Understanding Depression and Loneliness Through ‘All the Lovers in the Night’ by Mieko Kawakami
A 5-star underrated book!
Loneliness and depression are the norm of the 21st century. I am often astonished to meet 14–15-year-old teenagers claiming I don’t know but something is off about me, I don’t feel like connecting to others because I am not like others. Why do we feel alienated amidst the sea of men? What is it that makes loneliness not only inevitable but desirable as well? Do humans willingly and consciously try to be alone? Has there been some cruel gene mutation over the past 30 years that killed our ability to connect? Well…I don’t know the answer to these, none of us do but don’t we all have these questions throbbing in our heads at night?
When I picked up All the Lovers in the Night by Kawakami I didn’t expect to meet exactly the same character who faces all these questions. I have heard a lot about Mieko Kawakami but this particular book is not as much in the limelight as others. This is obviously my first Kawakami and I don’t have anything else to compare it with but it surely is an underrated 5-star.
The book is about the freelance proofreader Fuyuko Irie and it can be read as the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery. However, it is much more — it is about the cruel corporate world, the lack of human connection, the ultimate control of the human mind, the character of man as a puppet in his own life, and the complications regarding gender and sexuality. If you are a 90s kid, it is your life spread across the pages and that’s why you should just go ahead and grab it! Read the following excerpt for example, don’t you find it astonishingly relatable?
“When lying in bed started to bother me, I got up without actually getting dressed and sat down in my chair, gazing out the window as I wondered what had brought about this awful state of mind. Why did I have to feel so awful all the time? How had I let things get so bad that I was unable to do work or anything else? What was going on?”
The plot is character-driven so there is not much action but rather the first-person narrative that unveils the character’s life. The book deals with multiple themes, however, the most prominent theme is the theme of loneliness and depression. The protagonist is clearly a victim of some mental health disorder that she is not aware of, it is hard even for the reader to point out exactly what’s wrong with her but there is a subtle melancholy in the narrative that hints at Fuyuko’s depression. She says:
“Everybody in this life has something they have to put up with.”
The lack of human connection affects her the most and it becomes the core reason for her depression and loneliness. She is a freelancer who rarely leaves home. She has social anxiety that makes it impossible for her to get out of the comfort zone of her apartment. She has a work friend and later in the story happens to meet the love of her life as well — Mitsutsuka. I have never read a love story as tragic as Irie and Mitsutsuka’s and I have just finished White Nights by Dostoevsky last week so the book readers out there can sense how tragic it must have been!
The lovers in All the Lovers in the Night are so melancholic, depressed, and gloomy that it breaks your heart every time you read a scene of their meeting. Mitsutsuka is the most patient man in the world of fiction and Fuyuko appears to be the most insecure and scared woman so the match is well…made in heaven! Reading about their love gives a vague sense of strength to the modern reader, it is like watching a very tragic play and realizing that your life is better than that at least or that your life is exactly as tragic as the protagonist’s and therefore it should be fine because there are others like you out there.
Above all, the book has the most relatable character. Kawakami seems to portray the life of a post-pandemic workaholic in her remarkable pre-pandemic novel. It feels as if the novel is foreshadowing the coming decade and she does it so effortlessly that you just finish the book and sit in awe of the author’s genius. At some point, we all feel like Fuyuko, we all ARE Fuyuko, we are all hopelessly walking in a dark alley waiting for the light to save us, except some of us stay wandering in the darkness forever like the protagonist. She says at one point in the novel:
“I’d been on my own for ages, and I was convinced that there was no way I could be any more alone, but now I’d finally realized how lonely I truly was. Despite the crowds of people, and all the different places, and a limitless supply of sounds and colors packed together, there was nothing here that I could reach out and touch. Nothing that would call my name.”
The novel masterfully explores themes of loneliness and depression, depicting Fuyuko’s struggles with social anxiety and her profound sense of isolation. Depression and loneliness are understood through her journey. I don’t intend to spoil the book for the readers but there is a lot that we do not yet understand about how depression, loneliness, and anxiety look or feel like, the book says it all. Here is a simple meeting between Fuyuko and Mitsutsuka that will surely give you a glimpse of her mental condition:
“…No matter who you are when you come here, Fuyuko, I really do enjoy your company.”
But I — I tried to respond, but I was unable to continue.
The steadily mounting, sound of rain gathered in my lungs, drowning out the buzzing in my throat before the words would come. Spitting bubbles as I started to sink, I reached for my bag, pulled it over my shoulder, and stood up quietly. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea what I wanted.
The story is a poignant reflection of the modern human condition, resonating with those who have felt the weight of existence in their lives. Above all, the book really helps you understand different aspects of depression and loneliness. It takes you into the life of a protagonist who might appear alright but her head is a myriad of different feelings and emotions — all of which are dark and melancholic. I will surely categorize All the Lovers in the Night as a sad and depressing book. I don’t recommend it to someone looking for an easy feel-good read. Consider it a modern version of The Bell Jar.
Thank you for reading the book review, I hope you enjoy the book!
