The Cat Who Saved Books: A Novel

Written by Sosuke Natsukawa

Narrated by Kevin Shen

AN INDIE NEXT PICK!

From the #1 bestselling author in Japan comes a celebration of books, cats, and the people who love them, infused with the heartwarming spirit of The Guest Cat and The Travelling Cat Chronicles.

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. Then, a talking cat appears with an unusual request. The feline asks for—or rather, demands—the teenager’s help in saving books with him. The world is full of lonely books left unread and unloved, and the cat and Rintaro must liberate them from their neglectful owners. 

Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different mazes to set books free. Through their travels, the cat and Rintaro meet a man who leaves his books to perish on a bookshelf, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publishing drone who only wants to create bestsellers. Their adventures culminate in one final, unforgettable challenge—the last maze that awaits leads Rintaro down a realm only the bravest dare enter . . . 

An enthralling tale of books, first love, fantasy, and an unusual friendship with a talking cat, The Cat Who Saved Books is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper. 

Translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai.

""Cats, books, young love, and adventure: catnip for a variety of readers!"" –Kirkus

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063095755

Sosuke Natsukawa

Sosuke Natsukawa is a Japanese physician and novelist. He graduated from the Shinshu University medical school and practices medicine at a hospital in the largely rural prefecture of Nagano. His multi-volume debut novel, Kamisama no Karute (God's Medical Records), has won several prizes and has sold over three million copies in Japan. He is the author of the number one international bestseller The Cat Who Saved Books. The Cat Who Saved the Library is the second book in his series featuring Tiger the talking tabby cat.

Reviews for The Cat Who Saved Books

[janna dorry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely wonderful story of the talking cat who pursudated the nurse boy to safe the books. Beautiful story.

[Yuen May · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is now a new favourite for me. ? I think I'll get myself a physical copy.

[Alise · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked the book overall but the adventures were a little dull/repetitive. They are mostly going to a new place and talking to someone. I did like the messages around the importance of books and reading but it was a little on the boring side for me.

[Shamira · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this story - it wasn't what I was expecting. This story is rich in meaning and depth.

[rtacderas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.25. Very cute, a perfect Christmas read!! Borderline cheesy and preachy but warm nonetheless. This book has a heart.

[Sr. Pritzel Diseño · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute story. I would put it under the "cozy" genre. Entertaining, heartwarming. It's a relaxing reading, overall

[Gayotri Saikia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this was a quick read and so wholesome! so much to takeaway and yes if you are in need of something cozy and soft, you gotta pick this up!

[Jili Nicomedes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved every minute of reading this. Makes you reflect on the purpose and essence of books in our modern times, alongside the challenges brought by time and cultural changes.

[Bekah Page Turner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A book for book lovers of all ages. Loved it.

[Sofia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story was amazing and the narrator is Japanese so he’s able to bring back some of the cultural nuances that would have been lost in translating the language :)

[Caitlin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A love letter to book lovers everywhere. A delightful novel.

[TEA · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a fun read! I loved the various commentaries surrounding book collection, reading and even publishing. As a cat lover, I thoroughly enjoyed how snarky yet supportive the cat was; I can definitely see my cats giving those snide remarks were they speaking animals like Tiger, too ?

[Bernice Nicole Legane · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was a great audiobook, hope it will inspire my fellow millennials to read and explore.

[Lucia Garcia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

IT is sweet and entertaining. As I also love books and cats, I really enjoyed the story.

[Sulynn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this strangely calming and riveting as the story unravels.

[Madhuri K · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So wholesome. Such a happy and uplifting book. I’d have loved it even more if I had the chance to read it as a younger person or someone who doesn’t read regularly.

[Taylor Nelson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the cutest book I’ve read in a long time. It’s self-discovery and compassion through the form of books and how they are used. The Japanese aspects of the books are clear and refreshing. I feel peaceful, having just finished the book. The voice actor does a great job establishing characters and emotions. The translator notes at the end are insightful. Here’s hoping I meet a talking cat and go on a bookish adventure. In the meantime, I’m good with my cat and my loved ones. Highly recommend.

[Sir Bobin Piler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful fairy tail about the importance of reading and love of books set in a magical Japan. The unlikely hero of this story faces grief and loneliness in his own way, reminding us that there is more than one way to process these difficult but unavoidable emotions.

