3.5
The Goodbye Cat
ByPublisher Description
In the much-anticipated follow-up to the bestselling and beloved The Travelling Cat Chronicles, seven cats weave their way through their owners’ lives, climbing, comforting, nestling, and sometimes just tripping everyone up in this uplifting collection of tales by international bestselling author Hiro Arikawa.
Against the backdrop of changing seasons in Japan, we meet Spin, a kitten rescued from the recycling bin, whose playful nature and simple needs teach an anxious father how to parent his own human baby; a colony of wild cats on a popular holiday island show a young boy not to stand in nature’s way; a family is perplexed by their cat’s undying devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father; a woman curses how her cat will not stop visiting her at night; and an elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be in each other’s lives forever.
Bursting with love and warmth, The Goodbye Cat exquisitely explores the cycle of life, from birth to death—as each of the seven stories explores how, in different ways, the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down. A huge bestseller in Japan, this magical book is a joyous celebration of the wondrousness of cats and why we choose to share our lives with them.
Against the backdrop of changing seasons in Japan, we meet Spin, a kitten rescued from the recycling bin, whose playful nature and simple needs teach an anxious father how to parent his own human baby; a colony of wild cats on a popular holiday island show a young boy not to stand in nature’s way; a family is perplexed by their cat’s undying devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father; a woman curses how her cat will not stop visiting her at night; and an elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be in each other’s lives forever.
Bursting with love and warmth, The Goodbye Cat exquisitely explores the cycle of life, from birth to death—as each of the seven stories explores how, in different ways, the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down. A huge bestseller in Japan, this magical book is a joyous celebration of the wondrousness of cats and why we choose to share our lives with them.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Goodbye Cat Reviews
3.5
“This book was really cute overall. Finding hachi, the last story and the cat island really made me tear up. The goodbye cat and the bringing up the baby were cute as well. the other 2 stories didnt resonate as much with me.
However, all the cats and their thoughts were so cute i loved reading it.”
“The Goodbye Cat is an anthology of short emotional stories all surrounding cats, what’s not to love?
This was a cosy, heartfelt read. Not entirely ground breaking but a nice little pallet cleanser between more darker stories. I really liked how some of the stories were told through the cat’s witty perspectives.
I especially liked the first story, it made me very emotional. I know the title of the book is called “The Goodbye Cat” but I feel that any animal death will strike you in a way. I also really liked the last story and how it tied in other stories in the book, it felt like a good ending (although a very sad one).
This book was an emotional but cosy read you can finish within a few days, although not entirely ground breaking it is very sweet.”
“Missing some of the magic of The Travelling Cat Chronicles, but still a sweet little read.”
About Hiro Arikawa
Hiro Arikawa is a renowned author from Tokyo. Her novel The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a bestseller in Japan and has been made into a feature film.
Philip Gabriel is a highly experienced translator of Japanese and is best known for his translation work with Haruki Murakami.
Philip Gabriel is a highly experienced translator of Japanese and is best known for his translation work with Haruki Murakami.
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