The Cat Who Saved Books: A Novel

By Sosuke Natsukawa

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: 9780063095748

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.

Book preview

Contents

Cover

Title Page

How It All Began

The First Labyrinth: The Imprisoner of Books

The Second Labyrinth: The Mutilator of Books

The Third Labyrinth: The Seller of Books

The Final Labyrinth

How It All Ended

A Note from the Translator

A Note from the Illustrator

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

How It All Began

First things first, Grandpa’s gone.

The tale that follows is pretty outrageous, but he knows that one fact is absolutely real.

It’s as real as the sun rising in the morning, and his stomach rumbling with hunger at lunchtime. He’s tried closing his eyes, blocking his ears, pretending he doesn’t know anything, but his grandfather isn’t coming back.

Rintaro Natsuki stands there silent and still in the face of this harsh reality. On the outside, Rintaro seems like a calm, collected young man. But some of the people at the funeral find him eerie. He seems too composed for a high school student who has suddenly lost his closest family member. Sticking to the corner of the funeral parlor, Rintaro’s eyes stay locked on the portrait of his grandpa.

In truth, Rintaro isn’t calm and collected at all. The very idea of death is unfamiliar to him; he can’t make the connection between it and his grandfather, a serene man who seemed to exist in a different realm. He never thought death would come for Grandpa, who relished his simple, almost monotonous lifestyle. As Rintaro looks at him lying there, not breathing, he feels detached, as if he were watching a badly performed play.

Now, lying in his white coffin, his grandfather looks just the same as ever—as if nothing has happened at all; as if any moment he might just get up, mumble Right then, light the paraffin heater, and go make his usual cup of tea. It would have felt perfectly normal to Rintaro, but it doesn’t happen. Instead, the old man remains in his casket, his eyes closed and a solemn look on his face.

The chanting of the sutra drones on and mourners pass by in ones and twos, occasionally offering Rintaro their condolences.

First things first, Grandpa’s gone.

Reality gradually begins to take root in Rintaro’s heart. He finally manages to squeeze out a few words.

This is messed up, Grandpa.

But there’s no reply.

* * *

Rintaro Natsuki was an ordinary high school student. He was on the short side, pale with rather thick glasses, and rarely spoke. There was no subject at school he particularly excelled at, and he wasn’t good at sports. He was a completely average boy.

Rintaro’s parents had split up when he was just a baby. And when his mother passed away right around the time he started primary school, he went to live with his grandfather. It had been just the two of them ever since. Such living arrangements were a little unusual for your typical high school student, but to Rintaro it was just a normal part of his dull everyday existence.

But now that his grandfather had passed away, too, the story became more complicated. His death had been very sudden.

His grandfather was an early riser, but on that bitterly cold winter morning, he wasn’t in the kitchen like usual. Thinking it strange, Rintaro poked his head into the dim, tatami-matted room where his grandfather slept. The old man was still tucked inside his futon, having already breathed his last. He didn’t look as if he’d been in pain—he seemed to Rintaro more like a sculpture of a person sleeping. In the local doctor’s opinion, he’d most probably suffered a heart attack and died quickly.

He passed away peacefully.

If you combined the kanji character for go with the one for live, you got a strange-looking word meaning to pass away. Somehow seeing this word was what had shaken Rintaro the most; it struck him as out of place.

The doctor quickly grasped the difficulty of Rintaro’s family situation, and in no time an aunt from a distant city turned up.

A kindhearted and efficient woman, she dealt with everything from the paperwork related to the death certificate to organizing the funeral and all the other formalities. As he watched her, Rintaro didn’t forget to make sure he looked a bit sad, despite the lingering sense that none of this was real. But no matter how much he thought about it, he just couldn’t bring himself to sob in front of his grandfather’s funeral photo. It felt absurd to him, and it would be a lie. He could just imagine Grandpa grimacing in his casket, telling Rintaro to stop carrying on.

In the end, Rintaro bid farewell to his grandfather in total silence. All he had left now was a concerned aunt . . . and a bookshop.

Natsuki Books was a tiny secondhand bookshop on the edge of town. The shop didn’t lose enough money to be considered a liability, nor did it make enough to be considered a fortune. It wasn’t much of an inheritance.

* * *

Hey, Natsuki, you’ve got some great books here.

The male voice came from behind Rintaro. He didn’t turn around.

Really? he asked, his eyes fixed on the bookshelves in front of him. The shelves ran from the floor all the way up to the ceiling; they were filled with an impressive number of books.

