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: HarperAudio
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063095755

Sosuke Natsukawa

Sosuke Natsukawa is a doctor in Nagano, Japan. His first book Kamisama No Karute (God’s Medical Records) won the Shogakukan Fiction Prize and received 2nd Place at the Japan Bookseller Awards. It sold over 1.5 million copies and was adapted into a film in Japan.

Reviews for The Cat Who Saved Books

[arimahs11 · 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.

[judygibson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A nice little story.

[amzzz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute story, maybe a little too simplistic at times but I loved the overall message and reverence for the power of both books and readers.

[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 ?

[Sulynn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[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.

[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 !

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quick read. Cute.

[othemts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

High school student Rintaro Natsuki is orphaned after the death of his bookseller grandfather.  Already shy and nerdy, Rintaro stops going to school and isolates himself from the world as he prepares to close up his grandfather's bookshop and move in with an aunt.  He is surprised by Tiger, a sarcastic talking tabby cat, who tells him that he is needed to save books and leads him into a magical labyrinth within the bookshop. On three adventures, Rintaro engages in metaphorical confrontations with a collector who keeps books behind glass, a scholar who disfigures books with notations, and an Amazon-style corporate president who treats books as a commodity.  Rintaro also starts forming a connection with a girl from his high school named Sayo.  It's a sweet narrative that anyone who enjoys books, cats, and coming of age stories should enjoy.

[streamsong_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After teenager Rintaro’s grandfather dies, Rintaro must close his grandfather’s beloved second hand book shop and go to live with his aunt.But before he can do so, a talking cat appears that can only be seen by certain people. The cat leads Rintaro through a mysterious portal at the back of the bookshop. They visit three labyrinths. Rintaro sees books in new ways, while saving books from a variety of people who love books but harm them.Each mission is slightly harder, until there is an unexpected fourth mission which Rintaro must accomplish without his cat guide and which has more than books at stake.I really wanted to love this book; there were so many enticing elements: a fantasy with a magical cat, a bookstore, saving books. But somehow the book just didn’t hit my sweet spots. Some of it, I believe was due to an awkwardness of language which would jar me from the story – perhaps the fault of the translator rather than the story itself. Also I’m not sure for whom the book was written – a young adult probably would not find the book exciting enough. An adult, while more appreciative of the themes, would be put off by the simple story lines.It's also an interesting choice that all the classic books featured in the story are from the west. Where are the beloved Japanese classics?Nevertheless, this author wrote a best seller about his experiences as a doctor working in a small hospital in Japan. If that book becomes available in English, I’d like to read that.

[whbiii · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

An old, dear friend of mine (and a voracious reader to boot) holds the radical position there are 'no good books!' This is one of those. I struggled to finish this. It felt too long and overwritten. Some of the translation decisions I found baffling, including the lack of pronouns, which only compounded the narrator's difficulty with the protagonist's name (I heard 4 distinct and different pronunciations, which always pulled me out). I also found the protagonist whiny and unsympathetic.There may be a cultural issue with Japanese style storytelling on my part though.

[randymetcalfe · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The death of Rintaro’s grandfather leaves him, effectively, a teenage orphan. Worse it puts the future of his grandfather’s second-hand bookshop in question. Rintaro, who is shy and retiring to a fault, might be just as happy to stay and look after the books. But it turns out he’s got more important things to do. Such as saving a lot of imprisoned books. At least that’s what the talking tabby cat he’s just met tells him. Yes, a talking cat! And fantastical journeys to rescue books. And a high school girl who just might actually be interested in Rintaro. Well, you get the picture.This is a very slight novel whose heart is surely in the right place. But it’s so thin on character and formulaic on plot that I can’t really recommend it. Even though I agree with the message it promotes about reading leading to the development of empathy. Oh, go ahead, read it. You’re probably going to like it.

[dono421846 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A compelling fantasy account of the value of books. A teenaged boy is led by a talking cat to encounter four metaphorical embodiments of sundry relationships with books: The one who hordes books for their social value; the one who would reduce all books to their informational essences; the one who regards books for their economic value. These opponents all secretly love books, and so it is no difficult to lead them to cease their harmful ways. But the last encounter is with a disgruntled book who has become bitter by the way people today misuse books and for their shallow relationships with books that, in turn, deprive them of their soul. FYI: although never said, it is clear that this book is intended to be the Bible, so her comments should be read in that context. The author clearly grasps the core value/power of books, and presents the argument in a wonderfully engaging manner.This discourse should be read in combination with The Dark Library by Cyrille Martinez, which similarly describes how those charged to protect books can actually do them great harm, in this case by replacing the book with digital alternatives. In style, this book reminds one of The Little Prince and his own encounters with archetypes on his journey through the little planets. But the first book to come to my mind was Jane Langton's Hall Family Chronicles, especially The Diamond in the Window and The Swing in the Summerhouse. Here we also see children encountering serial and increasingly more difficult challenges of a philosophical and esoteric nature.

[marshakt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sweet story - affirms the things I believe in

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rintaro is a shy high school student who lives with his grandfather and keeps to himself, spending his time in the grandfather's secondhand bookshop. When his grandfather dies, it looks like Rintaro will have to sell the shop he has inherited and move in with a distant aunt he hardly knows. But a most unusual thing occurs in the form of a talking cat. This feline implores Rintaro to help him save books from owners who are abusive and neglectful. And thus begins an adventure that will take the cat, Rintaro, and his friend Sayo, to strange places where Rintaro will need to summon all the courage he possesses to demand of the owners that these abused books be released. This delightful novel may be fanciful in tone, but it also has some thought-provoking insights into the nature of books and of those people who read and enjoy them. Translated from Japanese, this well-written book is a novel that book lovers - and cat fanciers - will enjoy.