Terri M. LeBlanc
Written on Dec 30, 2023
Recommended by a customer, I loved this book and it's lesson about how we should treat books.
The Cat Who Saved Books is a heart-warming story about finding courage, caring for others – and the tremendous power of books.
Grandpa used to say it all the time: 'books have tremendous power'. But what is that power really?
Natsuki Books was a tiny second-hand bookshop on the edge of town. Inside, towering shelves reached the ceiling, every one crammed full of wonderful books. Rintaro Natsuki loved this space that his grandfather had created. He spent many happy hours there, reading whatever he liked. It was the perfect refuge for a boy who tended to be something of a recluse.
After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated and alone. It seems he will have to close the shop. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. This odd couple will go on three magical adventures to save books from people who have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Finally, there is one last rescue that Rintaro must attempt alone . . .
Sosuke Natsukawa's international bestseller, translated from Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai, is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper.
- ISBN10 1529081475
- ISBN13 9781529081473
- Publish Date 16 September 2021
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 9 July 2023
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Pan Macmillan
- Imprint Picador
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 224
- Language English
Reviews
annieb123
Written on May 11, 2022
The Cat Who Saved Books is an engaging fantasy featuring books and literature and a squint-eyed look at humans by Sosuke Natsukawa. Released 7th Dec 2021 by HarperVia, it's 198 pages and is available in most formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a multi-layered book. On the surface, it's a fairly simple story of a young man who is going through a difficult time after the sudden death of his grandfather and who, even before his bereavement, was beset by social anxiety. He's shocked when a talking tabby cat visits and asks for his help saving books. On a deeper level, the author has a lot to say about reading, and books, and the love of literature.
There is a lot of literature name-dropping here and especially for young adult readers, there are numerous great works of western and eastern literature mentioned which will give hours of further reading prompts.
The characterizations are very lightly rendered and most of them are not detailed at all. They're not all likeable, I found the titular cat, Tiger, to be supercilious and quite abrasive, for example. On the other hand, the author makes some valuable universal observations on the nature of friendship, interconnectedness, humanity, and what drives creativity. It makes an oddly endearing whole.
The translation from the original Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai was relatively seamless, and I found the translator's notes at the end of the book enlightening. It was easily understandable and relatable to readers whilst still maintaining a Japanese aesthetic.
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 5 hours and 7 minutes and is capably narrated by Kevin Shen. He delineates the characters (of all ages, both sexes, plus cat) well and distinctly. There were only a couple places where the dialogue was so fast moving that I had trouble figuring out who was who in the dialogue scene. Sound and production quality are high throughout the recording.
Four stars. It's an undeniably odd but engaging story.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Written on Jan 1, 2022
Rintaro lived with his grandfather, who owned a used bookstore. When his grandfather dies, Rintaro isn’t just losing the most important person in the world to him, he’s afraid that he’s also losing his grandfather’s store and his refuge. Rintaro is lost and alone- until a tabby cat named Tiger shows up and asks Rintaro to help him on an important mission. They must save books that are being destroyed or ignored. What follows is more than a journey to save books. It’s a journey of self-discovery. And it is wonderful.
For some reason, I expected this to be a book that took place in a long ago setting, not a contemporary one. Once I adjusted my expectations, I found that this is better. Rinataro is relatable and I couldn’t help but want to heal the hurt in his heart that radiates from page one (despite his prickly way of handling it). In fact, while there weren’t many characters, they were each distinctive in their own way. I loved getting to know them.
The quests were unique and so creative. They were vividly described, and it was easy to sink into the story. The book has a special cadence to it, and if you look closely, you can see the Hero’s Journey told in a new and heartwarming way.
For those of us who see books as more than just words on paper, The Cat Who Saved Books is a must-read.