The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Japanese author Hiro Arikawa, is a whimsical story of Satoru and his cat Nana, told from both their viewpoints. Translated by Philip Gabriel, it has a charming style like Miyazaki's animated film, My Neighbour Totoro, and is definitely for cat lovers.
Nana spends his time hunting and laying in the sun before meeting Satoru. The two become roommates and Satoru makes sure the cat has all he needs. Nana (meaning 7, named for his crooked tail) does not speak but we hear his inner monologue, wisecracking and with an opinion on everything. There comes a time when Satoru cannot take care of Nana anymore, and they go on a road trip to several old school friends, asking if they could take care of the cat. It's a mystery why Satoru would want to give Nana up, and with each friend we hear the history of their friendship. Arriving in Hokkaido and Satoru's Aunt, they have had many adventures on the road together - seeing a double rainbow, experiencing snow and flowers, and Nana meeting other cats. We learn why Satoru and Nana must part, but it is not the end of their friendship.
This had all the elements of a touching folkloric tale, with Nana a unique and equal character to the humans, but the emotional connection was not there for me. I felt held at a distance, recognizing a touching scene, but not feeling it. For a superb story of the inner life of animals, read The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-Mi Hwang, and while this is really a story of Satoru and friendships, I wasn't invested in the characters. I did finish, and there were some good ideas, but it didn't move me the way I hoped. Just an OK read.
This was filmed in 2018, and perhaps it makes a better movie than a novel.
2015 / Hardcover / 277 pages
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