The Cat Who Saved Books Review

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

Synopsis: A lost and lonely high school student named Rintaro Natsuki is getting ready to move in with his aunt after the death of his grandfather. Instead of attending school, he decides to hide among the books in his grandfather’s bookshop, Natsuki Books. That is, until one day, he meets a talking tabby cat named Tiger, who implores Rintaro to help him save books. However unbelievable, Rintaro agrees to help Tiger and finds himself on a journey of self-discovery and healing. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa is a beautiful and engaging novel dedicated to the preservation of stories, no matter how old or difficult to read. Essentially it is a letter to readers imploring them not to give up on the power of books and the lessons that can be derived from them. 

Review: I came across this novel by chance the other day while browsing the bookstore. Books and cats, what’s not to like? The novel is short and can be read in one sitting. The plot itself is formulaic as Rintaro must journey through three labyrinths with Tiger while facing the fourth and final labyrinth on his own. I liked the format of the story, and I thought it worked well, given it is about Rintaro’s ability to find himself and gain confidence while coping with the loss of his grandfather. On the other hand, I sometimes found the transitions between chapters or sections a little bumpy. For example, I wanted to see more from Rintaro after his initial adventure into the first labyrinth, but his reaction still seemed a bit apathetic or lackluster. In other words, I think the character could have been developed a bit further in between chapters, which may have created more flow within the plot. To be fair, my copy is a translation, so there might have been a few ideas that could have been lost during that transition. 

I was also expecting Tiger to play a larger role in the story, but he was basically just there to guide Rintaro in the vaguest way possible; however, I really like Sayo, Rintaro’s friend. She is exceptionally forward and confident, everything that Rintaro is not. Sayo is also kind and deeply cares for Rintaro, and her presence helps him to gain more confidence as an introverted and grieving teen. Despite some of the hiccups in character development and plot, I enjoyed reading it and found myself underlining several sections, which I don’t often do during casual reading.

Overall, the main themes include the importance of friendship, grief, empathy, self-discovery, and the power of books. There is also some consideration of how our modern world and the use of technology are changing the way we read, for better or for worse. I recommend this heartfelt and quirky read if you’re a bookworm and want a quick adventure!

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes: 

“Reading isn’t only for pleasure or entertainment. Sometimes you need to examine the same lines deeply, read the same sentences over again. Sometimes you sit there, head in hands, only progressing at a painstakingly slow pace. And the result of all this hard work and careful study is that suddenly you’re there and your field of vision expands. It’s like finding a great view at the end of a long climbing trail.” 

“There were many roads to choose from. What was important was not to let yourself roll along aimlessly, but to pick a road.”