This is very charming story about the very unusual journey of a cat and his human.

Nana the cat (do not ask about the reason for the name!) is a smart street cat when he meets his human, Satoru. And they live well together from since. Till the moment Satoru informs Nana that he needs to find him the new home. So they travel to meet Satoru's various friends...

This is wise, warm and comforting read. The style is almost like a tale for kids, but the way the Little Prince is - not really a tale for the kids, even when kids can get much out of it with their wise innocence. Because this novel is truly good about emotions - the feelings are sharply observed and ring true. They are well explained with just a few simple words, but these words go straight to the heart.
There is something very comforting about Satoru's goodness - you simply want to be a better person because of him, because of knowing him and his ever grateful, hopeful attitude. Sometimes the goodness can scare people, but this is not the case here.
No-nonsense and ever independent Nana is a funny companion on the journey. Nana tells the things the way they are, but he is also kind. And a very, very sharp and sensitive observer.
I happen to love several cats, but I have learned much here about them. The author's love for these and other animals is totally out there and you absolutely get it (or you might want to get it, if there is no beloved animal in your world).
The bond between Nana and Satoru goes very deep and their love shine more and more with every page, the more you get the true meaning of their journey.

And there is so much hope! The novel is sad the way the Japanese books are, yet it also shines with the vulnerability these reads have. And it is the vulnerability and the knowledge of that is it better to love than to be safe that warms your heart. Because we live in the cold world, so we work on belittling our true hearts. Yet somewhere deep we hope for the love to overcome our walls and our realities. Nana and Satoru love each other with this love, and who cares if one of them is an animal! Everyone who ever has a beloved animal, can attest to this fact.
But there is much more love because of these two in the world. The love of the lasting kind.

Recommended read.

It took me a long time to get around to reading this book but I'm so pleased I did - it was delightful. An insight into some aspects of Japanese life and then ultimately a weepy yet heartwarming story. I smiled & sobbed while reading this book and loved the feline perspective.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

I admit that what drew me to this book was the black cat on the cover. Having owned cats for most of my life, the premise of a book told from the point of view of a cat was endeering if a bit twee.

At first, the book is going down this twee direction, the style is very simple, almost naive and yet after the first section of the book I was completely drawn in.

Saturo and his cat Nana, go on a series of road trips to find a new home for Nana, since for some reason Saturo will soon no longer be able to look after Nana. We don't initially know what's going on and neither does Nana, but after each possible new home, Nana comes back home with Saturo. Visiting old friends, we learn a lot about Saturo and his life as well as the value he places in friendship.

It is a book about the love for a feline companion, friendship and loneliness. It is a book for those of us, who have loved a cat in their life or maybe more than one. Yes, it is a bit sentimental, yes the writing style is a bit simple, but that did not make it less impactful for me. On the contrary, I sobbed like I have not done in a long time and yet, I was also strangely happy at the end of this book. I believe the publisher's words said something about a "feel good novel" and although this phrase is maybe not quite right, I did feel slightly lighter and happier at the end, simply because Hiro Arikawa gets something so many people don't get: the deep friendship you can have with a pet

This little book is one to own in hardcover. The cover is just perfect but then I have always had a thing for black cats:)

The travelling cat is not black but white with patches and he really does travel around Japan with his owner Satoru. Much of the dialogue belongs to this cat and for the early part of the book I was not sure how it was going to go. It was a little slow and a little too simple but as it progressed things improved.

The cat called Nana (Japanese for seven because his tail was bent like a number 7) was very intelligent even for a cat and had many profound understandings of human nature and also of the sights he saw in his travels. By the end I was completely engrossed and of course reaching for the tissues - one drawback of animal stories, they always have sad endings.

[book:The Travelling Cat Chronicles|34728079] is very obviously a book by a Japanese author. It has a certain flow to the words and the way the characters interact reminded me very much of [author:Haruki Murakami|3354]. I presume it is a good translation since it reads so well. Recommended especially if you are an animal lover:)

During the Christmas season, I often tend to turn to feel-good stories, which is one of the reasons why I picked up this book. I was definitely not disappointed. The Travelling Cat Chronicles delivers exactly what it promises: a heartwarming story about a street-cat and his new human friend, and the way in which life can be enjoyed, even when it doesn't quite go as planned.

Nana has always been proud of his ability to survive on the streets and his complete independence. When an accident leaves him in need of help, it is human Satoru who steps in, welcomes Nana in his home and nurses him back to health. Touched by Satoru's behaviour, and impressed by his ability to understand feline needs, Nana decides to stick around. Everything seems to be going really well for this unlikely pair of friends, until Satoru takes Nana on a trip around the country to visit old childhood friends, hoping one of them will become Nana's new owner.

