 |
| 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!
