This is such a great read for any animal lover but especially if you're a cat lover like I am. Nana is a stray cat that becomes close with the owner of a van he sleeps on. When Nana gets hit by a car and is injured, the van owner Satoru, rescues him and gives hime a home. They have many happy years together and I could tell that the author has been loved by a cat. His writing was poignant and heartwarming. A truly enjoyable read that you can finish in an afternoon

4.4 - to me, a blend of The Art of Racing in the Rain and A Man Called Ove; beautiful and thoughtful

Overall, this is a basic, sweet story. Even though it is not the best written book, I do know patrons that will enjoy this book.

A surprising and wonderful read that I look forward to reading again in the future. Please do yourself a favor and read this book!

I'll be first to state that this isn't my usual genre; however, I'm so glad I had the opportunity... no... privileged... to consume this story.

The story line is simple enough. You follow along as Nana, a freedom loving street cat who finds a home with a kind gentleman named Satoru. After finding joy in each other's company for a few years, one day Satoru sets out to find a new owner for Nana. You don't know why but what unfolds is a touching, beautiful, and heart-wrenching journey that you can't help but want to share. This book captured my heart in a way that I was completely not expecting. Hiro Arikawa is able to capture Nana's voice so well, giving him the perfect catlike personality truly adding something special to an already amazing story.

This book is utterly perfect. This is for anyone who has ever loved a feline friend or is familiar with that oh so strong bond between an animal and their human.

I'm not really big on stories told from an animal's POV. I'm also not big on overly emotional stories. But for some reason, in this book it all works. This is a simple story of a man with a cat who travels around Japan to visit friends. And yet, it's so much more than that. The author gives the cat a voice that is honest and real and always manages to get right to the heart of the matter. Maybe cats should narrate all of our lives - if only to make the complicated stuff much easier to understand.

First things first- the cat doesn't die at the end. I know that's what you really want to know about this book! Having said that, there are feels, and I cried. I smiled a lot more, though. This is such a sweet book, and the characters are well written; you really get to know them over the course of the story, and see them grow. The internal dialog of Nana, the cat, feels very true. If you are a cat lover, read this book- you won't be sorry!

3.75 stars

Sweet and sentimental without being sappy. This won't be a book that appeals to everyone, but for many this story of a man and his cat on a pilgrimage to find the cat a good home will be savored. The reason for the journey (which most readers will guess early on) is not dwelled upon but the story of the bond between man and cat and the side stories of the man's friends and relatives that they meet along the way are nicely drawn and simply written. The narration (by the cat) has humor and clarity rather than anthropomorphic cuteness.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A heartwarming tale of the bond between a cat and its human. Nana the cat is fiercely independent and stoic, but beneath his demeanor lies an incredible love for owner Satoru, who is warm and brings people together. Translator Philip Gabriel does yet another fantastic job in helping to share this book in English.

Now for something completely different, The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel (Penguin, digital galley). I know, I know, you're not into talking cats. But Nana, a crooked-tail stray, proves to be a winning narrator as he recounts an unusual road trip with Saturo, the young man who rescued him after he was hit by a car. Nana and Saturo travel through the Japanese countryside in a silver van to visit several of Saturo's old school friends and their pets, but Saturo has a secret agenda. You might guess what it is before Nana, but you'll still want to see how all is resolved. Sweet and bittersweet.
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

I received this book in exchanged for an honest review, which has not altered my opinion of this book.

I absolutely loved this story and got caught up in it right away. The idea of a story told from the point of view of a sarcastic street cat who finds his human is really quite adorable. I will say that it is heartwarming and made me cry just a touch, but this book was beautifully written and really approached the idea of family and sticking around for ones who matter to you.

The biggest part of this is that Nana (our sarcastic stray cat) really wants to stay with his beloved Owner, who is trying to give Nana a good home as he continues to get more and more sick. The ending was heartwarming and also heart-breaking. I can't recommend this book enough, there are such a variety of characters and they are all unique as well as important.

While this book does bring you to tears at times, it also made me laugh and smile. Everyone deserves to read this book and I hope that others do and let me know what they think! Overall 4.5 out of 5 from me. A few of the translations were a bit strange and didn't fully make sense.

A calming story told by the prevailing point of view of a Japanese cat, Hiro Arikawa shares a hopeful story from the heart that will leave readers with a sense of peace. Cuddle up with a cup of tea, a cozy blanket, and hopefully a cat...enjoy!

