A beautifully heartwarming joyful read, wonderful characters, beautiful writing, atmospheric setting, a simply gorgeous read.

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of The Cafr With No Name.

I was very underwhelmed with this book, it just rambled through the lives of people working and frequenting a cafe in Vienna. As separate short stories it would have been slightly better, but as an overall story it didn't really go anywhere.

Set in my favourite city this is a gentle read. The characters are brilliant and you’ll love everyone’s story. There’s all kinds of interactions. This is a book for everyone.

Everyday life and its characters captured perfectly. A very subtle story focusing more on the tiny moments that happen around us and the people involved than on a story itself. Very enjoyable and different to most books I’ve read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

Not what I expected but enjoyable,
Simon works in a market in Vienna, a local café is up for sale, so he takes a chance and buys it, he does a lot of work to make it attractive and has a menu of drinks, alcoholic and
non-alcoholic along with bread and dripping and gherkins. Simon soon builds up a clientele, but it is sporadic, he asks his landlady for advice, she recommends a special punch to warm people in the colder months, it is a great success. The café gets busy, when a girl collapses outside she is helped inside and reveals that she has been made redundant from a factory and is starving, with a little persuasion Simon takes Mila on, she is a hard worker.
Among the customers is an old boxer who still has a couple of fights, he falls for Mila and they get married it is a tempestuous relationship. The local butcher is a friend of Simon's, he is busy in his shop and has four or five children, he often confides in Simon. The owner of a fruit and veg store, is having an affair with a young artist, he is unfaithful and their rows take place in public. Throughout everything Simon remains kind and compassionate
All of the happenings in peoples lives are shown here, the sadness, illness, confusion and happiness. After 10 years the café has to close.
Thank you Robert, Netgalley and Cannongate for this ARC.

This is a calming, uncomplicated novel about a small cafe in Vienna. We follow the owner of the cafe, Robert Simon, from his first days as a cafe owner, through to the cafe’s final days. Along the way, we hear tales of the cafe’s regular customers as they experience life’s ups and downs. This book is pure escapism, a reading experience reminiscent of sitting in a quiet bar, listening to the conversations of customers and watching the world go by. I loved every moment of it.

Engaging beyond my expectations, beautifully written (I suppose translators good too) this story of a likeable local figure who starts as orphan but by virtue of his opening a cafe, he becomes sort of central to a community going through stages of transition historically.. colourful, astutely characterised people show how community weaves together ... nothing dramatic occurs but unnecessary as the story of everyday works out .. very satisfying historical fiction approach!

A heartfelt and beautiful portrait of a community going through profound change. I loved the vignettes of the various characters - this is very much ordinary lives rendered extraordinary through evocative writing.

A sad poignant book. Different characters all facing their own hardships in life, some kinder than others. Not much depth to the characters, just their daily lives playing out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

Gentle yet absorbing cosy lit
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In a distinctly Viennese take on the uplifting shop genre, Seethaler recreates 1960s Vienna, following the unambitious Robert Simon as he takes on a disused shop near the market where he oddjobs and turns it into the beating heart of the neighbourhood.

The political and historical events of the period barely intrude, leaving the characters to shine. There is not a spare word in this short novel, giving a real sense of the turmoil post-war and the optimism of the coming decades. All is predictable but so charmingly and winningly written that there is more to glean from an instant re-reading.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. It intrigued me as the title leaves a lot of guesswork. I found it quite hopeful to begin with and Robert Simon's quest to build something new for himself post-war seemed a beacon of hope in a time and place that would have seemed quite bleak.

Simon forges a number of friendships through his willingness to serve his community. He seems a good natured man with a desire to just belong and get on with his life. His relationship with the widow intrigued me and I found it both sad and endearing that they took care of each other, particularly at the end.

Mila is an interesting character too and it was nice to see her find her place although things weren't always positive for her.

Definitely an quirky bunch of characters. It's sad at time but gives a glimpse into the realities of community life and how things work out sometimes.

