• The Lantern of Lost Memories
  • The Lantern of Lost Memories
  • The Lantern of Lost Memories
  • The Lantern of Lost Memories
  • The Lantern of Lost Memories
  • The Lantern of Lost Memories

The Lantern of Lost Memories

Fiction & Poetry, Modern & Contemporary Fiction
Hardback Published on: 22/08/2024
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Bookseller Reviews

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The Lantern of Lost Memories
A heartwarming reflection on the moments that define a life.
The life flashing before your eyes when you die thing? What if that was a lantern of photos from your life, a photo for each year? Which photos would you c... READ MORE
Selena, Guildford
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Evocative and profound.
"The Lantern of Lost Memories" is an evocative journey through the labyrinth of human nostalgia and loss. The novel masterfully intertwines rich, atmospher... READ MORE
James, Canterbury.
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Delightful read
If I could give more than five stars to a book, I would. The Lantern of Lost Memories was a beautiful and moving read. Sanaka Hiiragi has a way with wor... READ MORE
Leana Bikoumou
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Wholesome and Nostalgic
This was honestly such a lovely little book. If you liked Before the Coffee gets cold but wanted something a little MORE to it, then this is the book you n... READ MORE
Maylan Murray
The Lantern of Lost Memories
More bittersweet and nuanced than the typical Japanese cosy fantasy
The pastel cover design - complete with cat - together with the Japanese author announces The Lantern of Lost Memories as very much appealing to the reader... READ MORE
John at Lisburn
The Lantern of Lost Memories
A touching "must read" that leaves you longing for more
"The Lantern of Lost Memories" is a poignant exploration of nostalgia and the intricate tapestry of human relationships. The characters are richly develop... READ MORE
Orla Greene at Enniskillen
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Bring tissues, you'll need them.
Beautifully written. Simple stories with characters that breathe through the pages. Bring tissues, you'll need them. A beautifully wholesome, profound and ... READ MORE
Ella-Mae from Lewes
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Incredibly heartwarming
This was such a beautiful story about what happens in the limbo between death and the afterlife. I absolutely loved the concept of revisiting your life in ... READ MORE
Talia at Cambridge
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Touching and Gentle
What a beautiful way to look at life. The idea that the ‘life flashing before your eyes’ moment is, in fact, made up of the photographs of memories that... READ MORE
Amy , Watford
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Magical and moving
'Seen through the windows of the photo studio, the outside world always seemed to be on the cusp of nightfall. The gloaming, as one of Hirasaka's guests ha... READ MORE
Alan M
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Honest, heartwarming and beautiful
One of the most gorgeous books in both cover design and story. Transported to a photography studio between life and death, we watch three very differen... READ MORE
Hannah Ballett at Bournemouth Arcade
The Lantern of Lost Memories
A moving and comforting read
I absolutely loved this book, it has such a heartbreaking, charming, heartwarming, unique and comforting concept that will really make the reader treasure ... READ MORE
Emma at Waterstones Blackburn
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Japanese cosy fantasy.
little like don't let the coffee get cold. Except the premise is that between life and death where you choose a photograph for each year of your life. The ... READ MORE
Neil Challis @Windsor
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Beautiful & Reflective
I really enjoyed this read. Lantern of Lost memories centres around the idea of life flashing before your eyes when you die - and it is a very cosy, gentle... READ MORE
Cerys at Hemel Hempstead
The Lantern of Lost Memories
A graceful tale about the little moments in life and the power of memories.
Hiiragi's majestically written novel is full of charm and allure. The whimsical setting of the photo studio, a place in which you select the memories you'd... READ MORE
Merlin, Cheltenham
The Lantern of Lost Memories
This book and its story is perhaps best described as ‘lovingly developed’
I’ve recently come across two or three books by Japanese authors and have quickly noticed that there is a very recognisable perspective they can infuse int... READ MORE
Isabelle Stenlund-Batters
The Lantern of Lost Memories
emotional but full of hope!
it should go without saying that given the nature and premise of the book this was going to be a heart wrenching one, and it definitely achieved that (I si... READ MORE
Libby Low
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Beautiful thoughts on death
Everyone talks about your life flashing before your eyes as you die - it's a lantern of photographs from your life, chosen in the space between life and de... READ MORE
Emily - Coventry
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Cozy autumn read
The Lantern of Lost Memories is a delightful, moving and intricate novel in which you witness an after-death, before-afterlife photo studio where you creat... READ MORE
Chloe

Synopsis

One photograph, one treasured memory, one chance to go back . . .

If you could relive one day of your life, which would you choose? In a cosy photography studio in the mountains between this world and the next, someone is waking up as if from a dream. A kind man will hand them a hot cup of tea and gently explain that, having reached the end of their life, they have one final task.

