The Guest Cat

When you enter the tiny,light-altering environment of this setting, you should be cautious as a cat, free as a cat, independent as a cat, and lithe as a cat. Then you will be a welcome pilgrim, and tiny spaces can take on vast realizations. A lovely Zen journey not to be taken too quickly, nor to seriously. Fun, different, artistic, meaningful, and oh, so Japanese.

Nothing much "happens". Quite a lot "happens". This little gem is a minor gem, but it is still a gem. Its smallness is its strength. It is not quite, or really, elegeic, but it carries resonances of that quality, and communicates a wistfulness. It is like a painting in pale watercolors, with butterfly wings for brushes, painted on translucent silk shimmering in a breeze. It is not angst-ridden ... but there are concerns and worries.So ... all that above should tell what this delightful book is NOT about, and should tell the manner in which the story is told.The story tells of a phase in the life of a couple in their 30s, both "literary", working from their small home in a suburb of Tokyo. And then ... along comes this little cat. At first without a name. This little feline visitor enters their life subtly, aligning with them and yet being true to itself. Life goes on. And then they name the little cat. Chibi, a name of endearment. And their life goes on. For all three of them. Neighbors fall ill and die. Work has to be looked for. And life goes on. All through the story the descriptions of Chibi's behaviors and mannerisms are so beautifully caught that they could only have been seen by a lover of cats.And then there is an event of great sorrow to the couple. And still life goes on, although without Chibi.This is a story of a non-frantic, simple life, simply lived with aspirations and hopes. A life so very different from how the majority of us "live" life here in 2016 in the West (the story takes place in the 1980s).I have only one quibble. It is a major one. The ending of the book happened so suddenly. How did we get from ten pages before the end to the end itself? I did not understand the ending at all. Obviously it was not meant to be "understood" in the way I was trying to understand it. Maybe it was enigmatic? If it was enigmatic, then it was way beyond me. And so the ending spoiled, to an extent, my memory of the story, resonating and playing itself out, until fading, in my reader's mind. Oh well ...Namaste!

It was an interesting book but may have lost something in the translation. Overall, the story of loving the cat, even when it is not your cat, was an excellent story. It was easy to read but was not intriguing.

"The Guest Cat," by Takashi Hiraide is a charming story of a man and wife who rent a guest house on an estate. They spend most of their time working as writers/editors, but become very interested in the trees and flowers in the garden where they live. Their lives are routine and dominated by work until the neighbor's cat begins to pay daily visits. Not being "cat" people, at first they resist, but eventually, they set up a place for "Chibi" to sleep and eat. (They learn the cat's name by hearing the five-year-old next door calling him.) They discover that Chibi likes to play, especially with balls that he can bat into the air. Chibi's visits become the highlights of their days. They fantasize that he is "their" cat. They watch with affection when Chibi sees the five-year-old boy off to school each day.The elderly landlords grow weaker. One of them dies, and the other must go into assisted living, forcing her to sell the property. The young couple will have to move, because they cannot afford to buy the guest house. As the move approaches, they dread being parted from Chibi.Then something unexpected happens. I don't want to give a spoiler, other than to say that the explanation for the event seems weak, and grows even less plausible by the end of the story, making me wonder if it happened at all. I want to believe it did not, but that jealousy played a role. Cat lovers will find this fascinating. I'd say anyone who has ever loved a pet can identify with the emotions in this story, which is a heart-warming, short read.

I think that problems readers have with the book probably stem from cultural differences in world view rather than any actual literary failings. This book is very Japanese in that it focuses on describing/focusing on one thing at a time; its poetry lies in its illustration of place, people, and animals, not events, and that's pretty unlike Western storytelling.I, like another reviewer, found myself wanting to sketch the mansion grounds as the author described them. The author makes the property sound so real that I can't help but think it's a place I can visit to find my own Chibi.Give this book a chance; turn off your cultural blinders while you're reading and you may be surprised. The language is beautiful and flowing, and the characters and scenes charming. I do agree that the original description on NPR of the story was all wrong; this is not a story about a cat that brings an overworked couple together, this is about the elusiveness of a solution to life's mysteries, but I disagree that the ending was weak. I think it accurately reflects the effects of passage of time and provides the reader with closure.

Slow and boring. Rambling without a purpose. Translator's notes were interesting and helpful but they are at the end of the book. They should be after each chapter to be really useful. But even that really wouldn't help this book. Save your time for something else.

Inte alltid lätt men intesse

Enjoyed - cats give a new turn to solving crime!

La lettura di questo libro apre una finestra sulla vita in Giappone degli anni '80. Il gatto è un pò il fil rouge che legala narrazione. A mio parere è molto interessante, ma forse merita una seconda lettura, per essere meglio "assorbito".

This was a really sweet read and as expected with a Japanese novel, complete with beautiful lyrical descriptions. There’s a sense of loss with this book, the ending left me with questions. If you are a cat lover, I recommend this short story.

I, myself being a cat lover enjoyed the tale but I fail to understand why was the tale given such a bitter ending?? I am very much moved in fact by the simplicity and warmness of the tale it broke my heart after the main heroine of the tale was taken away from the scene... I really wish to know the fate of "Chibi" or "Tinkerbell"..what actually happened to/with her....I can't be at peace without knowing it..that question still haunts me.. Its as if it happenened with me and "Chibi" was my own The Guest Cat...