It took me a bit to really get into this story of the bond between man and cat - told from the cat's perspective! Though the story was slow in the beginning, as the journey went on, I began loving the book. Without giving anything away, I think anyone who has loved a pet, be it cat or dog or other, will relate to this story of love and friendship. The story also males us think of the impact we leave on the people we encounter throughout our lives.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this touching book in exchange for my honest review.

When I first encountered the thinking cat, Nana, I wondered if this book would actually be for me. I don’t have a cat though I do certainly like other people’s pets quite a lot. But Nana is special as is his growing relationship with Satoru, who adopts him after he is injured.

The story is an odyssey, narrated by Nana and Saturo, with added input on Satoru’s early life from an omniscient narrator. In a series of vignettes, Satoru travels within Japan visiting friends, seeking the right future home for Nana. Of course Nana wants no part of this and manages to arrange some interesting problems at each stop. He can be a real troublemaker with other animals when he wants to be. Along the way he also spouts pearls of feline wisdom about other animals and those humans he meets, often eminently quotable. He is one droll cat, and well spoken.

The final third of the book is really quite lovely. As the journey and route become clear there is such a sense of completeness, of a story done well and right. I have always thought cats are smart. Now I wonder if they may have an emotional life we know nothing about. Recommended for cat lover readers.

A copy of this book was provided by Berkeley Publishing through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Did you know that cats possess the widest range of vocalizations of any domestic pet? Hiro Arikawa's wildly popular Japanese novel adds a twist by giving a human voice to a sassy stray cat that let's us know he has kept himself alive for one full year, without a name and human help, thank you very much. 

The simple story has a deep meaning that becomes clearer and clearer before tenderly breaking your heart in the last forty pages. The two main characters, the sassy cat and his master, Satoru Miyawaki, a gentle man with a quiet nature, remain with me long after I finished this fictional gem.  

The hood of that silver van was my favorite place to sleep. Why there? Because no one would ever shoo me away. Even in winter, the sun made it all warm and toasty, the perfect spot for a daytime nap. One day I suddenly sensed a warm, intense gaze upon me...A tall, lanky young man, staring down at me...

And so began the perfect life from the cat's point of view. The man would place a little food under the van and the cat would allow the man to stroke him in exchange. This worked right up until the day the cat had a run-in with a hit-and-run driver. 

Satoru rescued the injured cat and the two soon developed a deeply satisfying five-year relationship. Their conversations are charming and will warm your heart. It reminded me of the old tv show, The Odd Couple and the snappy repartee between Oscar and Felix. Satoru, named him Nana, as his tail resembled the Japanese character for the number seven. 

Now wait just a second, Isn't Nana a girl's name? I'm a fully fledged, hot-blooded male. In what universe does that make sense?

In a move that surprises the readers as much as Nana, Satoru, now about 30 years-old, tells him they are going to take a road trip together -  to find Nana a new home. 



"Nana, I'm sorry. I 'm really sorry it's come to this. I never intended to let you go."

No need to explain. I'm quick on the uptake... so don't look so glum, chum.

As they travel from one childhood friend's home to the next along their journey, Satoru's earlier story unfolds like an onion; an apt metaphor. Each layer revealing another sad chapter, that somehow, Satoru overcomes keeping his remarkably upbeat attitude. The odd duo crisscross Japan in the hopes of finding a new home for Nana. Each old friend seems willing to accept Nana, often with conditions and a promise to feed but not pamper. At each stop along the way, Satoru manages to avoid revealing the reason he needs to leave Nana. Just when it looks like Nana will have a new home, the cat, fiercely loyal to his master, sabotages the transfer.

In the end, Satoru realizes he just can't part with Nana. The lonely man and the loyal sidekick take a long tour of the highs and lows of Japan together; traveling from Mount Fuji to the beautiful sandy beaches. Along the miles, the reader begins to understand Satoru's secrets. As the sun sets on their journey, Satoru will find peace and the reader will have a good cry. 

Highly recommended reading for everyone; not just cat lovers.

A feisty cat named Nana does his best to foil his owner's efforts to give him away.

Nana never pictured himself as a house cat, but he loves his owner, Satoru, and is game for whatever Satoru has planned when they embark on a journey in their old silver van. Nana is clever and observant, and his interjections provide welcome levity throughout the narrative: he is very much a cat, opining about idiot dogs, the best way to prepare chicken, and humans' bizarre interest in the terrifying, gigantic ocean. When he realizes that Satoru plans to give him away, Nana stubbornly refuses, doing everything in his feline power to stay with his beloved owner. Ultimately, though, this short, quiet novel is much more about the owner himself - in fact, not very much of it takes place from the cat's perspective. What we get instead is a reflection on the phases in Satoru's life and the subtle, profound ways that relationships develop, evolve, and influence people over time.

