For fans of slice of life stories and almost vignette style narratives, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is for you. From the acclaimed author of The Traveling Cat Chronicles this next book is a tender character driven story. Keep reading this book review of The Passengers on the Hankyu Line for my full thoughts.
Summary
Between the two beautiful towns of Takarazuka and Nishinomiya, in a stunning mountainous area of Japan, rattles the Hankyu Line train. Passengers step on and off, lost in thought, contemplating the tiny knots of their existence. On the outward journey, we are introduced to the emotional dilemmas of five characters, and on the return journey six months later, we watch them find resolutions.
A young man meets the young woman who always happens to borrow a library book just before he can check it out himself, a woman in a white bridal dress boards looking inexplicably sad, a university student heads home after class, a girl prepares to leave her abusive boyfriend, and an old lady discusses adopting a dog with her granddaughter.
With stories that crisscross like the railway lines, the Hankyu train trundles on, propelling the lives and loves of its passengers ever forward.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I adore the premise of The Passengers on the Hankyu Line. We commute, listen to music on the train, and we’re surrounded by stories in progress. By slices of people’s life, monumental moments, and the mundane all sandwiched together. People pass us by and we see glimpses of their lives. What happened before they boarded? What caused them to travel today? With an almost vignette style, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line flits from character to character as they interact with each other.
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Stories and train lines which crisscross. We witness momentary interactions and the magic of chance encounters. While I definitely enjoyed the first half better, I loved being able to see these snapshots of characters. It feels softer than straight up vignettes – like Before the Coffee Gets Cold – instead feeling more cohesive with fewer jumps. Sometimes we just need a comment, a stranger’s perspective to jar us out of our routine. To inspire us. Find The Passengers on the Hankyu Line on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.