap leaving me very confused.

The title of the book was also misleading because the actual Heartbeat Library is barely in it, only turning up at the end.

Had the rest of the book been as moving and interesting as the last 10 percent, it would have been as wonderful as the Telephone Box book previously.

Very disappointed.

Thankyou to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio advance review copy.

[Federica Rampi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Siamo quelli che siamo grazie ai nomi che ci chiamano al mondo, al ruolo che ci scaviamo nelle vite degli altri”

Shûichi, fumettista quarantenne, affetto fin dalla prima infanzia da una malattia cardiaca, vive solo dopo aver perso tragicamente il figlioletto Shingo.

Quando la madre di Shûichi muore, lui torna alle porte di Tokyo nella casa dov’è cresciuto, ma si accorge di non essere solo.
Kenta è un bambino di otto anni, che si aggira per quella casa e sembra aver conosciuto la madre di Shûichi.
Kenya, nella sua vita solitaria vive avventure incredibili e assomiglia tanto, così tanto a Shingo

A poco a poco si crea un legame tra l'uomo e il bambino, che li porterà su una piccola isola unica al mondo: Teshima, dove sono conservate le registrazioni dei battiti cardiaci di decine di migliaia di persone, vive o scomparse.
Sono gli “Archivi del cuore” dell'artista Christian Boltanski, un luogo dove tutta l’umanità sembra così vicina

Il museo appare come il fulcro di espansione dell’immaginario raccontato da Laura Imai Messina, dove la parola “cuore” viene catturata in tutte le sue accezioni simboliche, fisiologiche, grafiche e sotto forma di origami

La grazia di questo romanzo, quasi privo di linearità cronologica, sta nell’ illuminare una rete di momenti anche banali della vita dei personaggi, della loro memoria, cogliendoli nelle varie età della loro esistenza
Ognuno di essi sembra corrispondere alle diverse modalità del battito cardiaco, "doki doki" in giapponese, il suono del cuore durante un'emozione.

“Doki doki faceva il cuore di Kenta quando era con Shingo. Doki doki, era il sottofondo di ogni loro conversazione. Batteva batteva, batteva così forte il suo cuore: doki doki, doki doki.”

La metafora dei battiti del cuore rappresenta l’archivio stesso della vita che è e della vita che è stata.
L'Isola dei Battiti del Cuore evoca con delicatezza i ricordi e il bisogno di vivere nel presente.

È una storia di dolore e amicizia, memoria e amore, di connessioni spazio temporali ed emotive
È così che Shûishi e Kenta si ripareranno a vicenda, ritornando alla vita grazie alla forza liberatrice del lutto

“Tramandare la memoria... perché le persone tornano in vita solo nella memoria di altre persone”

[Ale · Rating 5 out of 5]

eh Laura Laura Laura, cosa devo dirti, cosa posso dirti? c'è un motivo se ho aspettato il tuo libro per tutti i giorni che mancavano all'uscita e c'è un motivo se ho chiesto ai miei genitori se potessi comprare la copia autografata. E il motivo è proprio questo, è il tuo modo di scrivere che sento così vicino, così puro, è la tua capacità di scaldarmi il cuore e accarezzarlo ad ogni pagina. Anche con questa storia e con questi personaggi sei riuscita a far fare al mio cuore doki doki

