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| The Goodbye Cat / Hiro Arikawa translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel Toronto, ON : Viking, 2023, c2021. 278 p. |
Starting off the year with a review for the January Japanese Literature Challenge, with the second book I've read by Hiro Arikawa, the author of The Travelling Cat Chronicles. In this charming collection of seven stories, we encounter seven distinct cats and their varied owners. If you’re in the mood for domesticity with a touch of the fantastic, you’ll enjoy these tales, full of both wry talking cats and touching family stories.
There have been a number of Japanese translations in the recent past which feature cats. This one has ties to the author’s very popular first book – the final story in this collection features the original characters from The Travelling Cat Chronicles, which I really enjoyed.
In these varied stories, there are many different kinds of families represented, with the cats often strays that are taken in. There are young children who bond with their cats, grumpy dads who soften up a little thanks to the feline influence, and moms who seem to be doing a lot of the caretaking. Having a cat commenting on family dynamics gives a bit of an outsider’s view, pointing out all the unusual things that people do – which can be amusing!
Reading this is also like a quick trip to Japan. Details about food, neighbourhoods, and social relationships make these stories richly evocative of place. But these stories are also sweet and sad, uplifting and moving. If you’re ready for some suspension of disbelief and want to hear stories from a cat’s perspective, this book might be just right for you. It's not a challenging read, with a gentle tone to most of it, just on the right side of twee. Definitely a hit for cat lovers!
Great review! I so need to start this series!
ReplyDeleteIt's a cute book and can stand alone. I hope she writes more, though!
DeleteOne can never have too many cat books, and of course the Japanese are great cat lovers.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. Love all the cat books coming from Japan!
DeleteI have only read the Chronicles of The Traveling Cat which actually made me cry when I finished it. This one looks good, too, and I like how you add that the stories, while comprising many emotions, also give us a view of Japan.
ReplyDeleteChronicles was so good. I really loved the mixture of sad and funny and touching in it.
DeleteI am not a huge cat fan but the idea of seeing food, neighbourhoods and social relationships does sound appealing!
ReplyDeleteI like stories arranged around a theme, as they do offer this kind of experience to the reader.
DeleteNice review. There have been several lovely Japanese cat books. I also read/reviewed this one this year. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteYes, if only my library had them all! I'm always on the lookout. Will have to drop by and read your review!
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