| Title | : | The Goodbye Cat |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593815718 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593815717 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 285 |
| Publication | : | First published August 11, 2021 |
Against the backdrop of changing seasons in Japan, we meet Spin, a kitten rescued from the recycling bin, whose playful nature and simple needs teach an anxious father how to parent his own human baby; a colony of wild cats on a popular holiday island show a young boy not to stand in nature’s way; a family is perplexed by their cat’s undying devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father; a woman curses how her cat will not stop visiting her at night; and an elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be in each other’s lives forever.
Bursting with love and warmth, The Goodbye Cat exquisitely explores the cycle of life, from birth to death—as each of the seven stories explores how, in different ways, the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down. A huge bestseller in Japan, this magical book is a joyous celebration of the wondrousness of cats and why we choose to share our lives with them.
The Goodbye Cat Reviews
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The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa (translated by Philip Gabriel) is a collection of seven stories revolving around the relationship between cats and their humans as told from the perspectives of seven cats and their families with much wisdom, heart, and humor. Written in simple prose, the stories vary in length and tone and touch upon themes of love, loyalty, companionship, family and grief.
In the first story, The Goodbye Cat (4/5), we meet an elderly cat who endeavors to change into a supernatural spirit so that death won't separate him from his human family. A new father rescues a kitten from a recycling bin and in caring for it, learns much about fatherhood. Bringing Up Baby (4/5). A family is perplexed by their new cat’s devotion to their indifferent father in Good Father/ Bad Father (4/5). In Cat Island ( 5/5), we follow a young boy’s experiences on a trip to an island inhabited by cats with his father and his new wife. Her cat’s nightly visits are a cause for a woman’s annoyance in The Night Visitor (3/5). In Finding Hachi (4/5), we follow a young boy as he adopts an abandoned kitten and the events that led up to his having to give it up. In the final story, Life Is Not Always Kind(4/4), a young man visits his former professor in the hope that he will adopt his cat.
Heartwarming, emotional and bittersweet, these stories will strike a chord in your heart, irrespective of whether you are a cat person or not. I will admit to having shed a few tears along the way. I enjoyed this collection of stories but didn’t love it as much as The Travelling Cat Chronicles, which was a 5⭐️ read for me.
I would recommend reading Hiro Arikawa’s The Travelling Cat Chronicles before picking this up, given that we revisit the characters (human and feline) in the final two stories.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Goodbye Cat was published in the USA on October 10, 2023.
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I thought a book about cats that is set in Japan would be more fun. I didn't realize these were short stories. The first one was so long that I didn't realize there were others. A lot of the shorter ones ended abruptly. The cats were cute, though, so don't mind me.
📱 NetGalley -
This is a collection of 7 joyous Japanese short stories that celebrate the magic of cats by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel, providing a glimpse into just how integral to a family a cat becomes, their devotion, wisdom, cat talk, loyalty and love, and the impact and grief of loss. They are the unforgettable 'goodbye' cats. Having read The Travelling Cat Chronicles which I loved, the final 2 stories bring back the adorable Nana and Hachi. We have a new apprehensive mother worried about how her inept husband, Kota, a manga artist, will be able to adjust and cope with the more demanding circumstances that come with parenthood. However, there is charm and serendipity as he find a fragile abandoned unweaned kitten, Spin, that he rescues.
He cares for Spin with the help and advice from an online community, it goes on to provide the perfect training for becoming a parent, as Schrodinger's kitten and baby form a remarkable lifelong unbreakable connection. Long suffering reject kitten, Tora, survives a life time of casual treatment, unwavering in its unconditional love, and a stray cat, Ten, is taken in. After losing his mum, Ryo now has a wonderful stepmother, Haruko, who he is struggling to refer to as mother. Along with his dad who has an assignment on Cat Island, they make a short trip, where he learns the valuable lesson of the wild, whilst Nana and Saturo in their silver van visit an old professor of his.
There are tears, joy and wonder to be found in this fabulous collection of cats with their humans stories, drawing attention to the differences in their ageing process. These are stories for everyone, including cat and other animal lovers, and fans of the author are likely to enjoy them too. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC. -
I loved this author's previous book "
The Travelling Cat Chronicles", so even though I don't gravitate toward short stories I gave this one a try. Sadly, I didn't much care for this offering. Out of this collection of seven cat stories I only connected strongly with one of them. In some cases I found the writing more geared towards a child or young adult. I bypassed one long story entirely that I couldn't get into. Even though there were return appearances from some of the beloved characters from "
The Travelling Cat Chronicles", that heartwarming touch wasn't enough to redeem the book for me.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley. -
The world seems to divide us into “Dog” or “Cat” people. I am very much a “dog” person. However, everybody seems to be talking about Hiro Arikawa presently, and many friends have urged me to read “The Travelling Cat Chronicles”. So perhaps it was serendipity when her latest short story collection arrived in my letterbox.
This is a collection of seven short stories that centre around abandoned cats that have been rescued. Most are rescued as kittens, their eyes not yet open. While the stories revolve around the cats, they also focus on family interaction and relationships.
The stories cover the lives of these cats and as the title of the book infers most end with some form of parting and goodbye. While some of the stories are indeed sad, imbued with the grief of loss, they all have a feel-good nature to them.
