Book Review: Café Unfiltered By Jean-Philippe Blondel (Author), Alison Anderson (Translator)

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

“It’s other people who captivate me. All the people my age, making their way, fearful or bold, convinced they’ve been through the most intense time in their life during these various lockdowns, and that they’re rediscovering a world that they’d taken for granted. I find them touching, and I envy them as well. Though you might not think it, I’d like to join in the dance again, too, but I’ve forgotten the steps.”

After eighteen months of shelter-in-place, lockdowns, curfews, travel restrictions and much more, people are figuring out how to restore a semblance of normalcy to their lives in the post-pandemic era. After eighteen months of shelter-in-place, lockdowns, curfews, travel restrictions and much more, people are figuring out how to restore a semblance of normalcy to their lives in the post-pandemic era. Set in a classic café in the French provinces, Le Tom's, during current times, over the course of a single day,  we are privy to the innermost thoughts of its patrons and the waiters and owners. We follow their most private thoughts as they ponder over how their lives have changed, the significant events and people they have left behind how they are reframing their hopes and dreams, and how they perceive themselves, others and life in general after months of uncertainty and stagnancy.

Two estranged friends one of whom is now an established writer and once harbored attraction for the other meet after almost a lifetime with their own share of regrets and resentments. A mother of two grown-up children sits with her son and shares her decision to finally leave her family and embark on the life she always dreamed of. A waiter ponders his choice to move on and spread his wings. A woman encounters a former boyfriend from decades ago. Both the new owner and previous owner of the café reflect on events that led them to the present moment and concerns about the future. In the midst of it sits a young woman, who returned home during the pandemic and is yet to move on. She regularly visits the café, sits at the back and tries to capture life in the café in her sketches. Few of these characters interact with one another; some remain with their own thoughts or within their own circle. But the common element in all of their thoughts and interactions is how the past eighteen months have compelled them to reevaluate their priorities.

Café Unfiltered by Jean –Phillippe Blondel (translated by Alison Anderson) is a beautiful, quiet and intimate novel - one that inspires pause and reflection. Each of these characters is very well-written. The author does not go into the upsetting details of the pandemic but focuses on the post-pandemic period when life was slowly returning to normal, though the threat of newer threads of the virus was looming large which resulted in planning for the future in a more guarded, tentative and reserved manner. The characters in this novel are real and relatable and as we follow their stories we feel invested in their lives and hope that things work out for them. The writing is crisp and concise, yet able to convey the thoughts and emotions of the character eloquently. This is a slow-paced, contemplative novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Many thanks to author Jean –Phillippe Blondel and publisher New Vessel Press for granting access to a digital review copy of this novel via Edelweiss+. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The novel is due to be released on July 11. 2023.