Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

93 reviews

colormecaro's review against another edition

lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

From reading the blurb, you know exactly what’s going to happen. Read this book for the cosy vibes, not the plot. But because the plot was so predictable, I was hoping for emotional depth which to me just wasn’t there. The last two chapters redeemed it a bit but overall it fell a bit flat for me. 

I’m not writing this because I’m a heartless person who doesnt understand pet relationships. I’ve had some very strong bonds with cats in my life (part of the reason I picked up this book) so I understand what the book was trying to do. But I think as charming as it is to have a cat narrate the book, the fact that the cat is a bit self-involved (in a very fitting cat-like manner) means that some depth had to be sacrificed along the way. Especially throughout the earlier chapters. 

I’ve ugly sobbed at other books ('Mornings in Jenin' by Susan Abulhawa is a prime example), but this book left me quite neutral. Given that it is a book about

a very close pet relationship, death, grief and the friendships one builds over a lifetime

I just think it should not have left me as cold as it did. Based on other reviews this isn’t the case for everyone, so maybe my expectations were just a bit too high.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent

hellavaral's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Animal death, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

faithtaylor's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.0

All I do is ready my silly little books and CRY.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage

imaginaryalchemist's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I love, love, love this book! It’s such a beautiful, sweet story about the bond between a man and his beloved cat. Most of the story is told through the perspective of the cat, Nana, as he and his owner Satoru travel together. 

I loved Satoru as a character, he’s so kind, warm, and compassionate despite the tragic things that have happened to him. He never let it turn him bitter. He has a good heart. Everyone should try to be a bit more like him. As a fellow cat lover I felt like we were kindred spirits. 

The ending absolutely broke me.

Towards the end of the story, it’s hinted that something is wrong with Satoru. It turns out he is dying from an unnamed illness, possibly cancer, that is causing tumors throughout his body. It’s always so heartbreaking when bad things happen to such good people. 

When he was dying and Nana ran to him I broke down and sobbed like a baby. I’ve loved and lost many cats over the years, and that bond is so precious. So many people think cats are aloof and don’t care but they are capable of so much love.

I highly recommend The Travelling Cat Chronicles to anyone who has ever loved a cat! I look forward to reading Hiro Arikawa’s other novel The Goodbye Cat. It has also made me want to read more Japanese novels!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse, Terminal illness, and Car accident

The story starts with Nana getting hit by a car and seriously injured. He does recover fully though. When Satoru is twelve years old, his parents are killed in a car accident. It is mentioned that his childhood cat, Hachi, was hit and killed by a car. It’s also revealed that he was severely neglected and abused as a baby, and his parents were actually his adoptive parents. It doesn’t go into graphic detail it is still upsetting. The ending goes into Satoru’s terminal illness and eventual death, which again while not graphic it is very upsetting.

babsbee's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I didn't know it was possible to cry from beginning to end while reading a book but this book succeeded in that task. Still, even with the crying, it's a beautiful, heart-felt book and there are moments in the book

the chapter where Satoru and Nana take their trip to Sapporo together and travel slowly through Hokkaido is so beautiful that I felt as though as I waws there

that show such beauty that I felt was there. I recommend reading this with a cat (or even a dog) curled up on your lap to help you get through it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Terminal illness

gracie_reads_everything's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Car accident

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

ollie_again's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

evfav's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Car accident

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Abandonment

xgabrielle_hx's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Terminal illness

Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

mollyb13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? No

4.0

A really sweet book about a man and his cat. The audiobook voice threw me off at first because I wasn't expecting the cat's POV to be a very proper British man... But it eventually grew on me. I loved how the book explored just how important and special an animal-human bond can be. But have tissues ready because it is definitely a tear-jerker.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Terminal illness

Moderate: Death and Death of parent