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yars_reading_corner's review
5.0
I LOVEEE how wisely this book has been written, there is a lot of modern Japanese societal norms mentioned in it but also, it was definitely written by someone who loves books and there are some coats that I just loved so I'll be blunt and highlight them down below;
“Here at the world’s number one publishing company, we don’t publish books to inform or teach people. We print the books that society wants. We don’t care about issues such as messages that need to be imparted, or philosophy that needs to be handed down to the next generation. We don’t care about any harsh reality or difficult truths. Society isn’t interested in things like that. Publishers don’t need to worry about what they should be telling the world; they need to understand what the world wants to hear.”
“Your feelings about a book don’t determine its value. The number of copies in circulation does. In other words, in our society it is the banknote that is the arbiter of value.”
“Books teach us how to care about others.”
“Books are filled with human thoughts and feelings. People suffering, people who are sad or happy, laughing with joy. By reading their words and their stories, by experiencing them together, we learn about the hearts and minds of other people besides ourselves. Thanks to books, it’s possible to learn not only about the people around us every day, but people living in totally different worlds.”
“Here at the world’s number one publishing company, we don’t publish books to inform or teach people. We print the books that society wants. We don’t care about issues such as messages that need to be imparted, or philosophy that needs to be handed down to the next generation. We don’t care about any harsh reality or difficult truths. Society isn’t interested in things like that. Publishers don’t need to worry about what they should be telling the world; they need to understand what the world wants to hear.”
“Your feelings about a book don’t determine its value. The number of copies in circulation does. In other words, in our society it is the banknote that is the arbiter of value.”
“Books teach us how to care about others.”
“Books are filled with human thoughts and feelings. People suffering, people who are sad or happy, laughing with joy. By reading their words and their stories, by experiencing them together, we learn about the hearts and minds of other people besides ourselves. Thanks to books, it’s possible to learn not only about the people around us every day, but people living in totally different worlds.”
averagehuman85's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kururuns's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
decadentrider's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
judith_93's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lavendermarch's review against another edition
4.0
This was a cute, quick read with a sweet, inspiring story that was entwined with nuggets of wisdom about books, reading, and life. It reminded me a bit of Before the Coffee Gets Cold with its four-part structure, but The Cat Who Saved Books followed one main character (plus the aforementioned cat and Sayo, ) throughout, although he visited four different labyrinths. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other book lovers. I didn't agree with absolutely everything that it said (you don't always have to climb mountains when reading; in my opinion, gentle hikes are perfectly fine most of the time!) but the line that "empathy [...] is the power of books" really resonated with me. 4 stars.
Spoiler
the protagonist's classmate/friend/love interestjsdana's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
gae's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
My first read for the year is about reading and books. And an entry to #JanuaryInJapan.
What would you do when a talking cat suddenly approaches you and asks for help to save books? If you're on it, that's what Natsuki, the main character of the story, did. He embarked on an adventure that not only made him save books but also made him ponder about his love for books and reading. Perhaps I expected a lot from this book. Or maybe it had to do with the translation. But still I love that it gives off the fantastical elements of a Studio Ghibli animated film. I love Tiger, the tabby cat, even if he was sarcastic and quite nasty towards Natsuki. 😼❤️
What would you do when a talking cat suddenly approaches you and asks for help to save books? If you're on it, that's what Natsuki, the main character of the story, did. He embarked on an adventure that not only made him save books but also made him ponder about his love for books and reading. Perhaps I expected a lot from this book. Or maybe it had to do with the translation. But still I love that it gives off the fantastical elements of a Studio Ghibli animated film. I love Tiger, the tabby cat, even if he was sarcastic and quite nasty towards Natsuki. 😼❤️
arisol's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Very enjoyable, quick read. I was drawn to the story and it reminded me of some of my favorite novels that are sincerely about the love of books. I'm sure the translator did an excellent job, but I always acknowledge that something may be lost in translation - most of which felt to be related to the dialogue for me. However, the messaging is sweet and the characters are easy to appreciate.