There was Shakespeare and Wordsworth, Dumas and Stendhal, Faulkner and Hemingway, Golding . . . too many to name. Some of the greatest masterpieces this world has seen—majestic, dignified tomes stared down at Rintaro. They were all seasoned secondhand books, but none of them too used or worn, no doubt thanks to his grandfather’s loving care.

By Rintaro’s feet, the similarly seasoned paraffin heater glowed orange, but despite its best efforts, the shop was drafty. Still, Rintaro knew it wasn’t only the temperature that was making him feel chilly.

So how much for these two together?

Rintaro turned his head and squinted at the books being held out to him.

Thirty-two hundred yen, he said quietly.

Your memory’s as sharp as ever.

The customer was a boy from the same high school, one year ahead of Rintaro, by the name of Ryota Akiba. He was tall and slim with a cheerful expression, and a calm, self-assured air about him that was quite likable. Along with his strong physique, built up by years of basketball training, he had one of the best brains in his year. In addition, he was the son of the local doctor. This was a boy who had a huge number of extracurricular activities—in other words, he was the exact opposite of Rintaro in every way.

And these are a bargain.

With that, Akiba began to pile five or six more books next to the register on the desk. Mr. Jack-of-All-Trades was a surprisingly avid reader, and one of Natsuki Books’s regular customers.

You know, this is a really great shop.

Thank you. Please take your time looking around. It’s our closing sale.

It was hard to tell from Rintaro’s flat tone if he was serious.

Akiba fell silent for a moment.

It must have been awful for you, he began cautiously, losing your grandfather.

Akiba swiftly returned his attention to a nearby bookcase and pretended to scour the shelves.

Seems like just yesterday he was sitting there reading, he continued, casually. It was so sudden.

Yes, I feel the same way.

Rintaro sounded as if he was just trying to be polite; even if he did feel the same way, there was no hint of friendliness or sociability in his voice. Akiba didn’t seem particularly bothered. He turned to look at the younger boy, who was still staring at the bookshelves.

But as soon as he passed away, you stopped coming to school. That’s not cool. Everyone’s worried about you.

Who’s ‘everyone’? I can’t think of a single person who would be worried about me.

Oh right, you don’t have any friends. Must make life simple. But seriously, your grandpa must be worried sick about you. You’ve probably got him so anxious, his ghost’s still wandering around. How’s he supposed to rest in peace? Your grandpa’s too old to get this much grief.

His words were harsh, but there was something gentle about the way Akiba spoke them. Because of their shared connection to Natsuki Books, Akiba had a soft spot for the younger boy and his hikikomori shut-in tendencies. Even at school, he’d sometimes stop Rintaro for a quick chat. Now his concern was obvious; Akiba had dropped by the bookshop just to check in on him.

Akiba watched Rintaro, who remained tight-lipped. Eventually, Akiba broke the silence.

So I guess you’ll be moving.

I suppose so, said Rintaro, without taking his eyes off the bookshelves. I’m going to move in with my aunt.

Where does she live?

I don’t know. Before my grandpa died, I’d never met her.

The tone of Rintaro’s voice never changed; it was impossible to get a read on him.

With a slight shrug of the shoulders, Akiba dropped his gaze to the books he’d put on the counter.

Is that why you’re having a closing sale?

Yes, Rintaro said.

"Pity. This bookshop’s collection is one of a kind. These days you rarely come across stuff like a whole set of Proust in hardcover. I finally found those volumes of Romain Rolland’s The Enchanted Soul I was looking for here."

Grandpa would be happy to hear that.

If only he was here to hear it, it would have made his day! You know, being your friend helped me get my hands on so many great books. And now you’re going to move.

Akiba’s bluntness was his way of expressing concern. Rintaro didn’t know the right way to respond, so he just stared over at the wall where there was a huge pile of books. Even for a secondhand bookshop, it was amazing that they could stay in business with the kinds of books they carried, most of which were far from the current trend, and many of which were out of print. Akiba’s compliments about the bookshop were not only said to be kind to Rintaro—there was a lot of truth in them.

When are you moving? Akiba asked.

Probably in about a week, Rintaro replied.

‘Probably’? Vague as usual!

It doesn’t matter. I don’t have any choice anyway.

I guess not.

Akiba shrugged again and looked up at the calendar that hung behind the counter.

Next week’ll be Christmas. That’s rough.

I don’t really care about Christmas. Unlike you, I don’t have any special plans.

