Many people, especially those in the business of reviewing books, will often exclaim about how they could not put a book down. It is sort of a dead phrase to me.
But, as someone who can take quite some time to finish certain reads, there have actually been quite a few occasions where I couldn’t put a book down. I even finished some within a few hours of starting, which is shocking for myself. Hence, why I wanted to share the works that hooked me the most, and highlight how few days it took me to be finished with them.
To clarify, the timings are measured per twenty-four hours. This means if I read a book across in less than twenty-four hours, and before midnight of the day I started came, it gets counted as zero days.
Disclaimer: I am NOT counting any singular short stories, meaning works like Mr Salary, Let the Old Dead Make Room for the Young Dead, and anything from The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories will not be included (despite being read in less than a day).
People From My Neighbourhood by Hiromi Kawakami
Time: 0 days
A collection of micro fiction is bound to be short… but perhaps not guaranteed to be as odd as Kawakami’s unique little release.
Following a neighbourhood full of oddball characters, with seemingly next to no logic or consistency in what happens (yet, there also somehow is a chronological story in here), it should not surprise anyone that my curiosity kept me absorbed in its peculiar, honed-in world.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Time: 0 days
A novel I had been eyeing for some time, and one full of that unique Japanese quirkiness, as well as some black humour.
Following a somewhat backward convenience store worker who has worked the same clerk job her whole life, remained single, and only buys from the place she works—’quirky’ is a rather fitting descriptor. My eagerness and its quality combined to ensure I finished it within a few hours of starting.
Diary of an Oxygen Thief by Anonymous
Time: 0 days
A smart ass, self-aware, and amusing (as well as depressing) read about a near-sociopathic Irishman and his quest to toy with women, before ultimately finding himself being toyed with.
Although I had a decent time reading this novel, and even felt positively about it, I actually only got through it in one day because of its length. It engaged me well enough, but I wouldn’t say it entirely gripped me.
Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto
Time: 2 Days
A short novel that I absolutely fell in love with, and one that taught me I could actually enjoy detective and crime stories.
Fast-paced like the trains it so frequently features, everything about this plot, its red herrings, and its conclusion kept me hooked. It truly contains a very good mystery, with a sound motivation and logic behind it all. A devious novel to hook almost any kind of reader. You have to give it a chance.
South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
Time: 2 days
My second experience with a Murakami work went much differently than the first (which took me over one hundred days to finish).
For whatever reason, this one just hooked me. I was absorbed in its simple plot that revolves around a successful, but ultimately scummy, miserable, and unfulfilled narrator. Moreover, Murakami’s love for jazz music wouldn’t stop shining through. Depressingly, I quite enjoyed it.
A Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold
Time: 2 days
Although I had my criticisms about this non-fictional release, it was still a highly engrossing and tragic read.
For those unaware, this book was written by the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two perpetrators of the Columbine High School Massacre in April 1999. It is emotional, statistical, and (in a rather human way) a little prone to personal error and bias. Still a solid read.
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami
Time: 4 days
Although I find this to be the weakest of Kawakami’s main three translated novels, I still had a nice time with it. In fact, I felt inspired to get through it and around off all three major titles.
If you want a slightly feminist commentary on motherhood, relationships, work—in addition to a story about being burned out and putting on a character for others—then you should give this novel a chance.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Time: 6 days
Definitely within my top ten books of all time, Ishiguro’s acclaimed release hooked me pretty hard once I finally got around to reading it.
If I recall, my slight pause of a few days was more down to illness (and the mental fatigue that comes with it) than anything the book itself did. Without that, I’m confident that I would have blitzed through this amazing piece of fiction much faster. Seriously, give it a read!
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami
Time: 7 days
Another in my top ten books of all time, and the one I can really thank for getting me into reading. In some sense, I owe it to this short novel for giving me the inspiration and motivation to start this site.
Naturally, since I was getting back into reading, I took a little longer than expected to read this short novel. Still, I loved every moment I spent with it, and it holds a special place in my heart. I urge everyone to check it out.
There are thousands of people out there who breeze through books. They can pick up almost any full-length novel and be done with it within a day or two. I commend those people, because I doubt I could ever stomach such commitment to anything in excess of two hundred pages.
From the bottom of my heart, I do hope you will at least look into some of the books I have listed here. If you would like to learn more about a particular title first, each have a review here on The Steady Read.
Also, feel free to share any books in the comments, and how long/little time it took you to get through them. Happy reading!
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