Narrated from Nana's point of view, this book lets us delicately in on Satoru's character and his past. Through his encounters with old friends, we gradually develop a full picture of this young man, gaining an understanding of the choices he made, and how he influenced the lives of those around him. As Nana starts to understand the complexities of his owner's life, and worries about the reasons underlying their imminent separation, we too grow closer to both of them, which makes the parting definitely harder.

Nana is a funny and highly sarcastic narrator, and I deeply enjoyed seeing the world through his eyes. It was a refreshing experience and definitely added depth to the story. I really enjoyed how all the characters were developed and exposed gradually, with the complexities and contradictions typical of humans. I have to say, for the beginning I was pretty sure of what "the big reason" for Satoru having to give Nana up would be, and I was right. This, however, did not make it any easier for me when everything was eventually revealed, and I did tear up a little towards the end, notwithstanding the fact that I had figured it out before.

Bittersweet and deeply poetical, this is the perfect read for you if you love animals or travel, or if you're simply looking for a cozy book to curl up with on a cold winter night.

This novel is a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of love and companionship and it perfectly illustrates the strong bond that can be created between a human and his pet - a bond stronger than anything, a relationship not marred by the trivialities which often characterise human relationships, but one which truly lasts forever. The writing is smooth and creates a calm atmosphere very fitting to Japanese literature, even when the reason why Satoru is unable to keep Nana is revealed and the story becomes an utter tear-jerker. I really enjoyed the narrative voice of Nana, it was poignant and observant enough, exactly how I imagine a cat's perspective would be in real life.

I decided to read this small novel because I recently adopted a lovely kitten and the blurb promised a “tender feel-good story of a man's journey around Japan with a streetcat. ” As I feel nothing but love for my fur ball, I thought this was going to be the perfect companion for the moments Arya decides to sleep in my lap and I have to keep still 2 hours so I do not disturb the princess. It started as promised, a funny story from the cat’s perspective but then it became a bitter-sweet account of friendship, loss and love. And the ending, well, it broke my heart in million tiny pieces. I read the last pages on the plane and I was pretending to look out of the window so the other passengers would not see the tears streaming down my face. I probably should have expected this since the writer is Japanese and I am yet to read an entirely joyful novel coming from that country.

The novel starts in the mind of a successfully stray male cat that starts to accept food from a kind-hearted stranger. After he is badly injured by a car, he is taken in by the cat-lover and soon becomes a beloved pet to Satoru Miyawaki. They become increasingly attached with one another and it comes as a surprise when Satoru begins to search for someone to adopt the cat, now named Nana, because he was unable to keep her any longer. The 2 companions embark on a trip along the Japanese islands (unsuccessfully) searching for the perfect human replacement. It becomes the perfect pretext to visit old friends from Satoru’s past and re-live important moments from his childhood.

Nana’s voice is exactly as I imagine a cat talk. Ironic, witty, straight forward, overconfident and reluctant to fully admit its feelings of love for his human companion. The cat’s nuggets of wisdom are mingled with a 3rd person account of the trip and the recollection of Satoru’s relationship history with each person they visit.

Although in the beginning the prose feels very simple and naive, it soon becomes clear that it is a bit more than a feel-good story about a cat and her master. It was sweet, endearing and sad as I learned more about Satoru’s childhood and I started to guess the reason he had to abnadon his dear furry friend.

Although they were a tear jerker, I still loved Satoru and Nana’s adventures and I warmly recommend this novel to anyone with a heart and love for animals.

I thank Netgalley, Hiro Arikawa and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a charming and heartbreaking story about a cat and his owner traveling across Japan trying to find a new home for the cat. The story starts out, innocently, with the tomcat's point of view, from before he knew his future owner Satoru, before the cat's got a name.
Being a catlover this book sucked me right in from the very start. Nana (the cat) portrays a good picture of a cat, he is very much like the sarcastic and sassy way most cats will be described by their owners. And the voice of a feline is very much alive and personified in Nana.
As the story goes on Nana warms up and we learn more about Satoru and his past. The bond between Satoru and Nana grows with each chapter. While reading I did not want this book to end, I did not want to get to the final chapter and I had to take breaks from reading (Hence why this review is over a week later than I planned).
The end is inevitable, unless I quit reading the book, and it is heartbreaking. In order to avoid spoilers I will not discuss the ending of this book. However, I will warmly recommend this book to any catlover and anyone who enjoys Japanese literature, because this book hits home in both departments. From the first page, like with Murakami, you know you are reading a book translated from Japanese: it is just how the story is narrated, the way everything is described and the attention to vivid details that pops out at you. And going with a sarcastic, sassy and a little stoic cat, you can never go wrong.