Thanks for reminding me. Yeah, my schedule sure keeps me busy. It’s packed. You know, one of these years I’d really like to try staying up to see Santa Claus on my own watch.

Akiba cracked up laughing, but Rintaro didn’t.

Oh really, he replied quietly.

Akiba pulled a face and sighed.

I guess if you’re moving, there’s no point in making an effort to go to school, but don’t you think you should leave on a good note? There are people in your class who worry about you, you know.

He glanced at the pile of printouts and the notebooks on the counter. Akiba hadn’t brought them; a little earlier, Rintaro’s class president had dropped them off.

Her name was Sayo Yuzuki, and she lived nearby. She’d known Rintaro since primary school. She was a strong, no-nonsense type and not particularly close with the silent, hikikomori Rintaro. When she’d turned up at the shop and seen Rintaro staring blankly at the shelves, she let out a pointed sigh.

You look like you don’t have a care in the world. Guess the hikikomori life’s treating you well, huh? You doing okay?

Rintaro had shrugged. Sayo frowned, then had turned to Akiba instead.

Should you really be hanging around here? The basketball club were all looking for you.

She then turned and strode right out of the shop.

She was completely unafraid to be direct with an older boy. That was typical Sayo Yuzuki; it was her way of showing that she cared. Rintaro admired her for it.

Your class rep is always so driven, Akiba remarked. She must feel responsible for you. She didn’t need to bring you your homework herself . . .

Though Sayo didn’t live far away, Rintaro realized it still must’ve been a pain to go out of her way when the season was cold enough to see your own breath.

You can have those for six thousand yen, he said, finally getting to his feet. Akiba raised an eyebrow.

That’s kind of pricey for a closing sale.

Ten percent off. Can’t do more than that. These are literary masterpieces that you’re buying.

Classic Natsuki, Akiba said, laughing. He pulled several notes from his wallet and grabbed his scarf and gloves from the counter. As he secured his bag over his shoulder, he added:

Come to school tomorrow.

And with his trademark cheerful smile, Akiba left the shop.

Natsuki Books was thrown into silence. Beyond the door the sunset gave off a reddish glow. In the corner, the heater, almost out of paraffin, was beginning to complain.

It was about time to go upstairs and make some dinner. Even when his grandfather had been alive, it had been Rintaro’s job, so it wasn’t a big deal.

And yet, Rintaro remained motionless, staring at the shop door.

The sun sank lower in

Reviews for The Cat Who Saved Books

[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.

[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.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This grew on me, but it is no more than good. Rintaro is an introverted teenager who lives with his grandfather over the family book shop. AT the start of the book, gandfather dies and it seems that Rintaro will retreat into himself even further. Then a large talking ginger tabby cat turns up and says that Rintaro needs to help free books. So they embark on 3 different adventures where Rintaro meets various characters who claim to love books but are treating them in ways that are not entirely in keeping with that claim. There is some logic in their treatment of books, but ti doesn't quite hold true and so Rintaro saves the books form their fate, usually by speaking of his love of books, or things that he remembers his grandfather telling him of books. Into this comes Sayo, the class rep, a straight talking girl who can also see the cat (somewhat to the cat's dismay). The final adventure involves him meeting the soul of an old book who has a distorted view of the future of books. Ironically, for a book that repeats several times that reading is dying and incompatible with modern life, I listened to this, as narrated by Kevin Chen. Entirely compatible with my commute, at least. It feels to be a book for young teens, as while there is emotional matter being dealt with, Rintaro's memories of his grandfather and his tendency so shut himself away, it all feels rather unrealistic. The arguments Rintaro uses are all based on his opinion, the people he meets are extremes of perfectly reasonable ways to view books. It's rather too twee to be a great book.

[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.

[electrascaife · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An introverted teen lives with his grandfather above their modest but cozy used bookshop. When the grandfather dies, RIntaro finds it difficult to come to terms with the idea of leaving behind the shop and its books to live with an aunt he barely knows. Meanwhile, a strange talking cat comes to visit the shop and takes Rintaro on magical quests to rescue books from people who are mistreating them, and Rintaro discovers along the way that he just may need rescuing, too.I can't praise this one enough. Quiet and cozy, just like the bookshop detailed in its pages, this story is one that speaks to the heart of any book lover. The tagline could be: Zen and the Art of Enjoying a Simple Life of Friendship and Reading. Do yourself a favor and read it. Nowish.

