Strange weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami is as the name would suggest....well, strange.

It is about the growing romance between a single middle-aged woman and her former high school teacher. From casual encounters in their local bar to hiking trips and island getaways, the companionship they find in each other does more than just ease the loneliness they both feel but also develops into something infinitely more palpable.

Strange weather in Tokyo felt like a sentimental love letter to the past. It had a Murakami-esque mood reminiscent of smoky jazz bars and rainy nights. And I thought the moments where dreams blur into reality was poetic. To its credit, I loved all the nature and food imagery, it gave the story an extra flare.

Ultimately though it felt too slow-paced and very passive. Also I thought the romance blossomed authentically but I couldn't reconcile with why Tsukiko would be attracted to someone as antediluvian as her Sensei.