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A review by warlocksarecool21
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
The Cat Who Saved Books is a clever story about the power of books and reading, but also about finding yourself after experiencing a great loss. We follow Rintaro Natsuki, a teenage boy who lived with his grandfather taking care of their bookshop until the grandfather passed away. After, he is facing an imminent move with a distant aunt and a life without the bookshop until he meets a talking cat who requires his help to save books. This story is whimsical and funny, but it has profound messages about what books mean to us and the impact they have on their lives.
The writing was simple and rather direct (which may be a feature of it being a translated work) but I think it serves the narrative well for the topics explored. I also listened to the audiobook and the narrator Kevin Shen was very good and I didn’t mind the writing style that way.
The story itself is clever and witty, the labyrinths Rintaro goes through representing various discourse you often see in the book & publishing community. While I won’t spoil what exactly happens, Rintaro has to face people that only see books for their marketability, as commodities and status symbols instead of powerful gateways to other worlds and the universal experience of humanity. These discussions gave me a lot to reflect on and really made me appreciate how often we take books for granted.
I think the most important component of this story is Rintaro’s character development. He’s mourning the loss of his grandfather (although his grief doesn’t manifest how you would expect it) and what that means for his life, but over the course of the novel you see him grow into his personality and realize what’s important to him. I also really enjoyed how in each of the labyrinths Rintaro would reflect on what his grandfather taught him and how he shaped Rintaro’s life even though he is gone now.
The Cat Who Saved Books is a charming and heartwarming story that I think any book lover would enjoy.
The writing was simple and rather direct (which may be a feature of it being a translated work) but I think it serves the narrative well for the topics explored. I also listened to the audiobook and the narrator Kevin Shen was very good and I didn’t mind the writing style that way.
The story itself is clever and witty, the labyrinths Rintaro goes through representing various discourse you often see in the book & publishing community. While I won’t spoil what exactly happens, Rintaro has to face people that only see books for their marketability, as commodities and status symbols instead of powerful gateways to other worlds and the universal experience of humanity. These discussions gave me a lot to reflect on and really made me appreciate how often we take books for granted.
I think the most important component of this story is Rintaro’s character development. He’s mourning the loss of his grandfather (although his grief doesn’t manifest how you would expect it) and what that means for his life, but over the course of the novel you see him grow into his personality and realize what’s important to him. I also really enjoyed how in each of the labyrinths Rintaro would reflect on what his grandfather taught him and how he shaped Rintaro’s life even though he is gone now.
The Cat Who Saved Books is a charming and heartwarming story that I think any book lover would enjoy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death