TITLE - THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS
WRITTEN BY - SOSUKE NATSUKAWA
TRANSLATED BY - LOUISE HEAL KAWAI
PUBLISHED BY - PAN MCACMILLAN/PICADOR
PUBLICATION DATE - 16TH SEPTEMBER, 2021
Combining two of my favourite things, cats and books, “The Cat Who Saved Books” by Sosuke Natsukawa was a pleasant, quirky surprise.
Following the death of his grandfather, the proprietor of a secondhand bookshop, Rintaro Natsuki prepares to close the shop for good and move away when a tabby cat called Tiger saunters into the store and whisks Rintaro away on a bizarre quest to rescue “imprisoned” books from a succession of labyrinths. Tiger is, of course, a talking cat and sassy with it.
The intrepid and unlikely duo meet many colourful characters along the way, including a man who reads thousands of books but never rereads any as there are too many to get through, another who cuts up books to enable speed reading, and one who wishes only to sell books as disposable products. All are deemed by Tiger to have imprisoned, harmed or treated books badly and so must be put to rights by this odd couple and their books freed.
Author Sosuke Natsukawa, a Japanese doctor, has already enjoyed success with his previous book, the title of which translates as “God’s Medical Records”, which was made into a film in Japan. It wouldn’t surprise me if his latest book received the same treatment; it has the feel of a Studio Ghibli-type film.
Translated skilfully and sympathetically by Louise Heal Kawai, the book is written in what appears to be a fairly simple way; this is not a bad thing because it makes the true depth of the story more profound. Rintaro is a lost soul at the beginning, often repeating “Grandpa, this is messed up” to himself as he tries to come to terms with his grandfather’s passing, but by the end of the story he gains strength and purpose. Tiger is a catalyst for Rintaro’s growth as a person. I cannot fault this book, other than to bemoan the fact that it isn’t longer!
Overall, “The Cat Who Saved Books” is a quirky, fun and touching joy for those who love books…and cats!
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