【Book Review】I was diagnosed with incurable disease same as main character.

 “The Last Ten Years” I had been thinking that I had to read the novel since I knew it. But I couldn’t read it for a long time. The reason is that the main character, Matsuri, suffers from an incurable disease and I was diagnosed with the same disease. August 2023, I decided to read the novel finally. My first impression was ……

I wasn't cried.

I wasn't moved.

I was scared .

This  book review includes spoilers.  

The basic information of the book

The Last Ten Years written by Ruka Kosaka　(Japanese)
The book was published in 2007
The bunko paper bucks published in 2017.

余命10年 (文芸社文庫NEO)

Story

There is not English edition of book. But there is a movie. This is the cite from the movie plot for reference.

Twenty-year-old Matsuri Takabayashi learns that she only has ten years to live due to an incurable disease. She decides to not dwell on her life and not to fall in love, but she meets Kazuto Manabe at a school reunion. (Cite from IMBd)

The Last 10 Years (2022) ⭐ 6.8 | Drama, Romance

What is the incurable disease of the main character?

A. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)

There is not specific name in the novel. But the name is mentioned in the movie.

The author, Ruka Kosaka was diagnosed with the disease. She passed away before bunko paper backs "The Last Ten Years" was published.

I was diagnosed with the disease also. But, In my case, my doctor detected  the disease quite early. As a result, I could get medical treatment immediately. Thanks to the treatment, I don’t have restrictions in daily life for now. 

There was almost nothing to do for the disease when Ruka Kosaka was writing ”The Last Ten Years”. My heart ached if I imagined the situation.The medicine which I am taking for was not accepted in 2007. I think the situation surrounding the disease is improving compared to the period of the novel (maybe around in 2007) and now (in 2023). I hope that medical technology advances more, and patients are able to choose the appropriate treatments.  
 

About my impression

After I read the novel, I felt I was scared.

The main character, Matsuri, is going to die in the end. I guess that almost all readers anticipate the end.  I do. Even though I had already imagined the end, I was extremely scared. I wanted to stop reading it when Matsuri was facing to her death. It is impossible to describe death through own experience. But in this novel, there is reality like the author is writing own experience. 

I have started reading novels since I was a high school student. I like mystery, suspense, and horror novels. These kinds of novels are often described death. However the death in “The Last Ten Years” was different for me. Even now, if I remember the end, I still feel scared.

What I learned from the novel.

The first impression was that I was scared. However, I learned a lot of things from this novel.

I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). But my doctor detected  the disease quite early. It means that my life hasn't started like "The Last Ten Years” yet. 

But I was born as human, so my life is going to end in the future. It is inevitable, and we don’t know when. I have a lot of things that I want to do before I die. I want to read many novels, and also compose music. Also, I want to improve my English skills to communicate with many people.

Summary

Again. “The Last Ten Years” became an important book for me. It was hard to read, but I could finish reading it. By reading it, I recognized that I’m supported by so many people.  I appreciate my family, friends, healthcare workers and everyone. I want to live each day to the fullest.

This is all for this note. Thank you for reading.

佐藤僚太/Ryota Sato