Cats in Japanese Fiction: Sunday Salon

 

2023

49,550

pages read

159

books read

Harvee

My reading goal for this year was 160 books. As of today, I am up to 162 books, with a few more to come for 2023.

I know there are people who read up to 600 a year, so mine is a very modest number.  How did you do so far? 

Some of my latest reads featuring cats:

The Japanese and indeed many Asians are fascinated by cats, their lore, and their promise of good luck. Their history of influence goes back to Egyptian times. 

Adapted from Wikipedia

 

The maneki-neko (招き猫, lit. 'beckoning cat') is a common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. The figurine depicts a cat, traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail, with a paw raised in a beckoning gesture. They  are often displayed in places of business, generally near the entrance, as well as (in) households.

Here are a few of many Japanese novels with cats as main characters.  

The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa

Published October 10, 2023 by Berkley, NetGalley

I enjoyed the stories in The Goodbye Cat, about how various kittens came into their owners' lives and into the lives of the children they grow up with. There is love, affection, and pathos in the lives of the cats and their humans, as the stories are about beginnings as well as endings.

It was interesting that the last story revisited the characters in the previous cat book by the author, The Traveling Cat Chronicles. Nana the cat and his owner Satoru are on their journey to various parts of Japan to find a new home for Nana, as Satoru is unable to continue taking care of the cat.

I loved reading about the various cat pets, their interactions and positive effects on the children in the households, and the fact that the cats are always treated as valued members of the family.

This book is definitely for cat lovers, but for those who are on the fence about which are better, cats or dogs, these stories may persuade them to consider both as equal.

 

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Published October 23, 2018, Berkley, NetGalley

A moving novel about a stray cat Nana adopted by a young man, Satoru, who later takes the cat on a car tour through parts of Japan and the scenic northern island of Japan. 

The empathy of Satoru comes through in his dealing with friends and with animals, in particular his cat Nana. Satoru is unable to continue caring for Nana and is on a mission to visit those he thinks could take responsibility for the cat. 

This is a book about a cat finding a new home, a beginning as a pet and companion, and about sad but hopeful endings.

 

She and Her Cat: Stories by Makoto Shinkai

Published November 22, 2022; Atria Books, NetGalley

I enjoyed these stories about the abandoned kittens and cats rescued or taken in and fed by several people, primarily women, in this series of four interrelated short stories.

Some of the cats have outdoor lives of their own and find each other on the streets, confer together regarding their respective owners or benefactors, and help their human companions go through the complications and sorrows their lives bring.

In many parts heart warming, these stories of speculative fiction show how much cats as pets can mean to humans in real life and as shown in literature.

And now for something completely different:   

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
Publication: April 30, 2024; Minotaur, NetGalley

I liked the setting of this humorous mystery, a book tour of Italy with a focus on the Amalfi coast. On her book tour, writer Eleanor is so fed up with exlover and her main character in her books, Connor, that she begins thinking of killing him off in her next and final book in the series. But Connor is already convinced someone wants him dead in real life.

I found it interesting that the suspects are the group tour members and I couldn't wait to see which one it was, The twists and turns in the plot kept my interest, as the variety of individuals on this trip kept me reading. I was surprised and delighted by the ending.

Great character delineation and plotting, as well as humorous writing kept me engaged in this entertaining mystery.

What's on your reading schedule this week and/or the rest of the month?

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday