It’s been awhile since I read a good book. This month I read The Cat and the City by Nick Bradley. It was excellent!
Each chapter detailed a different slice of life in present-day Tokyo - and a stray, calico cat wandered from scene to scene. The most charming aspect was the “aha” moment when I realized how the human character in one chapter was connected to the human character in a previous chapter. Coworkers, strangers seated at separate tables in the same cafe, fellow riders on public transit, a convenience store cashier who gives expiring food to a homeless man, different passengers in the same man’s taxi, a detective working on various cases.
My favorite chapter was about a thirty-something recluse who temporarily fostered the stray cat. The recluse and cat were befriended by a young boy. Most of the chapter was a comic book illustrated by the young boy for his school assignment. It was funny and innocent and well-drawn.
As for my favorite character, that was an American translator working for the 2020 Olympics. Her mentor taught her how to simplify Chinese characters when learning the language.
The only aspect I didn’t like in the book was the reference (twice, I think) to the cat’s mystical powers. In Japanese folklore, a special cat can shapeshift into a woman. (I learned this from the book! I didn’t know it previously.) While I understood the cultural connection, the references to a cat woman added unrealistic fantasy to an otherwise hyper-realistic story.
Now back to the library for another book…