There is a stack of photos on their lap, one for every day of their life, and now they must choose the pictures that capture their most treasured memories, which will be placed in a beautiful lantern. Once completed, it will be set spinning, and their cherished moments will flash before their eyes, guiding them to another world.

But, like our most thumbed-over photographs, our favourite memories become faded with age, so each visitor to the studio has the chance to choose one day to return to and photograph afresh. Each has a treasured story to tell, from the old woman rebuilding a community in Tokyo after a disaster, to the flawed Yakuza man who remembers a time when he was kind, and a strong child who is fighting to survive.

Extraordinarily moving and wise, Sanaka Hiiragi's The Lantern of Lost Memories is a beautiful Japanese tale about the people that make us and the moments that change us.

  • Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  • ISBN: 9781035023622
  • Number of pages: 208
  • Weight: 284g
  • Dimensions: 207 x 137 x 22 mm

Customer Reviews

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The Lantern of Lost Memories
A quiet, moving, and very human piece of translated fiction
4.5 A beautifully written, quiet novella featuring a delightful cast of characters including a man who stewards people’s journeys from life across to d... READ MORE
Kate ♡
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Beautiful and inspiring
After death, you arrive at a photo studio that is a gateway between life and death; you now must choose one photo from each day of your life to be displaye... READ MORE
Raven Octavia
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Beautiful
Beautiful- this is a really short book, which I finished over an evening and morning. The translation has been done so well, capturing I felt the very esse... READ MORE
Elaine Nicholson
The Lantern of Lost Memories
One of the best in this genre for a while
This book is amazing. It is hard to describe but each visitor gets to select a photo for each year of their lives and then this becomes the "life flashing ... READ MORE
Tony
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Too sad & morbid
I was drawn into this book because of the interesting premise, and it is recommended for Japanese translated fiction fans, especially for fans of the 'Befo... READ MORE
Jemma
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Gentle story
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy. This is the most beautiful, gentle story I have read for years. I would simply like to recommend ... READ MORE
Fiona Sharp
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Poignant and moving stories of individual lives
A deceptively simple view of a complex and emotional subject, A man works in a photographic studio and is brought individual people who have just died, whe... READ MORE
Sarah Wood
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Stunning
he Lantern of Lost Memories is as delightful as it sounds, I devoured it in big, greedy gulps! Mr Hirasaka's photography studio exists on the precipice ... READ MORE
Samantha Schofield
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Hope in humanity restored!
Oh my heart! This is how you write a feel good "novel" to win me over! This feels very much build on the recipe as Before the Coffee Gets Cold. So much so... READ MORE
Catalina Salgau
The Lantern of Lost Memories
A beautiful exploration of life, death, and what we might find ourselves reflecting on in our final moments
One photograph, one treasure memory, one chance to go back. 4.5 ⭐ In the mountains between this world and the next, you can find Mr Hirasaka’s photograp... READ MORE
Zoe (@zoekatereads_)
The Lantern of Lost Memories
For fans of Before the Coffee gets Cold
This book screams “if you liked Before the Coffee gets Cold”, you’ll love this - even the cover is a similar graphic design. The premise is that between de... READ MORE
Hikari
The Lantern of Lost Memories
The must-read for 2024!
The Lantern of Lost Memories is the must-read for 2024, especially if you are looking for a thoughtful and heartwarming story. Set in a space between li... READ MORE
Sarah -Bookworm Extraordinaire
The Lantern of Lost Memories
A cosy-styled but emotional book.
It is a cosy-styled but emotional book that, through its believably flawed characters, explores the themes of life after death, life, loss, and redemption.... READ MORE
Jane Hunt
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Thought-provoking look at the important things in life
This is the story of a photo studio that's the final stop between life and the afterlife. Visitors are asked to choose 1 photograph for every year of their... READ MORE
Jenny C
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Beautifully Evocative
If you loved Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawagucha, you will love this. I enjoyed it more. When a person dies, their spirit is sent to a photo... READ MORE
Katy Wheatley
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Delightful and charming
The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi is a delightful little book, examining what happens to us, when we are in the liminal space, between life an... READ MORE
Jennifer James
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Loved it!
If you are a fan of Japanese literature and books like “Before the coffee gets cold” or “What you are looking for is in the library” then this book is a mu... READ MORE
cosylittlereadingcorner
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Magical novel about photo memories
The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi is magical novel about a photo studio where people stop on their way to the afterlife. It’s a clever metapho... READ MORE
Amy Lewis
The Lantern of Lost Memories
I adored this book!!!
What an incredible book! I was so excited when I got accepted for the ARC of this but life happens and I’ve only just got around to it! I’ve really gott... READ MORE
Emma Poole
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Heartwarming and unique
'The Lantern of Lost Memories' is a cosy and heartwarming read with a unique concept. It's centred around a photo studio that lets people who are moments a... READ MORE
@what.zana.does