Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I thought this book was interesting, but could not find my footing nor was I really engaged. Perhaps it's just a consequence of the time, but I have to DNF this one all the same. Nevertheless, thanks for allowing me to read in advance — I really love the cover!

While I was reading through this novel, which is sort of an interconnection of stories told by the lovers of Yukihiko Nishino, some of them only meeting him for an hour, others having a relationship with him, all of them telling their perceptions of the things that he gave them. The stories are almost chronological, and as I was reading, I started to wonder what it was about Nishino that draws him into being a compelling character. He does not have more lovers than the average adult Japanese male, and even though he has these relationships, work still takes up most of him time (in most cases). So it comes down the facts that Nishino is a mystery to the reader just like he is a mystery to the women.



Nishino goes through his life, meeting and sleeping with women, and even though he gets older, his modus operandi does not change; he feels like he cannot love women, and then when they are about the end things, he proposes marriage to several of them. There are few variations on the theme, and this might be his true self coming through, that when he is with someone he does not want to commit, until it is almost over, but the truth is deeper than that, that there is not a fear loneliness or loss that makes him cling onto these lovers. The fact is once the marriage proposals are turned down or seen as bluffs, he leaves and they never see him again. It is as if Nishino does not tell anyone the truth, but tells the same lie. 



The chapters and stories are not too long, and the translation makes this feel conversational and casual, which also makes for an easier read. I had not read Hiromi Kawakami’s previous work, but this is a very good introduction and testament to her work. I look forward to reading more. 

I received this as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really interesting addition to Europa Editions catalogue. It's a collection of closely connected short stories. I liked that there was a cohesive theme. The first story was the most engrossing to me. Overall, this was a quick read that I'm glad I was able to experience as part of my goal to read more international fiction.

A unique entertaining read a group of women in separate chapters tell of their relationship with a man called Nishino .This authors writing is quirky intimate drew me right in to each episode.A book I will be recommending.#netgalley #europabooks

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

The Ten Loves of Nishino is composed of a series of short stories, each written from the perspective of a woman that had been a part of the titular Nishino's life. The stories are not presented chronologically, as if deliberately, so that the reader is kept wondering as to how a man as amiable and popular (as well as non-committal) as Nishino came to be. It should also be noted that the translation of Kawakami's work was well done.

This is a collection of short stories of the women Nishino encounters at various times in his life and Nishino's inability to find love. It was interesting that the stories are told from the women's point of view and we learn more and more about our main character as the book progresses. In the end, it was okay, but not one of my favorites.

Thank you to Europa Editions and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A collection of spare quirky vignettes told from the viewpoints of the women who have been loved by Nishino. A charismatic man who is plagued by the belief that he can never truly love a woman. He is immensely attractive and successful. There is no shortage of suitors, and yet, he can never fully connect with any of these women. Told from various stages throughout his life, we learn more and more about Nishino and just why he feels that he is both surrounded by and bereft of love.

This was a great concept for a collection of short stories that were all related to the same person. It was fascinating to read all of the different relationships with Nishino. I cannot pick a favorite.

Nishino sounds like a really interesting person if nothing else. I can see why so many people were drawn to him.

This book could almost be sold as a collection of short stories. The common theme was Nishino, but each “love” was a unique experience with a common theme. I enjoyed this book. I could read one chapter and come back later without trying to remember where I’d left off.
I still don’t know exactly how to feel about Nishino. We never get his perspective, just a glimpse of him from the women in his life. Sometimes I pitied him and at other times I found him rather endearing. Overall, an interesting book was crafted from this back-and-forth-in-time storytelling.
I haven’t read this author previously, and I don’t know how much of the writing had to do with the translator, but it was a lovely read.

I previously read (and loved) Hiromi Kawakami's collection of magic realist short stories, "Record of a Night Too Brief," and admired her style and prose. "The Ten Loves" is not surreal, but still has her signature style and gorgeous prose. The novella is a collection of recollections of ten women, all of whom had a close relationship with this guy named Nishino, at some point in their lives. The accounts are not chronological, but we do, right away, know that Nishino has died. Nishino himself is not a particularly likable character: supposedly, he is a modern Don Juan, a womanizer, very smooth and sexually experienced, but according to most recollections, he is just a lost, loveless man in search of something he can never get back. The women, on another hand, are all various and their stories are quite interesting; Nishino impacted all their lives, but not in the way you'd expect.

The book isn't my usual genre at all, but I enjoyed it thoroughly and even teared up a couple of times. A fair warning, it does have a few quite explicit sexual descriptions and treats infidelity quite casually. It's a lovely novella, though, well worth a read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was torn between thinking Noshino was a cad and feeling very sorry for him. An interesting novel about a man and his complicated relationships with women. The novel spans his early teens through the ending of his life.

Interesting and well written.

As I love Asian dramas, I love books written by Asian authors.
I am not Asian myself, but I am delighted to be a part of this journey through their books!
This book is very light in reading and highly recommended.
Each chapters has a story of a different woman and how they are/were connected to Nishino.
Very interesting and recommended read.'

The Ten Loves Of Nishino is a book in which each chapter is narrated by a different woman from a man named Nishino’s past. Having recently read and enjoyed Hiromi Kawakami other book, The Nakano Thrift Shop, I was very intrigued to read this book.

Ten pages into it, I thought to myself that reading this felt very familiar and cozy, and I had to look up who translated it because I was certain it had to be the same translator as The Nakano Thrift Shop, and sure enough it was. I have to say, I don't always pay much attention to the translator of the non-English books I read, but I can definitely say that Allison Markin Powell is a great match for Kawakami’s writing.

There is a very light and airy feel to the storytelling in this book, which I loved. Somehow without a lot of wordy descriptions, you still get a good sense of who these characters are. Additionally, even though the book is technically about Nishino, I found that the women who told their stories of Nishino were actually more interesting than him, and I was able to discern a lot about who they were more than I imagined I would.

Reading this book felt like a Hong Sang-soo film in book form - and that is one of the biggest reasons why I enjoyed the experience of reading it so much. It's a simple concept with unassuming characters that sneaks up on you as soon as possible and makes you care about the characters within it.

I plan to read Strange Weather In Tokyo this year, hopefully soon, and depending on how I feel about that one I have a feeling that Hiromi Kawakami may officially become a new favourite author of mine.

(Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read The Ten Loves Of Nishino prior to its English release in exchange for an honest review.)