“The novel ends without much closure, a unique and daring approach for an author as complex and thorough as Kawakami. However, the story’s final message is clear and offers the most important takeaway for the reader: ultimately, we should always choose a world with depth, beauty, and life. In this way, Kawakami gives us an answer to which philosophy is the correct one. While the ending may not be classically positive and uplifting, we are led to believe that the narrator might just have a future filled with meaning and happiness. Heaven is not simply a supremely fascinating and compelling read. It is also a tale that has the power to transform your own personal philosophy altogether.”
Read the full review in Asia Media International.
