Review

Talking cat charms with its attitude

The Travelling Cat Chronicles (above) by Hiro Arikawa (left) may lack originality, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable read.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa (above) may lack originality, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable read. PHOTO: DOUBLEDAY

FICTION

THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES

By Hiro Arikawa

Doubleday/Paperback/247 pages/ $19.26/Books Kinokuniya

3.5 stars

This is a story narrated by a cat - a snarky, sharp-tongued Japanese feline with little patience for the follies of human behaviour.

Its premise may sound strikingly familiar to those who have read Natsume Soseki's famous satirical novel I Am A Cat.

However, Arikawa's light-hearted, simple tale has no such lofty ambitions.

In The Travelling Cat Chronicles, black-and-white cat Nana and his owner, Satoru, go on a cross-country road trip to find Nana a new home.

Each visit to an old friend reveals more of Satoru's past and the friendships he has built along the way.

What remains a mystery is why Satoru is so insistent on giving Nana away.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles (above) by Hiro Arikawa (left) may lack originality, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable read.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles (above) by Hiro Arikawa may lack originality, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable read. PHOTO: DOUBLEDAY

In any case, Nana deftly foils each attempt to rehome him, going so far as to stage a fight with another cat in the home of a potential adopter.

What makes this book so entertaining is its four-legged narrator with an attitude that any cat owner will immediately recognise.

Recounting an incident in which Satoru berates him for having caught a pigeon, Nana says: "Didn't Satoru complain about pigeon droppings?... Ever since that incident, the pigeons have never come near our porch again, but have I heard a word of thanks? Still waiting."

Equally charming is Nana's tough-guy exterior and air of feigned nonchalance when Satoru cuddles a kitten. "Go ahead and get all lovey-dovey with that kitten," Nana snaps. "See if I care."

In between visiting Satoru's old friends, man and cat take time to appreciate the beauties of nature - from the vastness of the ocean to the grandeur of Mount Fuji - in vivid interludes.

Arikawa's novel was translated from the original Japanese by Philip Gabriel, who was also responsible for the English translations of several Haruki Murakami novels.

Where plot and characterisation are concerned, Arikawa is not particularly innovative.

The value of The Travelling Cat Chronicles lies in its portrayal of the bond between man and animal and, despite a lack of originality, it is nonetheless an enjoyable read with a surprisingly emotional payoff.

If you like this, read: I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki (Tuttle Publishing, 2001 reprint, $28.89, Books Kinokuniya). A satirical look at Meiji-era Japanese society through the eyes of a tortoiseshell cat.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 30, 2018, with the headline Talking cat charms with its attitude. Subscribe