The Cat Who Saved Books

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In the same way that music is made up of more than notes, books are more than just words. Sosuke Natsukawa Don’t hurt anyone. Never bully people weaker than yourself. Help out those in need. Some would say that these rules are obvious. But the truth is, the obvious is no longer obvious in today’s world. What’s worse is that some people even ask why. They don’t understand why they shouldn’t hurt other people. It’s not a simple thing to explain. It’s not logical. But if they read books they will understand. It’s far more important than using logic to explain something. Human beings don’t live alone, and a book is a way to show them that.” Rintaro's (now deceased) grandfather's wise words about the trials and rewards of reading were heartfelt and thought-provoking.

Which is all very lovely. I’m reminded of Roberto Bolaño writing about wrestling with the great, dense classics ‘ when the great masters struggle against that something, that something that terrifies us all, that something that cows us and spurs us on, amid blood and mortal wounds and stench,’ but that its all worth it because ‘ reading is pleasure and happiness to be alive or sadness to be alive and above all it's knowledge and questions. (from 2666). The second of four books about books I'll read this month. Rintaro and his grandfather run a musty, old bookstore. A store that cherishes older books and their authors. When his grandfather dies, Rintaro is left alone and is now going to live with an aunt he doesn't really know. Rintaro is a hikikomori, a shut in, he seldom goes to school, his life, the bookstore that he must now leave. Until a talking cat appears, a tabby named Tiger, who claims he needs Rintaro's help to save some misused books. Being able to express shallow words of sympathy in a sweet voice doesn't make someone a caring, compassionate soul. What's important is the ability to have empathy for another human being--to be able to feel their pain, to walk alongside them in their suffering.” Claro, tiene sus detallitos. La trama no tiene un gran desarrollo, sus personajes femeninos no están bien construidos y su aporte a la historia es mínimo. Y la librería, me hubiera gustado que fuera otro personaje de esta historia, pero también quedó reducido a unas cuantas descripciones.No sé si ha influido mucho o poco el hecho de que llevaba una racha malísima en lecturas y, prácticamente las cuatro últimas lecturas me han parecidos un tostón, pero el caso es que “El gato que amaba los libros” ha llegado a mis manos justo en el momento que más lo necesitaba. Me ha sacado de esta racha, ¡y de qué manera! Si tuviera que definirlo diría que es como si metemos en una cazuela una pizquita de “El principito”, unos granitos de “El castillo ambulante" y unas gotitas de “Alicia en el país de las maravillas”, sumándole a todo esto un toque tierno a lo Kazumi Yumoto, con una narración cómoda y relajada, pero preciosa como solo los japoneses saben hacer, y añadiéndole, además, gatos que hablan y un amor por los libros que se palpa en cada página. Si mezclamos todo esto y lo calentamos a fuego lento nos encontramos con “El gato que amaba los libros”. The Cat Who Had 14 Tales, 1988 ( ISBN 0-515-09497-8): an anthology of unrelated short stories involving various cats. Note that Qwilleran, Koko and Yum Yum do not appear in these tales.

The Cat Who... Reunion Cookbook, 2006 ( ISBN 0-425-21188-6) by Julie Murphy and Sally Abney Stempinski, with foreword by Braun Iba a esta historia sin expectativas, admito que comencé a leerla solo por su portada, pero me he llevado una gran sorpresa. Reading isn’t only for pleasure or entertainment. Sometimes you need to examine the same lines deeply, read the same sentences over again. Sometimes you sit there, head in hands, only progressing at a painstakingly slow pace. And the result of all this hard work and careful study is that suddenly you’re there and your field of vision expands. It’s like finding a great view at the end of a long climbing trail.” After his grandfather's passing, introvert Rintaro skips school and hides away in his grandfather's secondhand bookstore immersing himself in his favourite books. A talking tabby cat appears and asks for his help to save all books by completing three quests. I have always suspected this, deep in my book-loving little heart. What I had not knows was the counterpoint: “Just as a person’s soul can be warped by suffering, so can the soul of a book.”Then there's the insistent higher pitched meow that is repeated every few seconds that says, I demand you bring me food or clean the poo in my litter box. Now. Pues me ha gustado, es un libro que se sale un poco de lo que suelo leer, pero la lectura ha sido fácil y amena. Un libro que nos intenta transmitir que los libros son algo mas de páginas escritas, que tienen un valor intrínseco, que tienen ALMA.

I would gladly pay for a book offering a collection of the illustrator's charming work, but the story, not so much. Books are an excellent tool, but without experiencing life as well as books, we just become ‘ an old encyclopaedia, his head stuffed with out-of-date information,’ wasting away on the shelf of our own lives without the lessons being of use to anyone. In chapter 1, “How It All Began,” Rintaro fondly remembers his grandfather’s morning tea ritual, performed every day after cleaning the bookshop. In his journeys Rintaro meets other tea-drinkers, including the Imprisoner of Books and the Mutilator of Books. Between adventurers, Rintaro makes tea for Sayo, using his grandfather’s white teapot and Wedgewood cup. At the end of the story that tea set appears again. Books can't live your life for you. The reader who forgets to walk on his own two feet is like an old encyclopaedia, his head stuffed with out-of-date information. Unless someone else opens it up, it's nothing but a useless antique.” Of course, everyone is eager to assert their own uniqueness, but since everyone is equally obsessed with asserting it, then there’s nothing unique about anyone. Sosuke Natsukawa

Hi, I’m Sonia!

The Cat Who Saved Books is whimsical, magical, and charming. It pays homage to books and those who love reading them. It's uplifting and sweet, a sort of modern fairy tale. Not my usual type of book but because there's a talking ginger cat, I couldn't resist. Recommend to book lovers and cat lovers and the lovers of both. Ben kitapları seviyorum, onlarla olmayı-dertleşmeyi-gülmeyi.. Çıkarsız yaklaşımlarını, kapsayıcılıklarını, şefkatlerini.. They say that people don’t read anymore. But that’s just not true. They’re too busy. There really is a limit to the time they can spend on reading. But there are so many books they want to read.