[vanessacw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rintaro spends a lot of time at his grandfather’s bookshop, helping out, but when he dies, Rintaro is visited by a very unusual cat who can talk and who takes him on adventures in a mission to save books.This is a shortish story but packs quite a punch about how we all individually read and deal with books. It reminded me a little of Alice in Wonderland as it definitely takes the reader on a journey down the rabbit hole! It’s a magical and whimsical little tale. Never underestimate the power of books - what do books mean to you, that is the question. Quite thought provoking in its way. An enjoyable, delightful, quick and easy little read. The translation flows well, too.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Digital audiobook narrated by Kevin ShenThis is a modern fairy tale and coming-of-age story that explores the long-lasting effects books can have on us. Rintaro Natsuki is a bookish high school student who is still grieving his grandfather’s passing and dreading the required closing of his grandfather’s bookshop. The shop has been Rintaro’s refuge for so long he can hardly imagine leaving it, but he must. Entering the shop to begin the final sale before closing and moving away to live with an aunt he’s never met, Rintaro is startled to hear a voice. It is a large tabby cat, who introduces himself as Tiger., and who demands Rintaro’s help to rescue books. And thus, the adventure begins. I really enjoyed this fantasy read. Rintaro is a great character, somewhat lost and needing to find his path on life’s journey, he is a person any reader can relate to. As Tiger leads him on their adventures in the mazes, Rintaro finds his inner strength; he shows loyalty and courage, inventiveness and determination. The final task is one he must do alone, and he finds the reserves of courage that he needs to accomplish that task. He also finds peace, in recognizing that he need not be alone, for there are others who care for him and for whom he cares. Of course, set in a bookshop, the fable is full of literary references, which I greatly enjoyed. Keven Shen does a fine job of voicing the audiobook. I loved the voice he used for Tiger!

[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.

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

A nice little story.

[moosenoose · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Books have tremendous power”“This world throws all kinds of obstacles at us, we are forced to ensure so much that is absurd. Our best weapon for fighting all the pain and trouble in the world isn’t logic or violence. It’s humour.”What a cute and fun read. I adored Tiger, who was amusingly sarcastic and to the point. He was clearly intelligent and well-read, the perfect kitty. For some reason I imagined him with the voice of Patton Oswalt. I note that some reviewers described him as rude or obnoxious, but he’s a cat, he’s meant to be slightly snooty! Tiger appeared at precisely the right time for Rintaro. His life had been derailed by the death of his grandfather and he was struggling. Tiger showed Rintaro that he had the strength, courage and conviction needed to get his life back on track. With Tiger’s help, Rinatro was able to focus on the teachings of his grandfather and their shared love of books without falling apart over his death. Touching and philosophical, with a magical kitty twist, the perfect rainy afternoon read.

[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.

[viviennestrauss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book and also the gorgeous cover art. I also love that the illustrator of the cover not only created something that went with the story but gave an explanation of her work. If there is something I hate, it is bad cover art and also illustrations that do not match the story.

[fernemysteryreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rintaro Natsuki is a high school junior that was raised by his grandfather. Everything is different now as although Rintaro has inherited his grandpa's secondhand bookshop. It is the place where Rintaro feels most himself, a safe place, a place of comfort. It's hard to think of leaving the bookshop forever. It's hard to think of moving to live with an aunt he'd never met until his grandpa died. Rintaro should be going to school but that seems ridiculous when he's leaving soon. But before he leaves, a ginger tabby cat with jade eyes appears and in a deep voice tells Rintaro that his help is needed as books have been imprisoned. So begins an odyssey visiting 4 labyrinths that will forever change Rintaro's life.I read this book over the course of 24 hours. It is a book expressing a young man's loss, a young man's grief, and his realization of the meaning of lessons taught to him by his grandpa and the legacy of his inheritance. It is a story of moving beyond one's grief through compassion received and friendship.Some may believe this is a book merely for young adults as Rintaro is a student in high school and may even mimic the talking cat. I believe it is so much more. I believe it is a courageous book that expresses some of the changes in society, the circulation of misinformation, and the desire by some for control of what is read.I wish this book could be required reading by every individual that is contributing to the censorship of libraries, and the challenges to books in schools and prisons. I also wish this book could be required reading by every person that is making those decisions based on various societal pressures. If only wishing could make it so.I highly recommend this extraordinary book. I also encourage readers to take the time to read "A Note from the Translator" and "A Note from the Illustrator" as these notes reflect the thoughtfulness of their work that have added t