[ola ✶ cosmicreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

podchodziłam do tej książki z dużym dystansem, wiedząc, jak (niestety) potrafią wyglądać książki o Azji pisane przez autorów innego pochodzenia. nacisk na comfort book, na feel-good read i inne bardzo popularne określenia są doskonale widoczne. i ten słowniczek na końcu! come on, można było to rozwiązać w przepisach. tak samo lekcja kanji, specjalnie wybrane znaki, żeby wzbudzały w czytelniku emocje… nie wiem, dla mnie to wszystko było strasznie na siłę. książka filozoficzna (ale nie myślcie, że jakoś mocno refleksyjnie, to raczej zbiór słów, które wyglądają dobrze jako cytat i mogą zachęcić nim do lektury), ale przegadana, monotonna. znaczna część tekstu to właśnie taki zbiór cytatów, na czym cierpi fabuła — w dalszej części książki zastanawiałam się, czy w ogóle taka istnieje. podobał mi się początek i koniec (choć na maksa oczywisty), nie podobało się wszystko inne, a przede wszystkim: dlaczego tak mało było jednak o samej wyspie? zamysł był naprawdę dobry i dzięki temu chciałam dać jej szansę, ale niestety, moje obawy się potwierdziły. zostaję przy prawdziwej azjatyckiej literaturze, niesilącej się na komfort czytelnika, dosadnej, zadającej pytania.

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book blurb tells you this is gonna be a heart warming tale about friendship and loss. The story to start with was confusing as it skipped about between what appeared to be seperate atories. As i carried on reading i became gripped as it slowly sorted itself out. I realised that this was very sad in places and extremely poetic . The philosophy in the writingvwas do sincere and geartfelt. The aithor understood the effects of trauma
The island however is a small mention in the final act carefully written and interwoven inyo rhe main story. This was a feel good story yhat warns your heart. Worth stucking with you made me cry and smile. Thank yoy so much netgallery and publisher and author for this highly recommended 5 star read.

[Aleksandra Jagielska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Przepiękna w swojej prostocie, bardzo subtelna opowieść o życiu, przyjaźni, marzeniach, szczęściu, relacjach, przypadkowych spotkaniach i żałobie. Pełna metafor i niesamowicie delikatnych słów, które sprawiają, że historia ta jest niesamowicie kameralna, ale tym samym bardzo angażująca i uniwersalna. Autorka posiada ten szczególny zmysł obserwowania świata w sposób bardzo wrażliwy i wyciągania z tych obserwacji wniosków, który ja w literaturze szczególnie doceniam. Utuliła moje serce i na długo nie wypuści ze swoich objęć. Taka po troszku książka-kocyk.


,,Wszystko, czego dotyka ból, zostaje wyniesione do rangi wspomnienia: pozostawi ślady w pamięci, którą przyjemność ledwo muska."

[czytajta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nie wiem czy słusznie ale it's giving me vibe "Ukochane równanie profesora", przy której to miałam ochotę wydłubać sobie mózg XD

"Wyspa bijących serc" jest natomiast, hm - sympatyczna - tak się chyba mówi kiedy ktoś jest totalnie nijaki ale chcemy być mili 😅

Nic mnie tutaj nie porwało, zaznaczyłam kilka ładnych fragmentów, a i owszem ale to tyle. Zero więzi z bohaterami, jakiegoś zainteresowania ich losem. Ot historia do przeczytania na jeden raz i do szybkiego zapomnienia 🫠

Dodatkowa gwiazdka za ładną okładkę 💁🏼‍♀️

[Kinga (oazaksiazek) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serce. Organ bez którego nie jesteśmy w stanie funkcjonować. Możemy nie mieć nogi, oczu czy śledziony, ale serce jest nam potrzebne. Serce każdego z nas bije własnym rytmem. Żyje własnym życiem. Tak jak bohaterzy tej książki.

"Wyspa bijących serc" to dla mnie historia nie tylko o różnych obliczach żałoby, ale przede wszystkim o rodzicielstwie i potrzebie bycia zauważonym 🌿

Na kartach powieści pada wiele zdań, które część czytelników uzna za "coelhowskie" 🤭 Inni odbiorcy będą nimi natomiast zauroczeni lub poruszeni. Ja należę do tej drugiej grupy. Ich prostota i prawdziwość utwierdziły mnie w przekonaniu, co jest współcześnie ważne.

Chcemy być blisko drugiego człowieka.
Chcemy wierzyć, że to, co robimy ma sens.
Chcemy pamiętać to, co dla nas ma duże znaczenie.