This story is not at all what I was expecting from a memoir of a cat, but the one we get instead is deeper and more thoughtful than I could have hoped for. This book is short enough to read in one sitting, but Nana and Satoru will stay with you long after the story is over. In case it isn't clear already: I love this book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a wonderful story in translation about a man and his cat, or perhaps a cat and his man.

In the beginning of the story, we meet a stray cat who is approached by a man. The story begins with the cat as the narrator. The tone is delightfully exactly the sort of attitude you would expect from a cat.

The man, Sartoru, takes in the cat, names it Nana, which means seven in Japanese for the way his tail is crooked like the number. Then, we skip ahead a few years to follow Sartoru and Nana as they go on a journey to visit old friends.

The reason for the journey is somewhat obscure at the beginning. Sartoru is unable to keep Nana and hopes to find a new home for his cat. In the meantime, we learn Sartoru's life story as he visits friends from the past.

The novel alternates points of view between the the cat and omniscient flashbacks.

This is a sweet book that will likely evoke smiles and tears. It is fairly short at 288 pages and definitely worth a read.

Disclaimer: I received a free ebook copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Normally I wouldn't review a book I haven't finished. It seems a little unfair to the book and how much can I really say about a book I haven't given a full chance to impress me. This one seems different to me, for some reason. Maybe because it's, apparently, an international bestseller that's been made into a movie. Maybe because I really am a cat lover so this one should be right in my wheelhouse. I'm not writing the review to bash the book, although I am going to tell you my problems with it. Instead I'm writing to make you aware of it. Because, even if it is an international bestseller, I'd never heard about it before. Maybe you haven't either. And maybe you're someone who really likes books with a cat for a narrator. Maybe you're a fan of books written by Japanese authors, which have been translated into English and happen to feature a cat.

What a minute! I'm a person who likes books written by a Japanese author who regularly includes cats in his books. Here's the thing, though: Haruki Murakami may have his cats talk, even; but they are not the narrators of the books. That seems to have been my biggest problem with the book. Arikawa uses Nana as a pretense to take readers from one story about Saturi and a friend of his to another. Those stories interested me; I liked the way Arikawa was able to fully develop each new character, from the time he met Saturi to his adult self. It wasn't an altogether off-putting idea to use a cat as the narrator to tie the stories together. I mean, I do always wonder what my cat's thinking. But after twenty pages or so, it started to feel a bit like a childish to me, perhaps a little to gimmicky.

It's a short book, only about 150 pages; once I was half way in, I sort of felt like I might as well finish. But I have a lot of books I want to get to by the end of the year. I began to realize that I don't have time, or the desire, to read a book I'm not thoroughly enjoying. So I set this one aside. It wasn't for me, at least not at this time. Maybe if I were looking for something that was completely different from what I'd been reading, this one might have worked better for me. Which is why I wanted to bring it to your attention; this might just be the right book for you.

PSA: Do NOT read the last 3rd of this book right before bed. I cried. I had to cry silently so I wouldn't wake up my husband, and then my nose was all stuffed up so I couldn't breathe well enough to get to sleep. It was a disaster. A beautiful, touching, lovely disaster.

As you can imagine, I really enjoyed this book. The writing felt different, possibly because it was translated from Japanese, but I became used to it and learned to appreciate it. So, although it took a little while to settle into the rhythm of the story, by the end I was completely enthralled and sorry to see it end.

Title: The Traveling Cat Chronicles
Author: Hiro Arikawa
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Nana is a proud stray cat who doesn’t need an owner, but he doesn’t mind the crunchies nice Satoru puts out for him. When Nana is hit by a car, he knows Satoru is the only one who can help him. One visit to a vet and a healed broken leg later, and Nana decides staying with Satoru isn’t so bad.

Life is good until Satoru tries to give him away. But Nana is smart and thwarts the exchange. Satisfied, Nana thinks all is good—until Satoru tries to give him away again. Soon the two are traveling across the country in a silver van as Satoru visits scenes from his childhood—and soon Nana realizes there’s more going on that a cross-country vacation.

This is a charming, heartwarming book, and I ugly-cried at the end. True story. It’s hard to do a book written from an animal’s point-of-view well, and this one is so well done! Nana’s attitude—and his essential catness—is vividly drawn, and he’s one of the best narrators I’ve ever read.

Hiro Arikawa is an award-winning author. The Traveling Cat Chronicles is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.)