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A review by cgj13
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
5.0
When I picked up this book, I thought it would be stories of the adventures of a stray cat. Boy was I in for a surprise. This book is a sweet, tender story of the bond of a cat and his human and the bonds of friendship.
I have never read a book with the cat as the narrator before, and it was a fresh perspective. Nana's straight forward demeanor was a hoot, I could imagine his sass coming out of my cat's mouth.
"Well, how would you like it if you were sleeping and somebody came by and rubbed you all over?"
This was another book, that I had been reading in public and was glad to have my lunch break end so that I had to close the book before I could continue any further. So I could finish, in the comfort of my reading nook at home, with my own cat on my lap.
I was crying near the end--but when Satoru goes into the hospital/hospice care, and Nana runs away from Noriko to be near him, my heart broke and I was bawling. How can a love be more pure than that!!!?
" "But why... "Sugi muttered. " Why didn't Satoru tell us he was sick?"...
You really don't understand why?
" I kind of understand why, " Yoshimine said. " He wanted to say farewell with everybody still smiling."
Bingo!
Satoru loved all of you guys.
That's why he wanted to take your smiles with him.
Simple enough, I think.
I have never read a book with the cat as the narrator before, and it was a fresh perspective. Nana's straight forward demeanor was a hoot, I could imagine his sass coming out of my cat's mouth.
"Well, how would you like it if you were sleeping and somebody came by and rubbed you all over?"
This was another book, that I had been reading in public and was glad to have my lunch break end so that I had to close the book before I could continue any further. So I could finish, in the comfort of my reading nook at home, with my own cat on my lap.
Spoiler
Before it was revealed by the other animals that Satoru was going to die, I had figured out that he was traveling to visit his friends not to find Nana a home, but to say his goodbyes, without really saying goodbye to them. While this left me preparing for this eventual ending, it added depth the story and the relationship between Nana and Satoru.I was crying near the end--but when Satoru goes into the hospital/hospice care, and Nana runs away from Noriko to be near him, my heart broke and I was bawling. How can a love be more pure than that!!!?
" "But why... "Sugi muttered. " Why didn't Satoru tell us he was sick?"...
You really don't understand why?
" I kind of understand why, " Yoshimine said. " He wanted to say farewell with everybody still smiling."
Bingo!
Satoru loved all of you guys.
That's why he wanted to take your smiles with him.
Simple enough, I think.