Book Review: The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

Book Review: The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

Quote: Until then, my life had been limited to the modest territory of Satoru's apartment and a small area around it. A decent-sized territory for a cat, really, but pretty modest compared to vastness of this world.

A cat could never see all the sights the world has to offer in one lifetime. There's just so much out there.
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A lone Satoru finds a stray male cat who loves basking on his silver van. An accident makes the cat seek his help. And since then cat is named Nana, a name he is not enthusiastic about and they live together happily for five years. Until one day Satoru sets off on a journey with him to re-home Nana, because of unforeseeable reason.

They drive through towns and Nana witnesses things for first time; sea, horses, deers, farmland, mount Fuji, graveyards.

The book is primarily told from Nana's perspective and shifts to third person narrative when required. Nana is sarcastic, witty and loyal. The duo unknowingly solve issues of people they visit, childhood friend Kouske, junior high friend Yoshimine, and high school friends Chikako and Yugi, while Noriko learns to reconnect with emotions.

Nana doesn't want to leave Satoru; ends up manipulating other pets like the Chartan the kitty, and Torumaru the dog. Satoru like every cat fanatic is too concerned to leave his Nana in hands of anyone.

Some reviews found the break of narrative distracting, I enjoyed it. I loved the shift, one said narrative's style is closer to manga. I loved the language, especially Nana saying: Bye the by or asking rhetorical questions.

Yes this book could be a lovely Makoto Shinkai animated movie. Cats are part of Japanese literature, and this Nana is part of story of love and healing. The ending was predictable not that the author intended to hide it. More like Satoru and Nana keep avoiding the truth. I wept and wept in the end.

Saddest part was when while inside ship other pets tease Nana as 'pampered' and the chinchilla scolds everyone: its the owner who is lonely. Yes we seek pets because we are lonely and they love us back unconditionally. It is not a plotless tale, it is tale of respecting friendship and saying goodbye.

The sixtieth book and most probably last of book of the year was one that I was craving for long time. I have been feeling the need to weep out and let some pent up emotions go. I read the book in train, I was tearing up inside and my co-passenger gave me the eye. And cry I did today in morning.

It reminded me of many cats I had, none of them gave me the closure to mourn them. One day they just vanished. It pains, there is a difference between loss of a cat and loss of dog. The death of a dog haunts you for days, a chunk of your life is gone. But cats they are cruel, they leave holes in your life, some holes pop up years later and they leave you sad.

Reading the book from Nana's perspective was interesting and cathartic experience. Maybe my cats had their own stupid reason to vanish, maybe they loved me too much. I love it that Nana stayed till the end and exhibits a fierce loyality in death. He is almost Hachiko level dedicated. This book is something I will keep going back to , like I go back to the book 'I am a Cat', it was heartbreaking book.

Some of the quotes are going to vibrate in my brain for days. I think I too should mourn my lost cats. This book is must for those who have ever held an animal and cared for it like it was their baby.