Such a beautiful book translated from the original Japanese.
Nana the cat is taken in by a caring man & the bond between them grows to be life-affirming. Sakoru then takes Nana on a journey trying to find a new home for him for the saddest reason. On this journey, while both characters reconnect & met with people from Sakoru's past they both find that there is no way that the two of them can part.
Touched me so much, but not a novel where I ended up ugly crying at the end (FYI - Lily & The Octopus). Even though it does have a melancholy ending you feel so happy for having read it.
Loved this & hugely recommend.

Today I want to introduce you to a heartwarming yet heartbreaking book narrated mostly by a cat. Nana (it means 7 in japanese, but it is also a girl's name) is a stray cat living in Tokyo, or better said, he was until Satoru welcomed him into his life and heart. Nana used to be an independent cocky cat that couldn't care less about humans, his relationship with Satoru was simply that of a "food provider". No strings attached. However, fate had another plan: a car accident brought them together and Nana became Satoru's cat.

Five years ahead, Nana tell us the stories surrounding a car trip he and Satoru took. While visiting Satoru's friends and relatives across the country, Nana gets to experience the beauty of Japanese nature, learn about Satoru's past and reaffirm his bond with his owner. Through his eyes, we are able to experience a world full of beauty, friendship, devotion, and the inevitable bittersweetness of life.

It has a special charm that it is narrated by a cat. It strips the story from human biases and allows it to focus on the simple truths that connect us all. It starts very trivial but, as the story progresses, you get immersed into their journey. A profoundly emotional journey of retrospection that makes you think about what is truly important in life, how our actions affect others and the immeasurable value of the bonds we form.

My ipad got covered in tears. Japanese authors tend to pull my strings and show me the beauty of the world and human soul while tearing my heart apart. If you enjoy stories with emotional focus, I couldn't recommend this enough. It is not the drama but the beauty of their relationship that will make you smile, laugh, cry and claim their journey as yours.

The cat in this story begins as a nameless stray, willing to accept food from a kind-hearted human but happy living on the streets of a Japanese town. He permits himself to be taken in after an incident with a car leaves him with a badly broken leg and soon finds himself a beloved pet, with a name and a strong attachment to Satoru Miyawaki, his rescuer. He has become a fully fledged companion animal and, although he’s sure he could go back to living as a stray, he becomes as attached to Satoru as a cat can. So, when Satoru begins trying to find someone to take the cat, now known as Nana, off his hands we are, initially, confused. As Satoru takes Nana to visit various friends from his childhood and early adulthood (to see if cat and friend are compatible – they never quite are…) we begin to realise that there must be a serious reason for him to be parted from his beloved pet. It didn’t take me until the final scenes of the book to realise what this ‘serious reason’ was but it was only the closing few pages that had me sobbing.

This was a wonderful book. Beautifully written (and translated) with a lovely contrast between the personalities of sensitive, kind Satoru and tough, straight-talking Nana it tells a deceptively simple story of a young man seeking to rehome a pet. But the heart of the book is a reminder of the fact that we are made most human by the love we show for others (even if you are, in fact, a cat).

I admit that what drew me to this book was the black cat on the cover. Having owned cats for most of my life, the premise of a book told from the point of view of a cat was endeering if a bit twee.

At first, the book is going down this twee direction, the style is very simple, almost naive and yet after the first section of the book I was completely drawn in.

Saturo and his cat Nana, go on a series of road trips to find a new home for Nana, since for some reason Saturo will soon no longer be able to look after Nana. We don't initially know what's going on and neither does Nana, but after each possible new home, Nana comes back home with Saturo. Visiting old friends, we learn a lot about Saturo and his life as well as the value he places in friendship.

It is a book about the love for a feline companion, friendship and loneliness. It is a book for those of us, who have loved a cat in their life or maybe more than one. Yes, it is a bit sentimental, yes the writing style is a bit simple, but that did not make it less impactful for me. On the contrary, I sobbed like I have not done in a long time and yet, I was also strangely happy at the end of this book. I believe the publisher's words said something about a "feel good novel" and although this phrase is maybe not quite right, I did feel slightly lighter and happier at the end, simply because Hiro Arikawa gets something so many people don't get: the deep friendship you can have with a pet.