[tapestry100 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Books have a soul… A book that sits on a shelf is nothing but a bundle of paper. Unless it is opened, a book possessing great power or an epic story is mere scraps of paper. But a book that has been cherished and loved, filled with human thoughts, has been endowed with a soul."Just finished this little gem of book. Sosuke Natsukawa’s THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS is a love story to books and anyone who loves them.After the death of his grandfather, high school student Rintaro Natsuki finds himself at something of a loss and not sure what to do with himself. To occupy the time until he’s to move in with his aunt, he keeps up his grandfather’s routine of running the family bookshop. One day, an orange tabby appears in the shop, requesting Rintaro’s help in saving some books from being imprisoned and thus begins this fantastic story of friendship and a shared love of books. A quick read, but delightful none the less. Translated by Louise Heal Kawai. @harperviabooksAn added bonus, this fits the January selection for @a.novel.concept’s #lansingreads22 2022 Reading Challenge: a book by a Japanese writer in translation. I discovered their challenge just recently, so I’m running a little late@to the party, but I’ll catch up!

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A short/sweet fable about cats, books, love and empathy. This book is lovingly translated and its cover beautifully rendered. Boy loses close relative, skips school and finds friendship and love along the way. Sometimes it takes a talking cat to lead you past ennui and depression.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reading this book today came at the right time -- a time when books are being banned in the US because some people object to them. This book highlights how important books are, and what they do for us -- help us grow, learn, explore. Most importantly, books help us to show empathy. The book begins when Rintaro Natsuki inherits a second hand bookshop from his grandfather. Since Rintaro is a high school student, he plans to close it and move in with an aunt. But, a talking cat appears in the shop and tells Rintaro that he needs help saving books. This sets them on a journey to free the books from people who misunderstand their usefulness and their true worth. The journey takes them through several labyrinths where they discover people who think they love books, but aren't taking the time with them that is needed. I really enjoyed this fantasy book, translated from the original Japanese, because I love books. Anyone who loves books and savoring a book will enjoy this story.

[sublunarie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Theseus and the Minotaur, but with books and a talking cat!This is a beautiful little fable about connection, growth, and becoming who you are. I do wish my Japanese was good enough to read the original, as I have a feeling some things were lost in translation, but even in English the magic shines through.

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rintaro Natsuki is a bookish, unsocial high school student living with his grandfather, helping to run his grandfather's secondhand bookstore. When his grandfather dies, he gets even more withdrawn. An aunt he barely knows organizes the funeral, and makes plans to close down the bookstore, and take him home to live with her.But during the week between the funeral and the day she'll come take him home, and the removal company will take away the books, some very strange events happen. The first strange events don't quite register how strange they are. Rintaro knows he doesn't have any friends at school, so he doesn't quite know what to make of it when he gets visits at the bookstore from a boy, Ryota Akiba, who wonders why he's not attending school and also wants to buy some books, and from a girl, Sayo Yuzuki, who is his class representative. She's worried about his non-attendance, and brings him his homework. It's a bit more undeniably weird when the talking cat shows up.The cat is a big orange tabby, who says his name is Tiger. Yes, he talks. And he needs Rintaro's help to rescue imprisoned books--lock up, unread, unloved. There's a labyrinth; it might be risky.He doesn't tell Rintaro until they've left that they might not get back at all, if they don't succeed.The first labyrinth takes them to the imprisoned books, and a man who reads as many books as possible, as rapidly as possible, and never rereads them. It's reading more books than anyone else that has made him successful, important, powerful, not rereading books.This isn't loving books, and the books are locked up, never to be reread. Rintaro has to change this, but how?After this first labyrinth, there are three more, in total, and in each case, it's Rintaro who has to find the words to make these abusers of books see their importance, what they really have to offer. Mere quantity of books read isn't love of them, or speed reading and summaries, or making a profit on publishing them. On one of these adventures, Sayo comes with them, and Rintaro starts to see there's more to her than the dedicated, responsible class representative.It's the fourth labyrinth, of course, that's the greatest challenge, and makes Rintaro confront himself, and the real meaning of his grandfather's wisdom.This is a gentle, magical story, with a wonderful talking cat, a love of books, and talk about books, and Rintaro finally breaking out of his shell and connecting with the friends who have been there all along, already sharing or ready to share some of his love of books.Recommended.I bought this audiobook.

