Cat Who Saved Books

A Novel

by Sosuke Natsukawa, Louise Heal Kawai

English language

Published Dec. 28, 2021 by HarperCollins Publishers.

ISBN:: 978-0-06-309574-8

(14 reviews)

Grandpa used to say it all the time: books have tremendous power. But what is that power really?

Natsuki Books was a tiny second-hand bookshop on the edge of town. Inside, towering shelves reached the ceiling, every one crammed full of wonderful books. Rintaro Natsuki loved this space that his grandfather had created. He spent many happy hours there, reading whatever he liked. It was the perfect refuge for a boy who tended to be something of a recluse.

After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated and alone. It seems he will have to close the shop. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. This odd couple will go on three magical adventures to save books from people who have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Finally, there is one last …

Grandpa used to say it all the time: books have tremendous power. But what is that power really?

The Cat Who Saved Books is a heart-warming story about finding courage, caring for others – and the tremendous power of books. Sosuke Natsukawa's international bestseller, translated from Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai, is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper.

7 editions

Ann-Mi reviewed The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

Short, sweet, thoughtful

4 stars

A cat and a little bookstore - what's not to like? The story evoked a lot of visual imagery for me. It was easy to imagine, for example, a stop motion version of the story playing out while reading it. The main character is awkward indecisive, but earnest and well-meaning. He may come across as judgemental because of his love of specific types of books and how they should be treated, but he doesn't do so to be spiteful and superior - it's just what he believes. A pleasant, light read with some deeper thoughts about today's world and literature.

dellis reviewed The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

The Cat who saved books

2 stars

I'm wondering if the translation missed something? idk.

Nuryta reviewed El gato que amaba los libros by Sosuke Natsukawa

Review of 'El gato que amaba los libros' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Rintaro ha perdido a su abuelo, quien se encargó de él desde la muerte de sus padres. Ahora está a cargo de la Librería Natsuki, una librería de segunda mano en que ha disfrutado de muchas lecturas y que le ha servido de refugio ante el mundo. Siempre ha sido un hikikomori (término japonés usado para referirse a personas que han decidido apartarse de la vida social y vivir en condiciones de aislamiento), y ahora debe decidir que hará con su vida; cerrará la librería para irse con su tía, o continuará ahí manteniendo el legado de su abuelo.

A su lado estará un gran gato atigrado que se le aparece en los momentos precisos para guiarlo por tres laberintos con el fin de que resuelva ciertos dilemas que tienen que ver con el uso que se da a los libros, determinando su compromiso con la librería del abuelo. Pero también está su compañera Sayo, que por su lado le ayudará a definir si el joven está listo para ser más sociable y aceptar salir de sus libros, compartir un poco más con los demás y con ello difundir el legado real de su abuelo.

En fin, que se trata de una novela corta algo fantástica, cuestiona varios tópicos como los propósitos del mundo editorial, el poder de los libros, ¿se puede siempre aprender algo nuevo de los libros?, ¿se debe leer despacio y saboreando o es válida la lectura rápida? ¿Los libros que no se leen caen en el olvido? Así por el estilo son las inquietudes que se le presentan a Rintaro, incitándole al análisis que un joven adolescente puede plantearse y así buscar el equilibrio en su vida.

Es un libro sencillo, dirigido a niños o jovenes con inquietudes literarias.

Artem reviewed The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

Biz Neden Kitap Okuruz?

4 stars

Content warning Kitabın konusuyla ilgili spoi bulunmaktadır.

Kitapları Kurtaran Kedi, biz neden kitap okuruz sorusunun cevabını fantastik bir dünya üzerinden ele alarak anlatıyor. Kitapları gösteriş için okumak, kitap okumayı vakit kaybı olarak görüp özet peşinde koşmak ve yayınevlerinin zarar elde etmemek için kolay anlaşılabilir kitapları satmasını eleştiren bu kitap, kitap okurken eğlenmeyi bize öğretiyor.

patchworkbunny reviewed The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

Review of 'The Cat Who Saved Books' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

At times I felt this was verging on book snobbery. If people want to collect books as objects, speed read or publish books that make money (so that more books can be published!), that's all good. Making a kid read A Thousand Years of Solitude when they are struggling with it seems like a way to kill off a love of reading if you ask me. Towards the end it all felt like very mixed messaging. Should books evolve to survive or should we be just clinging on to the books of the past? I guess it would be a good book club discussion!