Bought at the RSPCA charity shop in Babbacombe, Torquay

See more of my book reviews on my blog, Literary Flits

Reading this understated and poetic novella almost felt like a meditation. I was surprised that a book in which so little actually happens could be so compelling, but The Guest Cat is one that, once I started I didn't want to put the book down until its final page. Hiraide beautifully describes the immediate area of Tokyo surrounding the narrator's rented house and I got a strong sense of the couple's loneliness prior to Chibi's arrival. They seem alienated from each other and isolated from their neighbours until the cat adopts them, giving especially the wife a new sense of purpose.

I am not sure how much this book would appeal to non-cat lovers and have even seen reviews complaining that the cat does not have enough of a starring role. The Guest Cat isn't really about the cat per se. For me it was more a thoughtful prose-poem about friendship and love, about finding a place that feels like home, and about living quietly with the passing of the seasons and finding joy in small events.

On the book table