2.5/5

High school student Rintaro Natsuki is grieving over the loss of his grandfather who was his only close family. Rintaro is described and also refers to himself as hikikomori (a Japanese term referring to people who shut themselves away from society, rarely venturing outside to school or work). He believes that he has no true friends , his loneliness being compounded by the death of his grandfather and the impending sale of his grandfather’s second hand bookstore, Natsuki Books, before he has to move to a different town with a distant aunt . He stops attending school , spending all his time in the bookstore, his only visitors being his class president Sayo Yuzuki who visits him to deliver his schoolwork and Ryota Akiba who is senior to him in school and shares Rintaro’s love for books and the bookstore.

Enter Tiger ,the talking tabby, a “ginger tabby; a rather large, plump cat with an orange and yellow striped coat”, who takes him into a mystical world of labyrinths on a mission to rescue books from entities who mistreat them . Rintaro’s love for books and the wisdom shared by his late grandfather play a huge role in not only saving books from the hands of those who would distort their meaning and threaten their very existence but also in bringing about a change in the attitude and perceptions that were at the very root of the problem . Rintoru’s journey is not just about rescuing books but also coming to terms with his own situation and the loss of his grandfather , in the process opening up to the people and the world around him.

“Books are filled with human thoughts and feelings. People suffering, people who are sad or happy, laughing with joy. By reading their words and their stories, by experiencing them together, we learn about the hearts and minds of other people besides ourselves. Thanks to books, it’s possible to learn not only about the people around us every day, but people living in totally different worlds.”

With humor and emotion the author explores themes of loss , friendship and the power of books and literature in enhancing one’s life experiences. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa, (translated by Louise Heal Kawai) is a charming story with an interesting premise. I am particularly fond of stories based in libraries or bookstores .Add a talking cat and magical realism to the mix and I just had to read this book. But somehow, this book did not live up to my expectations. In the author’s depiction of Rintaro’s adventures he is seen to encounter situations that are related to topics that us readers enjoy debating on such as hoarding versus actual reading , quantity versus quality of books read, reading abridged/condensed editions, an overall diminished interest in reading and so on. I do not agree that these can be considered or interpreted as mistreatment of books rendering them in need of rescue and that is where this story lost some of its initial appeal. I feel this book is better suited for a younger audience and maybe the translator was trying too hard but I felt that some passages could have been shorter and the tone less preachy. But yes, like Rintaro I do love reading and believe in the profound impact of books on our lives .While I totally agree that books are precious and should be preserved with love and respect, I feel that passing judgment on whether, when , how and what people read might not be the best way to express that sentiment . This is an entertaining story that does have its appeal but I’m probably not the right audience for it. ( )

Me gustó mucho esta lectura, una gran fábula respecto a los libros y como nos relacionamos con ellos. Sin duda la recomiendo. ( )

A lovely story of growing up. Rintaro is an awkward boy facing some hard choices since the death of his grandfather. The cat presents him with puzzles that point out the decisions he needs to make and the best paths. Gentle but absorbing. Love the characters, especially the cat. ( )

Puoi trovare questa recensione anche sul mio blog, La siepe di more

Questo libro è brutto. Ma brutto, brutto. Sconvolgentemente brutto per una che pensava di avere per le mani una tranquilla e rilassante lettura estiva e invece di è ritrovata a leggere pagine e pagine di idiozie su come fare a salvare i libri, sul fatto che la gente non legge più e, se anche legge, non legge i libri giusti nel modo giusto. La qual cosa è forse l’aspetto più esilarante di questo romanzo, visto che non rispetta i criteri che, secondo Natsukawa, rendono un libro meritevole della nostra attenzione.

Stiamo freschз se è Il gatto che voleva salvare i libri a risollevare le sorti della lettura: sono una lettrice forte e l’unica cosa che volevo sollevare durante la lettura erano delle preghiere alla mia edicolante perché se lo riprendesse e mi ridesse i miei soldi. Vorrei davvero incontrare Natsukawa e chiedergli come pensa di aumentare lз lettorз con delle strategie che si sono già dimostrate fallimentari e come aprire una piccola libreria indipendente possa salvare il mondo.

E soprattutto perché cazzo l’autrice ideale per introdurre una ragazza alla lettura sia sempre e solo Jane Austen. Mollatela un attimo questa donna e tirate fuori qualcosa di più originale, magari un consiglio di lettura modellato sulla persona in questione invece di procedere per stereotipi.

E basta con questi libri pieni di sentimentalismo, punti esclamativi, frasi fatte e parole a caso. Che senso ha scrivermi che Sayo è sorpresa se mi hai già scritto che ha spalancato gli occhi. Pensi che io sia così scema da aver bisogno che mi spieghi per filo e per segno cosa sta accadendo? O pensi di non saper scrivere al punto di dover spiegare perché un personaggio ha una certa reazione fisica? E allora perché scrivere un libro? Mistero. ( )

I liked this a good deal. A nice quick read with books, cats, and tea. Also some good messages about not taking book loving to extremes in different ways. All of them hit home in some way; the third labyrinth reminded me a bit of a bookshop in my city that I’ve found some interesting books at, but it’s a tiny shop crammed floor to ceiling with books, lots of piles on the floor and in the winter especially, I imagine that the books are getting damaged from the foot traffic (slush and snow melting into the carpet and polluting the books on the floor).

Funnily enough I felt a bit like this concept would make a good video game, because the people Rintaro talks to in each labyrinth are described as “opponents” and that made these labyrinths seem like boss battles. A bit of an irony for a book about the love of books. But it could be some sort of platformer game in the style of Mario Bros.

I also liked that the edition I read contained a note from the translator and a note from the illustrator of the cover. I don’t see many notes from illustrators in the books I read, so it was neat to read about the reasons behind colour choices and design decisions.

This book is recommended if you like books + cats + Japan. ( )