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_askthebookbug 's review for:
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa
// The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Let me assure you that you do not have to be a cat person to enjoy this novel. Written originally in Japanese by Hiro Arikawa and later translated into English by Philip Gabriel, this book felt like a warm hug. The translation is seamless, never once making me feel that I was reading a translated book. I absorbed every word, breathing them in deeply before they mixed with my laughter and tears. Nana, the cat in this story has so much to teach us. The Travelling Cat Chronicles isn't just about cats but the emotional intelligence that animals possess in general and also of unexpected connections that humans form with their pets. There are infinite learnings when one starts living with a pet, their lives changing for the better indefinitely. If you ever feel like needing a good laugh or a healthy cry, you know which book to look for.
Ever since Satoru can remember, he has loved cats. So when he finds a stray near his house, he befriends it with ease. The uncanny resemblance that the stray shares with his previous cat surprises Satoru. When Nana, the stray meets with an accident, Satoru takes him in and they spend the next five years in each other's enjoyable company. Fast forward five years later, Satoru and Nana are on a road trip, one that they aren't entirely happy about. Satoru, for reasons unknown is looking for a new home for Nana and in this process meets his school and university friends to seek their help. As Nana narrates their journey, we learn about Satoru's past. The story oscillates between the past and present. Amidst all the fun, one can't help but notice the inevitable end of the book approaching fast. As I read along, I laughed at Nana's wit and Arikawa's brilliant ability to portray a cat's quirkiness so well. But there was also an underlying sense of sadness that I knew would eventually arrive. And then there were tears.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a cocktail of emotions, one that leaves you with moist eyes but also with a full heart. And by the end of it all, you may even begin to like cats.
Let me assure you that you do not have to be a cat person to enjoy this novel. Written originally in Japanese by Hiro Arikawa and later translated into English by Philip Gabriel, this book felt like a warm hug. The translation is seamless, never once making me feel that I was reading a translated book. I absorbed every word, breathing them in deeply before they mixed with my laughter and tears. Nana, the cat in this story has so much to teach us. The Travelling Cat Chronicles isn't just about cats but the emotional intelligence that animals possess in general and also of unexpected connections that humans form with their pets. There are infinite learnings when one starts living with a pet, their lives changing for the better indefinitely. If you ever feel like needing a good laugh or a healthy cry, you know which book to look for.
Ever since Satoru can remember, he has loved cats. So when he finds a stray near his house, he befriends it with ease. The uncanny resemblance that the stray shares with his previous cat surprises Satoru. When Nana, the stray meets with an accident, Satoru takes him in and they spend the next five years in each other's enjoyable company. Fast forward five years later, Satoru and Nana are on a road trip, one that they aren't entirely happy about. Satoru, for reasons unknown is looking for a new home for Nana and in this process meets his school and university friends to seek their help. As Nana narrates their journey, we learn about Satoru's past. The story oscillates between the past and present. Amidst all the fun, one can't help but notice the inevitable end of the book approaching fast. As I read along, I laughed at Nana's wit and Arikawa's brilliant ability to portray a cat's quirkiness so well. But there was also an underlying sense of sadness that I knew would eventually arrive. And then there were tears.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a cocktail of emotions, one that leaves you with moist eyes but also with a full heart. And by the end of it all, you may even begin to like cats.