Just Finished Reading: The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa (FP: 2015) [247pp] 

Due to a ‘change in circumstances’, Satoru is looking for someone to take care of his beloved cat Nana. But who? He certainly won’t put Nana up for adoption to strangers. It would need to be someone he knew, someone he trusted, someone who would love Nana as much as he did. But it would be Nana’s choice too, of course. Being an ex-stray, he was a very independent cat and wouldn’t stay with just anyone. Satoru had some ideas and contacted old school friends from years ago. A few responded positively and so, in his small silver van, Satoru and Nana set off across Japan to find if any of the offered places were suitable for Nana to spend the rest of his days. Along the way they would have adventures, meet new people, recover old friendships and we would discover, slowly, what circumstances had changed... 

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was in for with this novel as I haven’t read that much Japanese literature. To be honest part of the reason I picked this up was the fact that it was, for the most part, about a cat. I have a ‘thing’ for cats, which you might have picked up on. To say that this book was a delight would be an understatement. Not only was it quite understated it was also quite beautifully written. The author clearly understands cats and cat-human relationships. That alone was a big selling point for me. Giving animals an active character role in a book – especially with access to their internal dialogue – is difficult to get right (AKA realistic). The author nails that here. The relationship between the single (and arguably lonely) Satoru and Nana is exquisitely portrayed and I quickly fell in love with both of the characters. The story, although simple on the surface, not only gave insights to contemporary Japan but also constituted a series of character studies as Satoru compared his memories of school friends to their modern lives – with missed opportunities for love, revealed misunderstandings and transformative revelations. Each visit was a subtle masterclass in narrative, and I easy found myself completely immersed in the events as they unfolded. 

After loving this so much I was pleased, when looking for a cover to post here, to discover that the author had produced a second book of short stories (on Amazon for half price!) that I immediately snapped up and which should be arriving later this rainy afternoon. I just might have to drop that into my planned reading sooner rather than later. The only thing I would say in warning is that the novel is rather sad at times. If you get as emotionally involved with characters as I do sometimes, you’re going to need a few handy tissues, especially towards the end. Very highly recommended and one of the best books of the year. I can see why it became an (apparently surprise) international bestseller. 

Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel 

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