Heart-breakingly beautiful. ( )

I loved this book! The relationship between Saturo and Nana, much of it told from Nana's point of view, was really heartwarming. I also enjoyed reading about the different areas of Japan and the relationship between Saturo and his friends. The ending was especially poignant, and I read the last page over and over again so that it could sink in.

So yeah, i love cats and i love most things Japanese, so eventually i had to get around to pulling this out of "The Pile" and reading it.

It's one of those books that one just flies through, and i was always eager to dive back into it whenever i got a few moments spare.

Nana, a street cat, is our wonderful narrator, who gives us a delightful cat's eye view of Satoru's world as he drives around Japan visiting each of his childhood friends trying to get one of them to adopt Nana before he dies, but Nana has other ideas and is determined to stay with Satoru until the very end.

It's through this cat's eye view, and through each childhood friend we visit, that we get to learn, bit by bit, about Satoru's life: a life of tragedy, loss and grief, and how these things shaped Satoru.   I think i'd put it on the shelf with The Little Paris Bookshop, also a well written book about tragedy, loss and grief with some cats in it.

Yes folks, a definite must read for anyone who likes cats.

Warning, you may get a little soggy eyed at the end -- cats can do that to you. ( )

Schattig verhaal gezien en verteld door Nana, de straatkat, Door een ongeluk breekt hij een poot en wordt opgevangen en verzorgd door Saturo, een midden dertig jaar oude Japanse man. Saturo wil Nana graag zelf houden en de twee krijgen ook een speciale band. Maar omstandigheden die in het begin nog onduidelijk zijn gaat Saturo op zoek naar iemand die zijn kat wil overnemen. Hij maakt met Nana een reis door Japan en bezoekt zijn vrienden van vroeger, maar nergens kan Nana blijven.
Het gaat vooral over vriendschappen en hoe die zijn ontstaan en sterk blijven door de jaren heen. ( )

Narrated by the stray cat Nana, this poignant tale starts with his rescue by a young man whom he connects to and lives with for five years. The major part of the book however, is their search for a needed new owner. It is an odyssey of reconnecting with old friends (and their pets!), learning more about those friends, and something about life and coping with it. A very enjoyable story that can make you appreciate what you have, or have had, in your own life. ( )