When The Museum Is Closed, Emi Yagi, Vintage

When the Museum is Closed by Emi Yagi, published by VINTAGE, is a charming, funny and surprising love story about our perceptions of beauty, overcoming loneliness and breaking free. It follows Rika Horauchi as she accepts an unusual new part time job.

About the book

• Author: Emi Yagi
• Publisher: VINTAGE
• Paperback edition
• Category: foreign language literature

When Rika Horauchi accepts an unusual new part time job, she never expects to fall in love. Rika has been tasked with talking to Venus, to keep her company when the museum is closed on Mondays. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of their surroundings, she opens up new worlds for Rika, and they speak about everything.

But when the museum's curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika do? The story explores the boundaries between connection and possession, and what it means to truly see something, or someone, for what it is.

Emi Yagi brings a quiet, reflective tone to this novel, weaving humor and melancholy into a story that lingers long after the last page. It is a compact, thoughtful read for anyone who enjoys literary fiction with an unusual premise and a warm emotional core.

Pick up When the Museum is Closed and discover a story about beauty, loneliness and breaking free, told with quiet charm.