Nie chcemy zapominać.
Nie chcemy żałować, że czegoś nie zrobiliśmy.
Nie chcemy żyć tylko po to, aby żyć.

Widziałam sporo opinii, w których recenzenci skupiają się na relacji syna z matką, ale mnie w tej powieści uderzyło coś innego. Laura Imai Messina pokazała mi, że więź ojca z dzieckiem budowana jest latami. Każdego dnia rodzic walczy o to, aby dzieciństwo było piękne i warte zapamiętania. Bicie serca po części zależy od tego jak spędzamy dany dzień. Co robimy, jak się czujemy, czy jesteśmy szczęśliwi ❤️

Zakończenie wątku z numerami było łatwe do odgadnięcia, ale i tak zrobiło na mnie wrażenie. Cieszę się, że główny bohater odzyskał spokój...

Ta książka porusza czułe strony serca. Sprawia, że się uśmiechamy, wzruszamy. Autorka skłania nas do refleksji. I ja jej za to dziękuję.

4,75 ⭐️
(Na Goodreads daję 4 gwiazdki, ale czuję, że pod koniec roku będzie ich 5!). Wolę podciągnąć do pięciu niż z pięciu obniżać do czterech.

Edit: maj 2024 - Zmieniam na 5 gwiazdek, bo myślę o tej pozycji a na tle innych tegorocznych książek bardzo się wyróżnia.

Tłumaczenie: N. P. Miscioscia

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

On the peaceful island of Teshima there is a library of heartbeats, a place where the heartbeats of visitors from all around the world are collected. In this small, isolated building, the heartbeats of people who are still alive or have passed away continue to echo. Several miles away, in the ancient city of Kamakura, two lonely souls, Shuichi, a forty-year-old illustrator, who returns to his hometown to fix up the house of his recently deceased mother, and eight-year-old Kenta, a child who wanders like a shadow around Shuichi's house. Day by day, the trust between Shuichi and Kenta grows until they discover they share a bond that will tie them together for life. Their journey will lead them to Teshima and to the library of heartbeat.

I loved The Phone Box At The Edge Of The World, so I was happy to get an ARC of this book. This is a story about friendship and love. Shuichi and Kenta are two completely different characters that share a deep connection. It did take me a little while to get into the story as I found it a bit confusing to begin with. The pace is on the slow side throughout. It's quite an emotional read. Once I got into the story, I quite enjoyed it.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BonnoerBooks and the author #LauraImaiMessina for my ARC of #TheLibraryOfHeartbeats in exchange for an honest review.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the idea behind this novel rather intriguing; an island in Japan that had collected an archive of heartbeats from around the world. This archive only really comes into the story at the end.

There are several different threads to the story, which is quite confusing at first, but does become clear eventually. Mainly it's told from Suichi's point of view - his mother has recently died and he has moved back to his childhood home to sort through her things. He becomes aware of a child who has been visiting the house and making off with low value stuff. Eventually, they strike up a friendship; Kento has an unhappy homelife, and few friends in school.

I think the story was rather beautifully told, but ultimately, I just failed to connect with it. It may simply be bad timing on my part. It certainly will appeal to many readers. There is nothing actually wrong with it.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

[jakesz13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wzięła mnie z zaskoczenia ta książka. Początkowo, dosyć sceptycznie podszedłem do dosyć niespójnej formy narracji, do coehlowskich cytatów rzucanych praktycznie non stop, ale im dalej w las, tym ta historia coraz bardziej chwytała mnie za gardło i głęboko poruszała. Nie dajcie się zwieść tej formie, to jest naprawdę introspektywna, napakowana trudnymi emocjami i warsztatowo doskonała książka.