[Momreadsbooksinbtwn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing surprise! I love cats and books, so the cover and story is what drew me in. I also love Japanese culture. I binged this audio in 2 days. Love it!

[Little Arcia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Its a cute short read about how people think they love reading. This maybe a short read but it made me think about my love for reading and how different my definition of "love of reading" is from other people. I love it!

[K. C. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fun, lighthearted book about the power of books and self discovery. Great easy listen because it is divided into 4 different challenges so there's an easy stopping point between challenges.

[Nicole McClenic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

? ? ? ? Read! The story is not only a love letter to books, it also provides commentary on the how people see the world. It provides a glimpse into the minds of those who do not appreciate the souls of books. It also provides commentary on power - who weilds it against those that believe they weird it. It starts off slowly, but stick with it. The four labrynths certainly provide a view to the world and how people choose to operate in it. I was pleasantly rewarded by finishing this novel. Kudos to the author.

[Maria S · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful warm read about loneliness, grief and love for books. I would highly recommend it !

[jusi_3 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Maybe it's the translation from the Japanese, but 'books create empathy' is not a new concept nor is it well or imaginatively told here

[castlelass · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rintaro’s grandfather has recently died and left him a bookshop. He initially decides to close the shop, but a talking cat appears and convinces him to accompany him on multiple quests to save books from destruction, neglect, or confinement. Rintaro is a reclusive high school student. Through these quests, Rintaro learns something about life. It contains elements of philosophy, humor, reflection, and journey of self-discovery. It is a short and easy read. It examines some of the extreme behaviors of book lovers. I listened to the audiobook, which is capably read by Kevin Shen (though some of the voices are a bit strained). The life lessons are directly stated. There are also a few more serious themes camouflaged by the fable-like structure – such as a critique of a society that values soundbites over deeper thinking and a skewering of mainstream publishing. It is the type of sweet story that I usually avoid, but I liked the playfulness and the literary references.

[5eva5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very pleasant, but unoriginal and formulaic. Completely geared towards those who revere books.

[skid0612 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent translation of a Japanese coming of age story, focusing on a recently orphaned young man whose entire focus is his grandfathers used book store and the stories it contains. Bits of magical realism (think Murakami) and aspects of Greek myth allow this wholly original story its familiarity. A quick and thought provoking read.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quick read. Cute.

[krau0098 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on audiobook from the library.

Thoughts: This was okay. I enjoyed the overall premise but found parts to be a bit preachy and on the nose. Then towards the end of a lot of the preachyness is kind of retracted. This wasn't as magical or entertaining as I expected. However, I did enjoy watching the main character figure things out for himself.

This books follows a bookish shut-in high school student name Rintaro Natsuki. His grandfather has died, and he is being forced to move in with a distant aunt, this will involve him leaving the bookstore his grandfather owned. Suddenly a talking cat shows up and asks for Rintaro's help with stopping books from being damaged. Rintaro ends up journeying through a strange magical labyrinth of books and confronting evil book owners. During these quests, he learns more about himself and those who care about him.

This was a simple story. I really loved the talking cat but wished the cat was in the story more. It was nice to see Rintaro grow as a characters and start to take some direction with his life.

I realize that the story structure follows some classic Greek mythology structures (four labyrinths, etc). I found it to be a bit preachy and pretentious. There is a lot of talk about the evils of people who only read books once or read them too quickly or read books that don't contain any substance. I rarely read a book twice unless it's one I really love or really got something out of. I also enjoy reading lighter books at times. I thought this discussion was a bit heavy-handed. However, at the end, the story this is is abruptly turned around and we are told that people should just read whatever they want to read and connect with each other. This made me feel like a lot of the beginning of the story was being taken back.

The writing style and story structure is incredibly simple and predictable. I also struggled to figure out what audience this book would be good for. It is a book about loving books but spends a lot of time insulting people who love books and then says everyone should love books. I thought whatever message was being delivered here ended up very convoluted.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay. I listened to it while driving during a road trip and didn't really have anything else to do. I liked the talking cat and liked the main character growth. The magic and fantasy was very light. The plot and writing style were very basic. The message ended up fairly confusing and convoluted. This isn't an awful book, but it isn't a great one either. I personally would skip it, however, it isn't a huge time commitment to read it if you enjoy books about books.

[taliainthetardis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

New favorite!!