At the End of the Matinee

By: Jamie Steinberg

Some people don’t believe in love at first sight. That isn’t the case for renowned guitarist Satoshi Makino. His world completely changes after laying eyes on journalist Yoko Komine. A bond instantly forms and a relationship spanning years unfolds in the latest book At the End of the Matinee by author Keiichirō Hirano.

After their initial connection, Makino begins corresponding with Yoko who is now stationed in Iraq. When a bombing happens at her hotel, Yoko returns home with PTSD and an uncertainty about what she wants for her future. Yoko has always been a fan of Makino’s music and it brought her comfort during her time in Iraq. Makino hopes their next meeting will solidify something between the two of them, despite her being engaged.

Unfortunately, Hirano takes far too long to get to the tale off the ground. Readers spend far too much time hearing about Makino’s music, his staff and a mental block he’s developed to really invest in the love story arc. It isn’t until more than halfway through the book that romance between Yoko and Makino even seems to be a possibility! Yes, the reader is supposed to be enticed by the tête-à-tête between the two, but here the constant back and forth fails to make the reader want to invest in a delayed love story not up to par as one such as say The Notebook or Like Water for Chocolate.

Sadly, At the End of the Matinee fails to captivate and those who like a will-they-won’t-they tale will find themselves skipping to the end at least to find out if true love prevails. Otherwise, if you’re looking for an interesting love story that takes time to build, I recommend looking at the previously mentioned books.