Przyznam szczerze, że coraz ciężej jest mi znaleźć w tym natłoku książek z dalekiego wschodu takich pozycji, które by się czymś wyróżniały, wychodziłyby poza jakieś charakterystyczne elementy nadnaturalne i warstwę emocjonalną, która nie do końca spełnia swoją podstawową funkcję. Bez dwóch zdań, temu konceptowi wyłamuje się Messina. Stworzyła bowiem opowieść, która w przewrotny sposób, za pomocą naprawdę zaskakującego i wręcz szokującego zwrotu akcji gdzieś w połowie książki uzasadnia ten cały natłok niezrozumiałych dla mnie scen i przemyśleń. Gdy dowiedziałem się o co chodzi, to cała moja nadbudowana niechęć do tej powieści uleciała i ustąpiła wielkiemu przejęciu. W tak prostej historii o relacji mężczyzny z pewnym chłopcem kryje się kawał solidnej opowieści o stracie, żałobie, samotności, odnajdywaniu szczęścia, odkrywaniu własnej tożsamości czy odwadze by otworzyć się na drugiego człowieka. Kawał pięknych wniosków i lekcji płynie z tej książki, droga, jaką przemierza Shuichi jest kręta, jak to w przypadku radzenia sobie ze stratą, ale jednocześnie niesie za sobą naprawdę doskonały i uniwersalny przekaz. Czasem by być szczęśliwym, trzeba udawać, trzeba umieć poprosić o pomoc, trzeba zdobyć się na otworzenie się przed drugim człowiekiem. I to było naprawdę dobre. Jednocześnie, sporo tu też fantastycznych i niezwykle metaforycznych odniesień do bicia serca, w końcu tytułowa wyspa bijących serc też odgrywa tu w pewnym momencie istotną rolę - podoba mi się, gdy autorzy tego typu książek nie sięgają jednak po realizm magiczny, tylko pracują na prawdziwym koncepcie, co w tym przypadku wypadło naprawdę doskonale, w pełni kupuję taką interpretację i rolę serca w całej historii. Nie tylko dodała ona sznytu całości, ale też doskonale dopełniła istniejącą już historię głównych postaci, a mówiąc szczerze, bardzo rzadko w literaturze pięknej poświęca się tak wnikliwą uwagę ciału, tutaj zaś warstwa magiczna, ta pełna przemyśleń bardzo trafnie łączy się z tą fizyczną, przyziemną.

Z pewnością zostanie mi ta historia w pamięci na dłużej, głównie przez tę oryginalność i tak wielki smutek wypływający z tych stron. Jednocześnie, ujmuję jej jedną gwiazdkę, w największej mierze przez to, że nie do końca potrafiłem się w nią wgryźć, czasem niektóre cytaty brzmiały dla mnie jak z tablicy na fejsie mojego wuja, który codziennie próbuje wywołać nasze łzy wstawiając dosyć oklepane i zwruszające aforyzmy. Niemniej jednak, poza tymi mankamentami, gdy odkryje się już, co stoi za motywacjami głównego bohatera, oj, można popaść w potężną melancholię.

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes the power and emotion of a novel creeps up on you so unexpectedly that it leaves you so deeply moved that the impact is not only incredibly profound but has actually given you a different perspective on life

The Phone Box at the Edge of the World was a beautiful read so this new novel by Laura Imai-Messina had big footsteps to follow in.

This is a story of love and friendship - a bond that is made following tragedy and sadness. Shuichi, a story book creator / illustrator has the task of emptying his mother’s home following her death; but discovers that each afternoon an eight year boy called Kenta is entering a side passageway to the house and taking items. Intrigued, Shuichi soon establishes a friendship with the boy.

What follows is the story of these two different individuals but also deep connection that pulls them closer as both try to make sense of the world around them. This is a story about the beauty and power within the innocence of being a child. It is also a story about that most powerful of things - if not the most - the human heartbeat. On the island of Teshima is a library where heartbeats are captured and stored either from visitors or sent from people around the world

This is a book that could so easily have veered towards sentimentality but not at all. As with many Japanese based tales there is a sense of melancholy and the first half of the book has an underlying sense of sadness. But as the story progresses a powerful and deep tenderness emerges ; the aforementioned library brings the story to its denouement with unexpected results.

Truly beautiful- let yourself escape , breathe and immerse yourself and your heart into this wonderful book.

