The Cat Who Saved Books

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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.” There were times this book gets a bit overly precious about books, but the heart is in the right place. Love books the way you love books. Dog ear and underline to your hearts content if that makes you happy despite what the haters say (I personally do it a lot, I think books look all cool and punk and loved that way), make art from your books, keep them in a special place, give them away, collect as many editions of your favorite, have way more than you’ll ever read (or even intend to read), just do you. And there are many ways to enjoy them and I’m not into gatekeeping reading. Don’t let anyone make you feel less of a reader for what you enjoy. Only like graphic novels, GREAT, they are just as valid. Prefer audiobooks? Just as valid as well, listen until your heart is content. Like to read only for easy pleasure? ENJOY! Read only YA books despite being an adult? Dive right in. Only like fantasy? Have a magical time. Only read the classics? Do it up! If a book, any book (that isn’t like…pro genocide or something, I gotta draw a line somewhere) makes you happy, that is what counts. There is some great stuff in here about difficult books though, which the grandfather compares to climbing a mountain:

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).In our stifling daily lives, we’re all so occupied with ourselves that we stop thinking about others. When a person loses their own heart, they can’t feel another’s pain. They lie, hurt others, use weaker people as stepping stones to get ahead – they stop feeling anything. The world has become full of those kinds of people.” After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated and alone. It seems he will have to close the shop. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. This odd couple will go on three magical adventures to save books from people have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Finally, there is one last rescue that Rintaro must attempt alone...

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. 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. 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.Se me fue muy rápido porque cada laberi A story about books, a cat, a friendship, a relationship, a grandfather, an auntie, fantasy, a bookstore, and many more. 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