This is quite simply a beautiful little book, and no, you don't need to be a cat lover in order to appreciate it. Though it is a novella and it can be read quickly I would not recommend doing so - there is something about this tale that makes you think about virtually every sentence, how it is written, why it is phrased in a particular way.
It is simple and lyrical in style with wonderfully descriptive and elegant prose which is to the point in a way, I at least, find typical of Japanese literature and which is very often missing from 'Western' writing. One of my favourite things about this book is that only the cats are given character names.
Though very little actually happens in the story I still felt that a journey had been travelled by the time I reached the end. It examines life and our connections and interactions with each other, our surroundings and the creatures that share this space with us. Hiraide comments on these links from the insects, plants and trees of the garden to the cats and animals that stalk these surroundings to the people that are connected to each other via this environment however tenuously.
Hiraide also examines life in all its stages starting with the young boy living next door who is the first to be adopted by the cat, Chibi, and his innocent delight in the animal. The main characters being the working, childless couple for whom work and money worries have become all they focus on. When Chibi enters their lives she gives them something else to focus on that seems to bring them closer together. Finally the old couple who own the house the main charcters live in give Hiraide the chance to discuss old age and its indignities with the old man having to leave his home, his death and its consequences.
It is hard to say much more about The Guest Cat as I think this book will affect each reader differently, however it is one that I would highly recommend.
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