by Hiro Arikawa
Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru's old friends.
On their travels Nana meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B&B; and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There's even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species. But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won't say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart breaks.
There was a little bit of meandering about the friendship between Satoru and Kosuke. I think it might have lost something in translation. But overall it was an endearing, sad and happy read, I enjoyed it.
There was a little bit of meandering about the friendship between Satoru and Kosuke. I think it might have lost something in translation. But overall it was an endearing, sad and happy read, I enjoyed it.
∼ Happy Reading∼
Polly x
I read this in 2020 when my sister gave me her copy to read. (I was still able to read print books then, now I only do e-books). Anyway, I enjoyed it too and found it, as you said, endearing. I actually quite like books written from an animal's POV. They're usually pretty special, I find.
ReplyDeleteI agree, my favourite book written from the animals POV is "The Art of Driving in the Rain", it's very sad. I wrote about it a few years ago. It's a film as well.
DeleteSounds good. I've read lots of Japanese books of late and they're all slightly surreal but poignant.
ReplyDeleteI think I will look out for others.
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