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A review by astrireads
We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
As a veterinarian and cat lover, of course I have to read this book! We'll Prescribe You a Cat is a best-selling Japanese-translated literary fiction with an element of magical realism, celebrating the bond between humans and cats and the healing power of cats. This book takes us to an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, named the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul, which can only be found by people who are struggling in their lives. Directions are cryptic, and its future patients will only hear about the clinic indirectly. What is puzzling is the patients are prescribed, not with pills, but cats for a recommended duration and specific instructions.
The book is a collection of 5 short and separate stories of characters having their own struggles and emotional turmoil in life but somehow loosely connected with each other. The common theme of the stories is the cats in each story help its characters to find comfort, insight and optimism to navigate their struggles despite their initial reluctance.
I loved how the cats are described in this book, one cat was described as "a fluffy tennis ball" or the way their paws are described as "supple yet springy, with a resilient feel like memory foam". I also loved the different perspectives and how the author connected the characters with each other.
As the story goes on, the author adds mystery to the clinic, and I loved knowing more about what the clinic stands for when I finished the book. It had an open-ending because there is a second book, and I hope it will be translated soon!
Overall, it is a hopeful and heartwarming book that will resonate with those who love Japanese literature, literary fiction, magical realism, and cats!
As a veterinarian and cat lover, of course I have to read this book! We'll Prescribe You a Cat is a best-selling Japanese-translated literary fiction with an element of magical realism, celebrating the bond between humans and cats and the healing power of cats. This book takes us to an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, named the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul, which can only be found by people who are struggling in their lives. Directions are cryptic, and its future patients will only hear about the clinic indirectly. What is puzzling is the patients are prescribed, not with pills, but cats for a recommended duration and specific instructions.
The book is a collection of 5 short and separate stories of characters having their own struggles and emotional turmoil in life but somehow loosely connected with each other. The common theme of the stories is the cats in each story help its characters to find comfort, insight and optimism to navigate their struggles despite their initial reluctance.
I loved how the cats are described in this book, one cat was described as "a fluffy tennis ball" or the way their paws are described as "supple yet springy, with a resilient feel like memory foam". I also loved the different perspectives and how the author connected the characters with each other.
As the story goes on, the author adds mystery to the clinic, and I loved knowing more about what the clinic stands for when I finished the book. It had an open-ending because there is a second book, and I hope it will be translated soon!
Overall, it is a hopeful and heartwarming book that will resonate with those who love Japanese literature, literary fiction, magical realism, and cats!