The Guest Cat
A bestseller in France and winner of Japan's Kiyama Shohei Literary Award, The Guest Cat, by the acclaimed poet Takashi Hiraide, is a subtly moving and exceptionally beautiful novel about the transient nature of life and idiosyncratic but deeply felt ways of living. A couple in their thirties live in a small rented cottage in a quiet part of Tokyo; they work at home, freelance copy-editing; they no longer have very much to say to one another. But one day a cat invites itself into their small kitchen. It leaves, but the next day comes again, and then again and again. Soon they are buying treats for the cat and enjoying talks about the animal and all its little ways. Life suddenly seems to have more promise for the husband and wife -- the days have more light and color. The novel brims with new small joys and many moments of staggering poetic beauty, but then something happens....
As Kenzaburo Oe has remarked, Takashi Hiraide's work "really shines." His poetry, which is remarkably cross-hatched with beauty, has been acclaimed here for "its seemingly endless string of shape-shifting objects and experiences, whose splintering effect is enacted via a unique combination of speed and minutiae."
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Community Reviews
Maybe it’s the translation and/or culture gap but this book did not draw me in. In fact it often put me to sleep. There was little attempt at character development and it often felt disjointed, like a series of vignettes instead of a novel.
There were a couple tedious parts that I didn't care to read about, none of which included details of cats. I imagine that to someone who doesn't adore cats the parts about cat mannerisms would have been tedious. Luckily, I have cat lover blood coursing through these veins of mine.
This story is quiet and gives the details of time and of life passing by. It's the little things. There are no jaw dropping moments. It is sweet and a little sad (but again, there was not enough connection for me as a reader to feel sad). It was the perfect length for the story that it was.
The writing is very pretty, and I agree with other reviewers who wonder how this would read prior to translation. I imagine if it was this pretty post translation, it is absolutely beautiful in its original Japanese.
I'm going to settle on three stars because it was better than "ok" but I felt just a simmering contentment with it rather than any strong feelings. If this had been a tale about a squirrel or a goat or really any other animal other than a cat, my feelings may have slipped even further backwards.
3 Stars
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