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clairew97's review against another edition
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
akpa1's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Cat and the Cityis a little like the idea of 6 degrees of separation but in book form - it brings together narratives of a pool of characters all going about their seperate but somehow connected lives in Tokyo. It's structured more like a small collection of short stories, but these are interleaved to form one cohesive text, and in a way that eventually furthers your understanding of the characters involved.
It's clearly well thought out, and it does well to resolve a lot of the questions raised by some stories within others. However, at times I found it a little hard to remember who was who and to keep all the characters' names in my head, though this didn't end up being a huge issue.
Overall, I enjoyed the book - the characters and the story felt rich and realistic but not overcomplicated. Would reccomend.
It's clearly well thought out, and it does well to resolve a lot of the questions raised by some stories within others. However, at times I found it a little hard to remember who was who and to keep all the characters' names in my head, though this didn't end up being a huge issue.
Overall, I enjoyed the book - the characters and the story felt rich and realistic but not overcomplicated. Would reccomend.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
bedazzled_bugz's review against another edition
2.0
distinct lack of the cat
much of the sleaze and sexual assault was unnecessary (Trophallaxis I'm looking at you specifically)
much of the sleaze and sexual assault was unnecessary (Trophallaxis I'm looking at you specifically)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Violence and Abortion
chloeam3103's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Murder
vickywong710's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Nick Bradley’s The Cat and The City is a patchwork of short stories and vignettes of people living in Tokyo who are all connected by the appearance of a calico cat that weaves in and out of their lives, staying for either a minute or a very long time.
We encounter characters such as a homeless man squatting in an abandoned capsule hotel, an American translator who dedicates most of her time to trying to translate a famous Japanese novel, a tattoo artist who receives an unusual commission, and a hermit who develops an unlikely friendship with a young boy as they bond over the cat.
All the characters in these stories are lonely and looking for something, be it companionship, family, love, or acceptance.
As the book goes on earlier characters stories make a appearances in later stories, connecting all these seemingly disparate episodes in fun ways.
On paper, The Cat and The City has all the ingredients of an intriguing book, making you feel like you are wandering around the streets of Tokyo like the eponymous cat. The result is more uneven, however, and the middle section of the book does drag.
In large sections of the book, the eponymous cat’s absence felt striking, to the point where one might begin to wonder why it was mentioned in the book’s title in the first place.
I also found it significant that two of the most prominent characters are white: Flo, the American translator who embodies the “going native” trope and balks at being described as a “Japanophile” preferring to be called a “Japanologist”. And George, a Brit and English teacher, who is in a relationship with a Japanese woman, Mari, and who criticises every Japanese person for not speaking English well.
Whilst the majority of the cast are local Tokyo residents, the author relies heavily on two-dimensional tropes about Japanese people, and specifically Japanese women.
Most of the Japanese women in this book have concerns that usually revolve around their love lives, and their wants and desires are oversimplified. They are also often sexualised.
One example of this is Mari, whose entire narrative centres on being George’s girlfriend. And when we get a proper introduction to her character, it is through a violent sex scene. She also brags about having a white boyfriend because dating a white man is a status symbol.
The trope of Asian women dating white men is based on some truth and the topic is deserving of exploration from many angles. But the book’s structure of fleeting stories means that Bradley never really delves deeply into the issue, or touches on the problematic aspects.
This is the case for many of the issues on which the book briefly touches. The clearance of homeless people ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, gang culture and prevalence of sexual assault also deserve more in-depth exploration than the book provides.
Sexual assault and violence is a prominent theme in the book, and a lot of the female characters are victims of it. When one female character is groped on a train (another facet of Japanese city life, chikan), it happens briefly, and the book’s treatment of the incident is so matter-of-factly that it feels jarring.
Where the book is particularly strong are the sections wherein the unnamed calico is a strong presence.
One story in the book focuses a hermit, Naoya, and 11-year-old Kensuke, who form an unlikely friendship after the pair decide to nurse the injured cat back to health. A section of the story is retold as a manga drawn by Kensuke, retelling the story of their friendship and how this friendship forces Naoyo to venture out of his apartment.
Bradley also at one point plays about with form and genre in the book, inserting a heartbreaking science fiction story about a scientist developing a robot cat.