[Cami L. González · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tengo cierto tema con los libros japoneses que he leído en el último tiempo, pero cuando vi que la autora era italo-japonesa decidí darle una oportunidad. Fue una historia muy bella centrada en las segundas oportunidades, la felicidad y todo conectado en el tema de los latidos.

"En ese momento pensó que solo era posible enamorarse en silencio y sin cautela".

Shūichi vuelve a la casa de su madre una vez que ella muere para ordenar todo y venderla, pero ahí conocerá a Kenta, un niño pequeño que conocía a su madre. Shūichi vive obsesionado con su corazón y con los recuerdos confusos de su infancia que su madre manipuló para mantenerlo feliz, mientras que Kenta apenas recibe atención de sus padres y es un niño solitario. De esta forma, ambos empezarán a pasar tiempo juntos y, quizá, ayudarse mutuamente a sanar.

"La vida es una sucesión de naufragios".

Disfruté mucho la novela, cómo fue avanzando su historia mientras presentaba a sus personajes y todo lo relacionado con su pasado, como los capítulos sobre los dos niños o cuando usaba las onomatopeyas japonesas para los latidos del corazón (como doki doki). Me gustó la forma en que avanzó la historia tomándose su tiempo, cómo partió con Shūichi volviendo a la casa de su infancia y todo el proceso de limpiar y ordenar las cosas de la casa de su madre, todo muy sencillo y poco a poco fue expandiéndose.

"Transmitir el recuerdo..., porque las personas solo renacen en la memoria de otras personas".

Me pareció muy bello que la historia fuera de cómo Shūichi y Kenta se encontraron y fueron desarrollando su amistad, sobre todo por el hecho de que uno es un adulto y otro, un niño, y que en ningún momento se sintió extraño. Claro que a medida que avanzó el libro fuimos entendiendo por qué Shūichi pudo conectar con Kenta y qué era lo que veía en él, al mismo tiempo creo que ambos encontraron en el otro lo que necesitaban.

"Existe una vida real y un manojo de vidas imaginarias que se ramifican a partir de la primera.
Shūichi pensó que, si un niño vive de algo, es ante todo de su imaginación. Así es como crece: imaginando cosas que no existen, monstruos invisibles, amores que lo atraen, aventuras que nunca vivirá. En cualquier caso, no es muy diferente de lo que les ocurre a los adultos".

Me gustaron mucho las dinámicas que se dieron entre los personajes, me pareció que estaban muy bien desarrolladas (excepto la romántica que sí se sintió un poco más acelerada). Además, me gustó el cómo las cosas fueron encajando al final o cuando terminamos de entender las distintas conexiones entre los personajes. No era un libro que se centrara en sorpresas o giros, pero me gustó el toque final emotivo que tuvo.

"Maeda parece sugerir que la doble soledad puede convertirse en compañía. Que el mundo puede teñirse de color visto a través de dos pares de ojos".

La isla de los latidos del corazón es una novela emotiva sobre la amistad entre un ilustrador de libros infantiles que intenta sanar y un niño pequeño solitario. Una historia sobre el corazón y cómo sanar a través de los recuerdos.

