This slim tome has been gracing the New York Times Bestseller List recently. Translated from Japanese, it follows the last few days of a young man who is dying and his deal with the devil to extend his life. The writing style is not particularly artful, and it is unclear whether this is a deliberate artistic choice. The young man has many flashbacks to his various relationships so this novella is really a reflective one on what was and what might have been. Although it is a quick and pleasant read, with a very minor twist at the end, it didn’t stand out when lined up against similar books that examine death and what makes a life meaningful. However, judging by the numbers, it seems to have found a large audience it does resonates with.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 2 religious exclamations;9 mild obscenities; 2 scatological words.

Violence/Gore: Report of a car crash; detailed recollection of the death of a pet; recollection of the death of a character dying from cancer, some details.

Sex/Nudity: Passing recollection of a girlfriend and passing reference to going to her place to “make love”;

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of a parent, death of a friend, terminal illness (cancer), death of a pet.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

Reference to going to a bar with co-workers; someone is told they don’t hold their liquor; recollection of drinking wine with friends.