Mention Out Of Books The Guest Cat
| Title | : | The Guest Cat |
| Author | : | Takashi Hiraide |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 140 pages |
| Published | : | January 28th 2014 by New Directions (first published 2001) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Cultural. Japan. Asian Literature. Japanese Literature. Animals. Cats. Contemporary |
Takashi Hiraide
Paperback | Pages: 140 pages Rating: 3.53 | 15408 Users | 2105 Reviews
Ilustration In Pursuance Of Books The Guest Cat
A bestseller in France and winner of Japan’s Kiyama Shohei Literary Award, The Guest Cat, by the acclaimed poet Takashi Hiraide, is a subtly moving and exceptionally beautiful novel about the transient nature of life and idiosyncratic but deeply felt ways of living. A couple in their thirties live in a small rented cottage in a quiet part of Tokyo; they work at home, freelance copy-editing; they no longer have very much to say to one another. But one day a cat invites itself into their small kitchen. It leaves, but the next day comes again, and then again and again. Soon they are buying treats for the cat and enjoying talks about the animal and all its little ways. Life suddenly seems to have more promise for the husband and wife — the days have more light and color. The novel brims with new small joys and many moments of staggering poetic beauty, but then something happens…. As Kenzaburo Oe has remarked, Takashi Hiraide’s work "really shines." His poetry, which is remarkably cross-hatched with beauty, has been acclaimed here for "its seemingly endless string of shape-shifting objects and experiences,whose splintering effect is enacted via a unique combination of speed and minutiae."
Be Specific About Books Supposing The Guest Cat
| Original Title: | 猫の客 [Neko no kyaku] |
| ISBN: | 0811221504 (ISBN13: 9780811221504) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | Tokyo(Japan) |
Rating Out Of Books The Guest Cat
Ratings: 3.53 From 15408 Users | 2105 ReviewsNotice Out Of Books The Guest Cat
...observation is at its core an expression of love which doesnt get caught up in sentiment. Those green eyes glowing in the dark ceaselessly, endowing the cover of this book with a breath of life, a dream of plenitude - those eyes were an irresistible enticement. An immediate move was imperative; The Guest Cat had to be on my shelf. Unfortunately, my expectations were far too great, especially taking into account the fact that one of the ingredients of this plot is supposed to be a couple whoObservation is at its core an expression of love which doesnt get caught up in sentiment. From first pages delicate description of an optical illusion seen on a frosted window pane, this novella painstakingly documents minute and admiring observations, one object at a time. Nature features strongly: the cat, trees, butterflies, insects, but also windows and boundaries. The focus is on poetic beauty in the moment (like haiku), without shadow of sentiment, even when there is good cause for strong
Cats are connoisseurs of comfort. ----James HerriotTakashi Hiraide, a Japanese writer, has penned a soul touching and thoroughly captivating tale about a cat and a couple's relationship in his book, The Guest Cat that is centered around a mid aged couple who are freelance writers and work from their rented cottage and lead a very quite and uneventful life, but one day their life brings purpose as an uninvited as well as the neighbor's cat lands up to their kitchen and starts visiting their
The Guest Cat was a very sweet and sad story as I was expecting, and I enjoyed reading the translators notes at the end as Japanese literature presents a lot of cultural and linguistic differences when translating into English (and many other languages I imagine), so it was fascinating to have that insight provided by Eric Selland. But a lot of this book (and its only 140 pages) is descriptions of places, layouts of houses and cities, and my brain just doesnt work that way?! I get utterly lost
3½ stars.This was a charming book which was a quick read. However, I feel perhaps I should have taken a bit more time with it. I felt that I could sense that the writer was a poet, even in translation; his imagery was evocative. On the surface, this is a simple story of a couple who meet and eventually fall in love with a neighbor's cat. I happen to be a cat person so I could relate to the descriptions of the cat's play and habits; I think though that the cat & her habits were also a
No clue why this author called this book "The guest cast" because he writes more about his guest house, the surroundings and the lifestyle. Also the book said it would go about his relationship with his wife what was on rocky roads, I have to say there was little to no mention. The characters weren't built either. So I have to conclude this was a boring read and not what it would be according to the flap.
(2.5) Sigh. Such a disappointment. As a cat-loving freelance writer who aspires to read more literature in translation, I thought from the blurb that this book could not be more perfect for me. I bought it in a charity shop one afternoon and started reading right away. Its only 140 pages, so I finished within 24 hours, but felt at a distance from the story the whole time.Part of it might be the translation the translators notes at the end explain some useful context about the late 1980s
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