Scan barcode
A review by eline1701
If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
Ahhh this would've been 3 stars and then the last few chapters said WAIT and suddenly I found myself underlining a lot of lines and yeah. Yeah okay. When I'm less emotional again the rating might go down a bit but the ending made me feel oddly warm. Also really, really made me miss my old cats. And, as the main character's mother put it: "Cats and humans have been partners for over ten thousand years. And what you realize when you've lived with a cat for a long time is that we may think we own them, but that's not the way it is. They simply allow us the pleasure of their company". That said, this book is not about cats. Though it is a bit. But also, you know?
I also really enjoyed reading a book by a Japanese author even if it made me wish I could read (and understand) the original as I'm sure I missed so many nuances. Still, I really enjoyed what the translator did and loved the tiny explanatory phrases that I think they added as part of the sentence at times.
I didn't love the protagonist for most of the book and I don't think I was supposed to, but it also made me a bit annoyed at the way he thought sometimes and it also meant I wasn't super into the whole theme of movies or the way he explored them perse. But that's a matter of taste, I think, and learning that the author is also a producer, director, screenwriter and showrunner made sense.
I did really enjoy the way the protagonist's memories were woven into the story, and as I said, I loved the ending.
Big content warning for death and grief and existential thoughts.
I also really enjoyed reading a book by a Japanese author even if it made me wish I could read (and understand) the original as I'm sure I missed so many nuances. Still, I really enjoyed what the translator did and loved the tiny explanatory phrases that I think they added as part of the sentence at times.
I didn't love the protagonist for most of the book and I don't think I was supposed to, but it also made me a bit annoyed at the way he thought sometimes and it also meant I wasn't super into the whole theme of movies or the way he explored them perse. But that's a matter of taste, I think, and learning that the author is also a producer, director, screenwriter and showrunner made sense.
I did really enjoy the way the protagonist's memories were woven into the story, and as I said, I loved the ending.
Big content warning for death and grief and existential thoughts.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Grief, and Terminal illness