A review by eudaemonics
Night on the Galactic Railroad & Other Stories from Ihatov by Kenji Miyazawa

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 At first I didn’t really get this story, but after sleeping on it, reading a few thoughts about it online, and thinking about the context in which it was written and published, I think I understand it a bit better…

I can’t say I agree with some of its messages 
  • self-sacrifice is the greatest thing you can do in life
  •  we are on earth purely to make others happy

...but I do agree with others 
  • everyone is searching for ways to make their life fulfilling, and that looks different for everyone.
  •  The things we cherish won’t last forever, and people or things can suddenly die or disappear but we should use our memory of them to live a full life. 
  • Death is not some grand event but it is quiet, sudden, and happens without notice.

Night on the Galactic Railroad is definitely leaning into the Buddhist view of the afterlife and the spirit, which makes sense considering Miyazawa’s background. I found Giovanni to be a compelling character in his selfishness and reluctance to let go of Campanelli, even though their relationship felt vague and ambiguous. Much of their friendship was left to the readers' imagination. The journey Giovanni and Campanelli take on the train is almost like Dante’s journey through hell to me, but obviously in a different context and almost dealing with a heaven-like vision of the after life instead of hell and purgatory.

It was easy to tell that it was an unfinished story, there are some parts in the middle that feel out of place or unpolished, and I wonder if we would have gotten to know more about how Giovanni and Campanelli became friends. But it being written after Miyazawa lost his sister and then published posthumously makes the story make more sense. 
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