[Aleksandra Gratka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeśli będziemy mieć wystarczająco długie życie, nasze serce wykona 3 miliardy uderzeń. Rytm będzie się zmieniał w zależności od emocji, stanu fizycznego, wieku. Gdybym słuchała swojego serca podczas lektury - spokojny rytm przeplatałby się z mocno przyspieszonym pulsem.
Prosta - zdaje się - historia o Shūichim, autorze i ilustratorze książek dla dzieci, który musi posprzątać dom po zmarłej matce, a przy okazji nawiązuje przyjaźń z małym chłopcem, zamienia się w traktat o szczęściu i radzeniu sobie z żałobą. Autorka momentami w swoich prawdach życiowych ociera się o te rodem z Paolo Coelho, ale nigdy nie przekracza granicy. Zresztą miałam takie skojarzenia tylko na początku, później dałam się porwać opowieści, która trafiła mocno w moje lęki, oczekiwania i marzenia.
Starsza kobieta, która w każdym szukała czegoś dobrego, przypadkowe spotkania, które odciskają piętno na całe życie, hołd złożony słowu poprzez badanie znaków kanji, refleksja o tym, jak wszyscy pięknie się różnimy wysnuta z reakcji na przejście przez zatłoczone skrzyżowanie Shibuya...
Przede wszystkim jest to jednak powieść o poszukiwaniu szczęścia, które najpierw trzeba sobie wyobrazić, o ogromnym szacunku dla dzieci, o kłamstwach, by chronić przed cierpieniem i o żałobie, która tu opisana została w sposób rozrywający serce.
No właśnie, serce. Tytułowa wyspa bijących serc, muzeum, eksperyment, instalacja artystyczna to koncept, który mnie zachwycił i który zostanie we mnie na długo. Autorka pięknie prowadzi nas do tego miejsca, umiejętnie odsłania bolesne tajemnice i daje nadzieję na swoiste katharsis.
Dostałam w tej powieści emocje, których oczekiwałam i sporo, sporo więcej. Wam też tego życzę.

[Anna Negrila · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book! For how much the characters tried to hide their emotions and stay away from fear, pain and suffering, this book was full of all that. It was very moving, especially once things start to connect and you understand who interacts with who in each bit.

I really loved each character's journey through life and all that entails. Shuichi's hidden past by his mother made him question reality and preferred to have had moments that he remembers that were diffcult so he would know he'd been through that before and turned out ok, that everything was going to be alright eventually.

Kenta is bullied at school and his parents don't get along that well because of how busy they are so he feels alone or neglected. Here is how Shuichi's mother comes into picture and starts spending time with Kenta and teaches him his Kanji. When Shuichi's mother dies, he is the one that gets to form a powerful connection with Kenta. He starts to love life again and to care deeply for Kenta. Their relationship was really moving 🥹

Sayaka also teaches Shuichi that he can love again, that he can be vulnerable and open up to someone and be understood, that it is good to do that.

Really, I couldn't say who my favourite character was because they are all necessary for the story to unfold the way it did.

I left out many interesting parts so I suggest you get on with reading this if you want to find out what happened with Shuichi and how it is all connected to the Library of Heartbeats. I promise it is worth it! 💚🩵💙

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found The Library of Heartbeats a little bit of a slow burner, but it built into a powerfully emotional book. As Shuichi and Kenta get to know one another, they find that each can provide the other with something missing from their lives. We learn about their very different lives, and the losses they have both faced. They begin to form a bond which is truly beautiful and, together, they eventually visit the island of Teshima where the library of heartbeats exists. It's at this visit where the entirety of the story comes together and actually made me a bit of a wreck!

Beautifully translated from Italian by Lucy Rand, I highly recommend if you love an emotional read!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Niektórzy z nich prawdopodobnie już nie żyją, ale bicie ich serc wciąż rozbrzmiewa echem na tej małej japońskiej wyspie."

Piękna, subtelna historia o przyjaźni i miłości, które często pojawiają się w naszym życiu w najmniej oczekiwanym momencie. Zostały tutaj poruszone bardzo trudne tematy, ale pomimo tego, przez tą opowieść się po prostu płynie.
Bardzo mnie wzruszyła na koniec ❤️


"Dla Greków serce robi duk-duk, w Korei dugeun dugeun i kung kung. Po hebrajsku bum-búm, w Tajlandii toop toop. [...] Wszyscy mamy je w piersi, bez wyjątku. Jednakże każdy z nas słyszy je inaczej."

[shubiektywnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lektura, która może poruszyć, ale ja aktualnie jestem na etapie, kiedy potrzebuję trochę dojrzalszych i bardziej złożonych emocji, więc po mnie spłynęła. Poza tragedią głównego bohatera nie poruszyło mnie nic.