What a delightful book the way it is written had me looking at my cats in a different way. I laughed and cried at the way Nana was in charge. A lovely book highly recommended

A really well-written, deep and emotional story about friendship between a human and a cat . The human, Satoru Miyawaki finds a cat who he names Nana as a stray who sleeps on his silver van . He gradually feeds Nana and gains his trust . But Satoru has a secret ...
Suddenly even though he loves Nana he tries to find a home for him, asking family and friends if they could possibly take Nana in , Satoru and Nana set out on a journey to try to find the cat a new home but everywhere they try a problem arises so Satoru ends up taking Nana with him . They visit the sea, the cemetary to tend to his parents and grandparents graves and have a lot of nice time in nature together .
When they arrive at the home of Satoru;s aunt, Noriko and the devastating truth is finally revealed !
This is an amazing book, it makes you laugh because Nana's point of view and thoughts are sarcastic and very catlike , then it makes you cry ! The last chapter was difficult to read for me personally, it was completely unexpected and heartbreaking .
It is a must read for all cat/animal lovers but I think everyone should experience this wonderful book .

This is a quirky, poignant and heartbreaking novel translated from the Japanese. There are the odd occasions at the beginning of this novel that you may think it is a trifle simplistic, but bear with it, as it will draw you in. It is related from the perspective of Satoru Miyawaki, and his beloved Nana, a stray cat, so named because his tail resembles the Japanese character for the number seven. Nana loved settling on Satoru's silver van, and found himself getting fed by him. He resembles a cat, Hachi, from Satoru's childhood. Nana is seriously injured in a car accident, makes his way to Satoru who gets him to a vet, and proceeds to nurse the cat for several months until he recovers. Feeling the depth of love that emanates from Satoru, the cat decides to stay. They have been happy together until the day Satoru embarks on a road trip to hand over Nana to one of his friends to look after as he is no longer in a position to look after him.

Nana is puzzled as to why he is being given away, as indeed are Satoru's friends, there is some speculation as to whether he has lost his job, but they do not probe further. Their first stop is where Satoru grew up with his close friend, Kosuke, a cat lover with a difficult father and currently experiencing marital strife. Stories from their childhood include the wondrous running away from their parents incident orchestrated by Satoru in an attempt to manipulate Kosuke's father to accept a kitten, Hachi, which failed. Satoru takes in Hachi and the two were inseparable until circumstances precipitated Satoru's moving in with his aunt, Noriko, when Hachi is given to distant relatives. The visit ends with Satoru suggesting that Kosuke finding his own cat to lure his wife back.

Noriko's job as a judge results in several moves and Satoru going to different high schools where he befriends Yoshimine, who is now farming and the next stop on the road trip. Yoshimine had parents who did not want him so he ends up living with his grandmother. The two were like brothers at school but manipulation ensures it will not be Nana's new home. Their next stop is near Mount Fuji, at Suki and Chikako's Hotel for Pets. Elements of their visit are strained with Suki comparing himself to Satoru, and finding himself wanting. This feeds his insecurities that his wife, Chikako, would have preferred Satoru rather than him. Once again circumstances conspire to ensure that Nana does not stay.

The pair go on to see the glory and vibrancy of nature, the elemental force that is the sea and the graves of Satoru's parents. This is a story of a man and his cat, and what they will do to stay together for as long as is possible. It speaks of Satoru, his life, his friends and, above all else, his unbreakable bond with the wise and committed Nana. This is a gentle, yet utterly compelling read. Apparently, this book has been a bestseller in Japan, and I can see why. A highly recommended read! Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

A very sweet and quick read, which had me in floods of tears by the end. The sardonic narration of Nana the cat will feel very familiar to any cat owners.

A beautiful tale of love, friendship, loyalty, loss and how our furry friends can make a huge impact on our lives.

Every cat owner should read this. It was incredibly heartwarming and I loved the bond between Nana and Satoru. The narrative was brilliant and Nana's snark and sass was hilarious. Although I figured out quite early on the reason for Satoru finding a new home for Nana, it didn't ruin the story for me - in fact, because I knew what was coming I sobbed even harder!

Please just pick this up, read it, love it & give your furry pals an extra long cuddle tonight.

As a cat lover, The Travelling Cat Chronicles held great appeal for me, and I am glad to say that it completely lived up to my expectations. With a quirky yet relatable narrative voice, it offers a tale of friendship, love, and loss seen through the eyes of cat who watches his human companion interact with those around him, reliving memories of his youth. It was a supremely poignant piece and I shed a few tears as it reached its conclusion. I came to care deeply for the characters, both human and feline, and it was wonderful to go on the journey around Japan with them. This is a beautifully written work that will certainly resonate with readers of Haruki Murakami.