Rating: 8.3/10.
Warning: this review contains major spoilers.
A heartwarming novel set from the point of view of a cat called Nana. In the introduction, he used to be a stray cat living in the street, and he is hit by a car and then rescued by a man, Satoru, who takes him in. Throughout the book, narrated from the perspective of this cat, Satoru goes around Japan visiting various childhood friends as Satoru tries to find a new owner for the cat without revealing why.
The first one is Kosuke from elementary school, who liked cats, but his parents would not allow them to have a cat in the house, so Satoru picked up the stray cat called Hachi and brought him in. Suddenly, his parents died in an accident, and he moved away to live with his aunt, and they don’t talk to each other again. He then goes to visit Yoshimine, who is now a farmer and used to be a friend in middle school. Back in that time, they had a lot of adventures and got into trouble as well.
The third friend runs a hotel near Mount Fuji and used to be a friend in high school, Suki, and his wife Chikako. It’s revealed that both Satoru and Suki had feelings for Chikako during high school and university, and the guilt of Suki about getting married to Chikako, and he also decides not to take in the cat. Finally, it is revealed that Satoru is actually dying of illness and goes to visit his aunt Noriko in Hokkaido, where he lived after his parents died, and that’s where they spend the final days in the hospital.
The overall story describes one by one how the life of Satoru is uncovered through stories between various friends and reveals how his life tragically unfolded through each period and how childhood friends gradually grew distant. His final journey around Japan is one of acceptance and final farewell to various people who used to play an important part in his life, and none of them knew about his condition. They weren’t sure why he was giving away his cat, but he gave an evasive answer and they didn’t press further. In Japanese culture, it’s common to accept ambiguity and not push too hard in order to keep relationships together in a state where things are better left unsaid. There is final relief as what has been bottled up is finally released, where everybody comes together in a form of acceptance. This story has many details that reveal how cats behave and think and is especially loved by pet lovers, but it’s also an enjoyable read for non pet-owners.