[brangwinn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When high school student Rintaro Natsuki’s grandfather dies, Rintaro is left alone in the world. His grandfather was the proprietor of a used bookstore, and rather than going to school Rintaro spends listless days in the bookstore. Friends stop by encouraging him to return to school, but Rintaro has no interest. But then a mysterious talking cat shows up and asks Rintaro to help free books. In these bizarre experiences, Rintaro finds his voice and speaks for the value of books. Rintaro discovers that his grandfather really did understand the connection between people and books, because just like people books have souls and can lead people to show empathy and understand things they could only experience through books. Translated from the Japanese, it seemed a little awkward at times, but bibliophiles will still appreciate the search for the value in reading.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 The second of four books about books I'll read this month. Rintaro and his grandfather run a musty, old bookstore. A store that cherishes older books and their authors. When his grandfather dies, Rintaro is left alone and is now going to live with an aunt he doesn't really know. Rintaro is a hikikomori, a shut in, he seldom goes to school, his life, the bookstore that he must now leave. Until a talking cat appears, a tabby named Tiger, who claims he needs Rintaro's help to save some misused books.So now the fable, adventure begins as the cat leads Rintaro through three different labyrinths, meeting different people, all whom use books in a less than ideal fashion. Another book using a mythical journey to highlight the importance of books and what they mean to readers. In the process of saving books, Rintaro will learn about himself. "A book that sits on a shelf is nothing but a bundle of paper. Unless it is opened, a book possessing great power or an epic story, is a mere scrap of paper. But a book that has been cherished and loved, filled with human thoughts, has been endowed with a soul."As I gaze at all my unread books on my shelves, lol! A feel good story that takes place during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

[ladycato · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book through the publisher via NetGalley.The Cat Who Saved Books is translated from Japanese, and is a bright, hopeful quick read that celebrates the joy and power of books. Teenage Natsuki has become a total recluse. The grandfather who raised him has suddenly died. Natsuki has always been introverted, by the depth of his loss has caused him to become a shut-in within his grandfather's secondhand bookstore. He can't even muster the will to go to school. Some classmates--not friends, as he has none--drop in the check on him out of sheer kindness, and he can really only engage people if the subject is books. Then the cat shows up. A talking cat. Who tells Natsuki that he must act to save books. And so, their adventure begins.This is really a refreshing, reaffirming book about the love of books, but also a love of life--because a person needs to both live and read. Natsuki is easy to relate to in his despair and depression, but the whole cast is wonderful. I wanted to visit this bookstore myself and see where a cat might lead me! I feel like a lot of people could use a book like this about now.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

*Downloaded a free DRC made available from the publisher through Edelweiss Plus. Thank you!*After the death of his grandfather, high schooler Rintaro finds himself alone, with the books the secondhand bookshop Natsuke Books to keep him company, until he moves in with a distant aunt. A couple of friends try to reach out to him and get him to come back to school, but it's only when a talking cat shows up asking for Rintaro's help saving books that his life starts to change.This internationally best-selling book has been translated into English and will be available in early December. This short book about the power of reading (and sometimes the ways in which our relationship to books can get twisted or out of joint) came across as very pat and simplistic, making me wonder if something got lost in translation.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Translated from the original Japanese, The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa is a quirky, fantastical tale that celebrates the importance of not only books and reading, but also human connection.Seventeen year old Rintaro Natsuki is devastated by the sudden passing of the grandfather who has raised him, and takes refuge in the second hand bookshop he has inherited. When an orange tabby cat slinks into the store and speaks to him, Rintaro wonders if grief and stress have taken their toll, but the cat, who introduces itself as Tiger, insists that Rintaro’s help is desperately needed, and leads him through the store into an alternate world to conquer the first of what will be four challenges to ‘free’ books from various states of peril.Each ‘labyrinth’ requires Rintaro to convince someone to recognise that books are more than just objects, from a wealthy man who hoards books as a status symbol, to a publisher who discards the old for the new. There isn’t anything subtle about the observations made in The Cat Who Saved Books, and they express ideas most inveterate readers would agree with. Eventually Rintaro is required to convince a wizened but sinister figure that books and reading have value to humanity, and hold a unique power.“I think the power of books is that- they teach us to care about others. It’s a power that gives people courage and also supports them in turn….Empathy - that’s the power of books.”In between these quests, Rintaro who identifies as a hikikomori (a Japanese term loosely translated as a shut-in or extreme introvert) is left to ponder on the lack of balance in his own life from his own habit of taking refuge in books to avoid human connection and experience. This is illustrated by the connection he forms with a persistent classmate, Sayo Yuzuki.Though I feel the tone is skewed towards a young adult audience, The Cat Who Saved Books is a charming, uncomplicated story that will speak to the soul of book lovers.

[jjbooklvr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A love letter to books, reading, first love, and introverts!