Book Analysis – Canned Coffee and Kimonos by Tom Fitzmaurice
For today’s review, I have a much longer book both physical length and story length-wise. This is a memoir based around the author’s four years living in Tokyo. Full of heartfelt scenes, obstacles, relations, and culture, this book brings a lot to the table. With a lot of information and a story to tell, it can sometimes be confusing for a reader. But for me, not once did I slip up questioning a part of the travel, this author perfectly narrates the experience.
The theme of this book is to learn from mistakes and that obstacles are actually your friend. Adapting to a new lifestyle is hard, and this author pursues his story in a way that will make any reader more comfortable to change. On top of it being a memoir and experiences being displayed that happened in real life, the author makes sure to keep the entertainment aspect flowing and to keep the readers engaged.
I appreciated the Japanese proverbs and sayings at the beginning of each chapter, it made the influence of that culture on the author seem so much deeper. The art and pictures used on both the front and back of the book perfectly depict the conveying culture in the story as well. Even though I have never traveled to Japan, I was able to step into that side of the world and witness its distinct features thanks to this author. These well-written memoirs are the reason books are so magically, a whole life was presented to me at my fingertips.
I loved how not one aspect was mistaken or taken out for another. The culture, the food, the atmosphere, the people, the lifestyles… it was all intertwined in such a way that kept me interested the entire book and now I want to travel to Tokyo.
Another cool point to put into perspective is that the author is an English Teacher from England. Being a teacher who must dignify themselves in their own subject of practice must have been such an amazing experience to gain such great exposure to a whole new side of the world. Being a college student, I would have definitely taken on most of this journey with the author if I had the opportunity to do so. But since not, this book comes second to actually living the experience. This book really made me feel in the moment!
I hope you enjoyed this review and a brief breakdown of author Tom Fitzmaurice’s memoir. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey as a reader, and I recommend you partake in it as well! Enjoy!
