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chapterchatswithcaroline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Ever imagined if things started to disappear from the world—like your favorite gadget or something precious to you? What impact would that have on your life? And what if you disappeared from this world—what impact would that have on the world?”
This is precisely the plot of If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura. It’s been a while since I finished reading this book, but I found it extremely difficult to write a review without giving away too much of the story.
The book centers around a man (our main character, who remains unnamed throughout the book) who has just discovered that he is dying. He is seen writing a letter to someone about all that has happened to him in the past week. The story unfolds over an entire week, during which our main character is flooded with memories of his childhood, his parents, his friends, his love interest, and, most poignantly, his relationship with his cat.
This book offers a little of everything—silly, quirky, emotional, and thought-provoking. The narrative primarily focuses on various dynamics such as the relationship between a mother and son, the silent distance between a father and son, the companionship between a master and his pet, and the interplay between a human and the world.
If Cats Disappeared from the World makes one introspect on whether we are living a life worth living and what impact we are leaving on this world. It serves as a vehicle to pause, think, and reflect on our lives as we are granted each new day and how meaningful we are making it. A quote that resonated deeply with me is from the MC’s mother, who often says, “If you’ve gained something, it means that someone, somewhere, has lost something. Even happiness is built on someone else’s misfortune.” This stands so true because everything I win or gain, someone lost something for my gain.
The translation is simple, fun, and easy to read. While there are not many characters, apart from our unnamed MC, there is a Devil—a character you will love as much as you want to hate—and the cat, Cabbage, who starts to talk with a royal accent.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
This is precisely the plot of If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura. It’s been a while since I finished reading this book, but I found it extremely difficult to write a review without giving away too much of the story.
The book centers around a man (our main character, who remains unnamed throughout the book) who has just discovered that he is dying. He is seen writing a letter to someone about all that has happened to him in the past week. The story unfolds over an entire week, during which our main character is flooded with memories of his childhood, his parents, his friends, his love interest, and, most poignantly, his relationship with his cat.
This book offers a little of everything—silly, quirky, emotional, and thought-provoking. The narrative primarily focuses on various dynamics such as the relationship between a mother and son, the silent distance between a father and son, the companionship between a master and his pet, and the interplay between a human and the world.
If Cats Disappeared from the World makes one introspect on whether we are living a life worth living and what impact we are leaving on this world. It serves as a vehicle to pause, think, and reflect on our lives as we are granted each new day and how meaningful we are making it. A quote that resonated deeply with me is from the MC’s mother, who often says, “If you’ve gained something, it means that someone, somewhere, has lost something. Even happiness is built on someone else’s misfortune.” This stands so true because everything I win or gain, someone lost something for my gain.
The translation is simple, fun, and easy to read. While there are not many characters, apart from our unnamed MC, there is a Devil—a character you will love as much as you want to hate—and the cat, Cabbage, who starts to talk with a royal accent.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
brownlikethecolor's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lizmidds's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sabinatrif's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lizzielikesfrogs's review against another edition
3.5
very emotionally loaded and beautiful. i will never say no to japenese fiction featuring a cat
mairywo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
alwaysravensade's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I get what the book was trying to say but I couldn't get over how selfish the narrator was. Hopefully the things that disappeared from the world only disappeared from HIM only so HE could better accept his fate.