Over the last number of years, I have actually been venturing into and growing a gratitude for Japanese literature; from modern to dream, translations of the similarity Kawaguchi and Murata (both authors I extremely advise) have actually been getting prominence in British book shops (and my bookshelf). So, when I came across The Cat Who Saved Books – a book about books, booklovers, and a talking cat – I was thrilled to provide it a shot. And it definitely did not dissatisfy. For one of the most part.
Sosuke Natsukawa delicately stabilizes the ordinary and the dream. We fulfill the young Rintaro Natsuki in the days following his grandpa’s death. He boundaries himself to his grandpa’s book shop; he stops going to school; he basically folds in on himself. The story follows him processing the early phases of sorrow and attempting to keep the memories of his cherished grandpa alive through his pre-owned book shop.
Now for the dream aspect: a talking tabby occurs to blend Rintaro away for experiences in conserving books from being stained in the most unconventional methods. The 2 stories of book-saving and grieving delicately mix together, with Rintaro and Tiger (the tabby’s name) finding assistance in each other.
The story provides itself to a simple structure. Each of the 4 experiences look like a chapter, nicely bookended by a beginning and epilogue. The structure risks of ending up being repeated, nevertheless with the series of occasions and how they are presented, each experience feels revitalizing and uses something brand-new. The experiences stand apart by themselves while still incorporating well to make a cohesive and unified story.
I presume the book-saving aspect will resonate with passionate readers. There is a typical recognition throughout the book that there are a lot of books to select from and inadequate time in our life times to check out to our heart’s material. Struggling to pick how finest to use reading time is one that I, and most likely lots of others, understand all too well, and getting to check out that quandary was truly intriguing. With that came an interrogation of approaches we utilize for keeping and checking out. Interrogating the pressure to check out as much and as rapidly as possible, in addition to questioning the visual appeals of how we provide our (generally unread) books, are important to the story and incredibly appropriate to today’s reading culture.
I delighted in the expedition of the villains and their approaches. Each villain stuck out separately, and each were consulted with compassion and empathy from our lead character, without the narrative rejecting the cold of their actions. The subtleties here made each character more engaging, making them shine beyond the interesting narrative property. The specific advancement of every character, and their relationships with each other, were fantastic to see unfold.
However, one character that I regretfully didn’t believe was adequately established was the cat, who is marketed as the story’s plot. I discovered the book’s property of a talking cat to be fantastic, and the minutes checking out the character were well done. I liked how snarky the cat was and believed the minutes we got showcasing this was an exceptionally precise representation of cats (this being said by a cat owner); I would have personally simply chosen to see more of this, and for it to be more popular. This thankfully doesn’t interfere with the story; it bodes well for the cat to not eclipse the remainder of the story, and the secret aspect surrounding the tabby improves the dream aspect.
I discovered it challenging to suspend my shock, nevertheless not since of the dream. The most amazing part was the holistic mindset towards a mourning kid. Rintaro’s moms and dads were completely missing, and he regularly misses out on school, indicating I discovered it abstruse how little seriousness was provided to guaranteeing himself a guardian. I would advise attempting not to harp on this when reading.
To settle, I wished to reveal gratitude for the setting of the bookshop. At the heart of the setting is ‘Natsuki Books’, the shop consisting of pre-owned copies of any books you might envision. The book shop shows an exceptional gratitude for all sorts of books, and the descriptions of the shop feel cosy and advise me of the value of both independent bookshops and pre-owned books.
I think it might be simple to view the discussion and messaging as tacky sometimes, nevertheless the tone was one that I invited. The Cat Who Saved Books is an inviting love letter to book enthusiasts and shows itself to be a reassuring read. The design of composing and its brief length makes it a fast and simple read; I would certainly advise it, especially for a dismal day when you want to look for more hope on the planet.
4/5 stars