Bradley deserves praise for not shying away from some of the more difficult and troubling facets of life in Tokyo, and also for writing about how isolating city life there can be. Yet the result is a book that is only really good in parts, and is let down by stale tropes and oversimplifications in others.
We encounter characters such as a homeless man squatting in an abandoned capsule hotel, an American translator who dedicates most of her time to trying to translate a famous Japanese novel, a tattoo artist who receives an unusual commission, and a hermit who develops an unlikely friendship with a young boy as they bond over the cat.
All the characters in these stories are lonely and looking for something, be it companionship, family, love, or acceptance.
As the book goes on earlier characters stories make a appearances in later stories, connecting all these seemingly disparate episodes in fun ways.
On paper, The Cat and The City has all the ingredients of an intriguing book, making you feel like you are wandering around the streets of Tokyo like the eponymous cat. The result is more uneven, however, and the middle section of the book does drag.
In large sections of the book, the eponymous cat’s absence felt striking, to the point where one might begin to wonder why it was mentioned in the book’s title in the first place.
I also found it significant that two of the most prominent characters are white: Flo, the American translator who embodies the “going native” trope and balks at being described as a “Japanophile” preferring to be called a “Japanologist”. And George, a Brit and English teacher, who is in a relationship with a Japanese woman, Mari, and who criticises every Japanese person for not speaking English well.
Whilst the majority of the cast are local Tokyo residents, the author relies heavily on two-dimensional tropes about Japanese people, and specifically Japanese women.
Most of the Japanese women in this book have concerns that usually revolve around their love lives, and their wants and desires are oversimplified. They are also often sexualised.
One example of this is Mari, whose entire narrative centres on being George’s girlfriend. And when we get a proper introduction to her character, it is through a violent sex scene. She also brags about having a white boyfriend because dating a white man is a status symbol.
The trope of Asian women dating white men is based on some truth and the topic is deserving of exploration from many angles. But the book’s structure of fleeting stories means that Bradley never really delves deeply into the issue, or touches on the problematic aspects.
This is the case for many of the issues on which the book briefly touches. The clearance of homeless people ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, gang culture and prevalence of sexual assault also deserve more in-depth exploration than the book provides.
Sexual assault and violence is a prominent theme in the book, and a lot of the female characters are victims of it. When one female character is groped on a train (another facet of Japanese city life, chikan), it happens briefly, and the book’s treatment of the incident is so matter-of-factly that it feels jarring.
Where the book is particularly strong are the sections wherein the unnamed calico is a strong presence.
One story in the book focuses a hermit, Naoya, and 11-year-old Kensuke, who form an unlikely friendship after the pair decide to nurse the injured cat back to health. A section of the story is retold as a manga drawn by Kensuke, retelling the story of their friendship and how this friendship forces Naoyo to venture out of his apartment.
Bradley also at one point plays about with form and genre in the book, inserting a heartbreaking science fiction story about a scientist developing a robot cat.
Bradley deserves praise for not shying away from some of the more difficult and troubling facets of life in Tokyo, and also for writing about how isolating city life there can be. Yet the result is a book that is only really good in parts, and is let down by stale tropes and oversimplifications in others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
martha070805's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
rosalind's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
cbt00004's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A book like no other I’ve read, absolutely beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, and Blood
susannederstein's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
4.5 read but want it to be included in 5 star list
very thought-provoking, interesting and out of the ordinary. loved how the different stories interlinked and all the different topics they covered. amazing writing style and world-building
loved all about it except that i often had to google the japanese words (would have liked a little dictionary thing at the end) and that the book has received criticism for being from the outsider's perspective and often not representative of japanese culture while being written in the POV of japanese people
very thought-provoking, interesting and out of the ordinary. loved how the different stories interlinked and all the different topics they covered. amazing writing style and world-building
loved all about it except that i often had to google the japanese words (would have liked a little dictionary thing at the end) and that the book has received criticism for being from the outsider's perspective and often not representative of japanese culture while being written in the POV of japanese people
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Blood, Abortion, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Cultural appropriation, and Abandonment
minxtte's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Minor: Animal cruelty, Racism, Vomit, Police brutality, and Abortion