This book is a contemplative look at the gradually evolving relationship between two people in love and the obstacles they face in their path. I thought it was a nice read with some lovely descriptions at points, but also I sometimes found Makino and Yoko came across with an air of intellectual snobbery which I found frustrating.

I found the writing overall quite dry, and that meant this was quite a slow read for me, although writing style is obviously a matter of personal taste. It felt as if I never truly got to know the characters, and this distance was uncomfortable to me. I was also frustrated by how the second half of the plot hinges on a miscommunication, and unfortunately I didn't find the resolution particularly satisfying.

I enjoyed reading a story about people in their 40s since I don’t frequently come across love stories of people in this age bracket. I also enjoyed reading about Yoko’s career as a journalist, and thought the discussion of PTSD and the refugee crisis was important and well-handled.

CW: PTSD, terrorism, bombs

This was quite a disappointment for me. I enjoyed the authors novel "A Man".
I found the story too slow for my taste and the constant repetition of this and that song and the mention of that particular movie this made me roll my eyes a lot. Readers who are familiar with this kind of music will probably have a way better experience than I did.
We trudged through all the inner thoughts and monologues for what? I disliked the "twist" at the end immensely and found that the story didn't satisfy me. I also didn't get the point the author wanted to make. I understood the whole midlife crisis/stagnation/reinvention side of things, but the ending almost made me angry.

I would only suggest this if you have an interest in music.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written book, with some elegant sentences and at times phrases and statements that feeling intensely insightful and personal. And yet for a story about a romance, and two wonderfully intellectual characters, the book for me felt flat and somehow distant, almost clinical. The prologue somewhat sets up this tone and the writing feels restrained at times despite the prose. The writing was strong, the development of each character had thoughtful depth and nuance, and the gentle progression of the story was enjoyable and felt realistic for how the characters were written as both seemed like intentional, focused, and independent characters devoted to their work yet also perhaps realizing they sought meaning and connection in ways they had not realized they wanted until they connected and continued to connect over the years. I just wished for less internal dialogue and more emotional connection (though I also understand my perceptions may be colored by cultural differences that should be worth considering in my comments).

There are strengths though for me despite my lack of engagement with the story; I appreciated a chance to learn, in depth, about the characters as intellectuals and professionals as I do not often encounter characters who live so much in their professional world as these characters do and I appreciated their passion for their work and their identities. I also enjoyed that these were characters slowly entering midlife and, to use Erikson's lifespan theory, the writing managed to capture the unconscious conflict that is associated with midlife (generativity vs. stagnation) and I have an appreciation for a writer who could capture this somewhat intangible but very real feeling that many experience in their personal and/or professional lives. This was clear in their thoughts about starting a relationship in midlife or worrying that passion/infatuation and perhaps child rearing were lost opportunities, in the reflection on past mentors and the notion of how to give back to one's professional or personal community, and also the emergence of themes on mental health that emerge and worries about longevity in career/impact on a profession. This was to me a notable strength of the book.

I appreciated the chance to read this book as despite not being quite able to connect with the story overall, I did connect with the depth, detail, and thoughtfulness, even respect, the author appeared to have for the characters and their story.

I wanted to like this book more than I did, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. There were many descriptions of action, but action itself was muted. As a Japanese speaker, I'm guessing that this was a difficult book to translate and that English could not capture many of the nuances of the original.
This is one of those books that may fare better as a film than a written work since seeing what is happening would enhance the story greatly. The premise and story is interesting, but my guess is that it will only really appeal to musicians and those interested in every feeling involved in romance.

My review for Booklist is here:
https://www.booklistonline.com/At-the-End-of-the-Matinee-/pid=9744238

The review is also cross-posted to my Smithsonian BookDragon blog here:
http://smithsonianapa.org/bookdragon/at-the-end-of-the-matinee-by-keiichiro-hirano-translated-by-juliet-winters-carpenter-in-booklist/