The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa is my annual stab at reading and understanding Japanese fiction. I usually enjoy the books, am fascinated by the cultural differences between life in Canada and life in Japan, and set the finished book down, puzzled but having had a good time. This is the first Japanese novel that has left me unmoved.

The novel focuses on Rintaro, a young adult, whose grandfather has recently passed away, leaving Rintaro his used bookstore. Rintaro and his friend Sayo (who is female) meet a talking cat in the bookstore, a ginger tabby, who takes them through several labyrinths at the back of the store, to solve mysteries and to rescue books from unpleasant fates.

I found this book very difficult to enjoy. In fact, I was bored. Largely my dislike of the book was due to its pedantic nature. It reminded me of "improving" works from the Victorian era, in which plot was secondary to the moral lessons it imparted. I also found that the book's style was hard to access, and whether this was the fault of the author, the translator, or both, it is hard to say. Maybe Japanese people speak in the stilted way of the characters in the book, but I doubt it. (My knowledge of Japanese culture is minimal, I hesitate to add.)

Fans of magic realism might find purchase in this book, but I was disappointed from start to finish. ( )

Sometimes when you go out to eat, especially as a single person, you really want to enjoy your food without being rushed by other diners. This is possible because you have no problem with the fact that you are sitting alone at the table in a restaurant. You take your time, enjoy it, and go home satisfied. Sometimes you have a book, and it's one of those books that makes you forget the whole world around you, and you quickly turn off the sounds on your cell phone because it bothers you, and you read, and read. Until you finish the book. This is such a book. You can't ignore it when you say you are a fan of books, or when you once again fill in the question of which hobbies you have "reading". If you ignore this book, you are actually saying that you read because others think that you should also read a good book. You immediately recognize yourself in Rintaro, follow the Tabby cat with interest and are seduced into thinking that Sayo... well that she (....) I'm not going to reveal it. But the few main characters in this book are each recognizable and easy to embrace. Ultimately, this book is and is one that educates us on the meaning of what empathy actually is. And then you discover how this is lacking in today's society. My conclusion, this book should actually be number 1 in the ranking by the end of this year, read by all members of librarything. I have said. ( )

Libro entretenido y para todas las edades donde deja claro que los libros tienen un algo, una extraña naturaleza que hace que te gusten. ( )

such a cute book! reminded me a lot of The Little Prince. glad I picked it up on a whim. ( )

This is a charming, quirky, quick read featuring a talking cat who takes a high school boy on adventures in labyrinths.

Rintaro has lived his life in Natsuki Books, avoiding all people besides the grandfather who is raising him. But when his beloved grandfather dies, Rintaro feels all alone. That is, until a talking cat named Tiger takes him through a portal in the back of his grandfather's bookstore. In each scenario, the books need to be saved, but what needs to be saved most of all is Rintaro himself.

The characters love to philosophize with each other - and with the cat. The book had quite a few quotable passages, dishing out as much self-reflection as it did whimsy.

It also introduced me to the Japanese concept of hikikomari, which is a severe form of social withdrawal. This book shows the importance of showing up for each other, whether the other person realizes they need it or not.

It also had a lot to say about publishing, how we consume books and which books are most worthy. While not fully agreeing with the author's premise, I still found the story very interesting. ( )