Travelling Cat Chronicles (Arikawa) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Anyone who has ever unashamedly loved an animal will read this book with gratitude, for its understanding of an emotion that ennobles us as human beings, whether we value it or not.
Lynne Truss - Guardian (UK)


It’s the wisdom and stoicism of the feline narrator that makes this book such an engaging read. Like Alison Jean Lester’s recent Yuki Means Happiness, it provides a fascinating insight into Japanese culture and traditions, but ultimately it doesn’t matter that it’s about a man and a cat. Like Of Mice and Men or The Kite Runner, Arikawa’s central concern is friendship and the things we’ll do for the people, or animals, that we love.
Irish Times


Continues the Japanese tradition of folkloric tales that celebrate simple values such as self-sacrifice and friendship. It has the warmth, painterly touch, and tenderness of a Studio Ghibli film—and is a delight to read.
Financial Times (UK)


I doubt many readers—as cynical and hardened as they may—will get through it dry-eyed.
NPR
 

The book's greatest strength is that it allows its readers to experience vicarious happiness even as a sense of impending loss begins to creep through the pages.
NPR
 

[Arikawa’s] book stands out within the world of cat literature …and it’s a world worth exploring.
Time


But as simple as both the premise and prose of The Travelling Cat Chronicles, it’s a novel that will leave your heart both comfortably full and utterly raw.
Bustle


Nana, a stray cat adopted by 30-something Satoru Miyawaki, narrates this lovely tale… [A] touching novel of a brave cat and his gentle, wise human will resonate with lovers of animal tales, quiet stories of friendship, and travelogues alike.
Publishers Weekly


Despite its seeming simplicity, the novel contains surprising depth. Arikawa artfully portrays Nana's "catness," … [pairing him] with the gentle soul of Satoru…. Gentle, soft-spoken, and full of wisdom.
Kirkus Reviews