Four Seasons in Japan

Overview

A gorgeously crafted book-within-a-book about literature, purpose and what it is to belong from the author of The Cat and The City.

Flo is sick of Tokyo. Suffering from a crisis in confidence, she is stuck in a rut, her translation work has dried up and she's in a relationship that's run its course. That's until she stumbles upon a mysterious book left by a fellow passenger on the Tokyo Subway. From the very first page, Flo is transformed and immediately feels compelled to translate this forgotten novel, a decision which sets her on a path that will change her life...

It is a story about Ayako, a fierce and strict old woman who runs a coffee shop in the small town of Onomichi, where she has just taken guardianship of her grandson, Kyo. Haunted by long-buried family tragedy, both have suffered extreme loss and feel unable to open up to each other. As Flo follows the characters across a year in rural Japan, through the ups and downs of the pair's burgeoning relationship, she quickly realizes that she needs to venture outside the pages of the book to track down its elusive author. And, as her two protagonists reveal themselves to have more in common with her life than first meets the eye, the lines between text and translator converge. The journey is just beginning.

From the author of The Cat and The City, Four Seasons in Japan is a gorgeously crafted book-within-a-book about literature, purpose and what it is to belong.

Reviews

Surprisingly moving ... This is a novel that occupies multiple worlds in multiple ways ... a postmodern riddle while also making for an emotionally engaging story ... there's something here for everyone. ― The Times

Bradley builds a poignant, quiet and affecting novel full of love as well as loss. ― Observer

Transportive, mesmerising and beautiful, there is such a poignancy and tenderness to the story . . . written with lyrical prose that is emotive and warm. Every book worm would love this. ― Glamour

Bradley has created an authentic sense of place, capturing the parochial intimacies and day-to-day rhythms of small-town life in Japan ― Literary Review

My favourite novel, a delight for lovers of Japan… Ingenious ― David Abulafia, author, The Boundless Sea, in Times Literary Supplement

Four Seasons in Japan doubles as a love letter to Japanese culture, its landscape, and literature, exploring the comfort found in books and the (mis)understanding between generations. ― Country & Town House

This novel is like the waves of the Seto Inland Sea. Waves that calmly roll in and out, permeating the reader's heart and mind profoundly, and before you know it there's a rich high tide. ― Kyoko Nakajima, author, The Little House

A finely drawn evocation of Japan, of youth, age, dreams, disillusionment, struggles and strength. Nick Bradley has created a set of many-layered characters whose actions and attitudes pull us deeply into their story. A poignant and beautiful book. ― Hazel Prior, author, How the Penguins Saved Veronica

What a thrill to be transported to Japan once again by the magic of Nick Bradley's storytelling. Warm, wise, and exquisitely written, these twin narratives explore the redemptive power of art and the courage needed to devote a life to it. This is the kind of book that lingers in the heart. ― Violet Kupersmith, author, Build Your House Around My Body

I savoured every line of this beautifully observed portrait of Japan. Bradley creates a world and characters that are completely engrossing. ― Bea Setton, author, Berlin

Gentle, restrained and utterly captivating. I love this book. ― Robbie Arnott, author, The Rain Heron

"[A] marvelous debut. . . . Bradley’s juxtaposed narratives paint an unforgettable portrait of Tokyo and capture the mix of isolation and interconnection that shapes modern urban life. Fans of David Mitchell should enjoy this clever work, which charts its own territory through deep immersion in Japanese culture." --Publishers Weekly starred review of Cat and the City

 

Author Biography

Nick Bradley holds a PhD from UEA focusing on the figure of the cat in Japanese literature. He lived in Japan for many years where he worked as a translator, and currently teaches on the Creative Writing master's program at the University of Cambridge. His debut novel, The Cat and The City, was published in 2020.