Reviews

This book includes the first three of Souseki's cat stories. I think the translation was kind of jarring in this case. The names really threw me. I sort of wish they'd left the Japanese names and provided translations in a key or glossary or something.

Souseki uses his cat's-eye perspective to make observations on the foibles of the cat's master, his family, his friends and associates, and the residents of the neighborhood. The impression I was left with turned out to be "boy, I really wouldn't want to hang out with any of these people."

The last half of the book dragged quite a bit for me, and I can't say I was sorry that it was only stories 1-3.

I'm glad I gave it a shot, but I'll just be moving along now.

miss_anthrope's review against another edition

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The casual cruelty in the story (animal abuse) was instant and also instantly off-putting. It was not abuse porn or anything gratuitous, but rather very casual descriptions as if such animal cruelty was perfectly normal and common. Perhaps it was normal and common in Japan at that time, but I don't want to read about it.

Content Warnings

skubenjoyer's review against another edition

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2.0

Sometimes witty but mostly tedious. The English translation is in desperate need of translator's notes and commits the unforgivable sin of anglicising the characters names. Reading a distinctly Japanese novel and suddenly being introduced to characters named "Avalon Waverhouse" and "Opula Goldfield" just takes me right out of the story.

michellelouise's review against another edition

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dark funny slow-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

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