Thanks to NetGalley, Canongate, and Robert Seethaler for the chance to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. The Café With No Time is set in Vienna in the 1960’s post World War 2. Robert Simon takes over an aging vacant café near the market where the community congregate over the years. The story tells of his and regular attendees of the café life stories and how finding each other and the safe space of the café and Robert’s warmth help to change their lives.

It was so interesting to read the book from other characters perspectives on their own lives in Vienna, without taking from Robert’s perspective in the café. I found the novel heart-warming, eye-opening and poignant.

I would highly recommend this novel and I would be interested in future works from the author.

Vienna in the 1960s is just starting to recover from WW2 and bustle with life again. Businesses are thriving, new buildings are going up and the markets are back in business with produce to sell. Moreover, there is a sense of hope again in the air after the dark past. Robert Simon, a jack of all trades in the market has his sights set on re-opening a run down café in the market, somewhere for people to stop by for a coffee or glass of wine or beer.

The café proves a great success with the market traders, local factory workers and others who live and work in the area. Friendships are formed, stories are told and ordinary lives are lived. Mila, an out of work seamstress finds a job as a waitress there, love affairs will blossom or die and women will exchange gossip as people go about their daily lives. The café with no name becomes a little shelter from daily life for people to enter for a few hours, leaving their everyday troubles outside its walls.

In many ways this is a nostalgic, slightly melancholic gently told literary novel. The translation seems fluid and Its atmosphere feels redolent of the time and place, capturing the essence and mood of the people. Robert’s own life is not easy. He works hard and loves the success of the café, but never meets the right person to share his life with, but his care for his elderly widowed landlady is touching. An unusual but interesting book, often moving with touches of humour.

A heart warming story about ordinary people set in 1960s Vienna. Robert Simon takes over a run-down cafe near the market and this novel tells the story of the cafe, staff and customers from the day Robert takes it over until its final days. Thoughtfully written, it captures the thoughts and conversations that the cafe sees on a daily basis and is completely charming from start to finish.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

It is Austria in 1966 and Robert Simon, former market odd job man, opens a cafe on the edge of the marketplace. And here begins a gentle story of a community. A very mixed community- the cafe was inclusive before its time. The regulars, those who pop in occasionally, bartended Mila, and Robert himself create the perfect environment. Mila listens to people, Robert caters for them. Workmen, elderly ladies, shopkeepers, an artist, the homeless - all are welcome. We hear their stories, often in the way Mila would hear and told verbatim with no ascribed text to a character. It's effective. Robert SImon goes home at night to his rented room in a widow's flat, the nearest thing he has to family. Ten years pass of everyday stories and life. A beautiful read. #netgalley #thecafewithnoname

Working class Vienna from the mid-60 to the mid-70s seen through the prism of a café, its owner and the clientele. Normal life, ordinary people, though not without its drama. Typical unputdownable Seethaler.

This book gave me a sense of melancholy and an intricate portrait of ordinary people living quietly extraordinary lives in a time of rebuilding and change.

It felt like a novella in its brevity and my preference is always to delve deeper into characters lives. But it was a beautiful read, poignant and original.

I don’t know what I was expecting but this was different to it. It’s more like a series of anecdotes, casually told and with no real purpose, so I guess in a way you might catch up with acquaintances you meet in a cafe regularly. But that style is a bit weird to sustain over a whole novel and as sweet as parts of this were, it was also a bit weird..

Vienna, 1966. Robert Simon has worked several odd jobs since the end of the war, most around the market, but never settled to anything in particular. A café in the market closes down and Robert decides to take a chance and apply for the lease.
An unpromising prospect, the café has been neglected for some time, although still has a working kitchen, but Simon gets to work cleaning and restoring. He opens the business, and soon customers come.
A delightful observation of life and characters. Thoroughly enjoyable.

This is a charming novel set in Vienna during the 1960's. The main character Robert Simon takes a gamble and quits his job in the market to open a cafe in a nearby building. In his new venture he encounters all sorts of people and challenges which he has to deal with.

It is a wonderful story that I found entertaining and enjoyable.