One cat helps a bumbling father to care for a newborn baby, turning him into the husband his wife needs. Another cat, rescued from the side of the road as a kitten, helps to melt a father’s stone heart. There is a story about a cat’s love and devotion to a man who fails to show any sign of love in return. My favourite of the collection, containing a hint of magical realism, involves an entire island populated almost exclusively by cats. I later found out that these islands exist in Japan and are quite the tourist attraction. There is, as you would expect, a definite feeling of Japanese culture running through each story.
Although I believe that cat lovers will indeed appreciate this collection more than others, the stories are enjoyable enough for everybody to read., possibly even dog lovers.
4.5 Stars. -
Never cried so much because of a book.
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It feels like I am reading someone’s diary on how to bring up a kitten one day and then some other random things the other days. The flow is somehow not there for a good read. I really wanted to like this book. Not for me.
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Yup I cried. I knew it. Geez 😭😭😭😩😩😩
A feline companion is a blessing most of the times but also a heartbreak when they passed. Having pets is a comfort to me & I'm sure to all of us, however the parting or death seems to be the hardest to take and devastating. Reading this collection of 7 short stories of cats that chronicled the cycle of birth, death, happiness, sadness, love, goodbyes & grief made me remembered of my own personal experience with loss. I lost a precious rabbit just recently & her death still affects me till I cried so much reading the last 2 stories bcus of how much I was reminded of her. My rabbit was sick suddenly & she passed away when I was at work and I have to forced myself to not cry at the office. Once I'm home, reality hits me & i broke down so hard on the thought of never cuddling her again and its the worst feeling ever.
The goodbye cat tells on different stories of cats and its human's relationship & interaction from the first story of a kitten that enters into the family growing up as the third son and we see the kitten grew up alongside the second boy till it passed, Bringing up the baby was a heartwarming read of a first time father, a socially inept mangaka whom started to care for a kitten named Spin & learning to care for two living being, his daughter Shiori and Spin, Cat Island showcased the young boy's struggle to call her dad's 2nd wife as a mom and they went to a cat island to take photographs of cats, the last two stories brings us back to Satoru and Nana , Hachi from Travelling Cat Chronicles and I cried so hard for their loves and relationship which reflected some of my personal connection with my rabbits🥲🥲. Good father/bad father gives u glimpses how an unseemingly a father who barely cares about their cats may be liked by the cat itself,
Saying goodbye is hard and Goodbye Cat actually explored the farewell scenes superbly, a reminder for us to be there for our loved ones, to accept that the pain of not saying goodbyes can be difficult but sometimes the memories & times we had is to be treasured. I wanted to do more for the ones that I loved but oftentimes they dont feel enough but I want to believe with my heart that the memories made are precious & may it stay for a long time.
Thank you to @times.reads and @putrifariza for the review copy. -
“If you do something for other people, it’ll be good for you, too.”
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This book is a short story collection featuring seven cats and their interactions with their owners.
The book is a whirlpool of sad/happy feelings, It will make you cry, it will make you laugh, and it will definitely make you think about owning a cat as soon as possible.
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As soon as I saw the cover of the book and knew that the author was "Hiro Arikawa", the author of "The Traveling Cat Chronicles" I began reading & listening to the book at the same moment.
I don't know why everyone compares this book with the previous one. But Is this book as good as the previous one? honestly, no.
But is this book good? Yes!
Are the stories touching? Yes!!
will the stories make you cry? Yes!!!
That's all we need to know!
Since I am a cat lover, and I also own one, this book was personally special to me.
I was living every moment with them and thinking about everything with them, which is why the stories had such a great impact on me.
All the tales were lovely and unique in their way.
But my favorite stories are when the cats have a personal role in telling the story.
And these stories were...
The Goodbye Cat
Cat Island
Finding Hacchi
Life Is Not Always Kind
These stories made my tears run like rivers. I was greatly influenced by it. And I literally cried my eyes out!
I loved all the stories, and all the cute, wise cats.
I was so happy that I met "NaNa" again. ♥ I really missed "NaNa & Satoru", and I wished they had more memories to share with us.
These stories are truly written beautifully and perfectly. Honestly, I don’t think you have to be a cat lover to enjoy this book, So I warmly recommend this novel to anyone with a heart and love for animals.
.
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His father laughed.
“A climbing cat, a drawing cat, a carried cat, and, to the very end, a considerate cat.
A cat of many talents, for sure.” -
DNF @47%
This is a collection of 7 short stories featuring cats and how they fit into people's lives. I'm ditching the book at 47% because I'm bored with it and simply not interesting in picking the book up again. I loved The Travelling Cat Chronicles. But The Goodbye Cat doesn't appeal to me. The writing is too simplistic, juvenile and flat.
Date: 3 November 2023 -
Ik was helemaal fan van 'Het Reisverslag van een Kat'. Ik hoef je dan ook niet te vertellen dat dit boek mijn enthousiasme opwekte.
Het is een soort vervolgje, maar eigenlijk kun je het gerust op zichzelf lezen. Laat je dan ook vooral niet tegenhouden als je het vorige boek niet hebt gelezen.
Deze acht korte verhalen tonen aan hoe een kat het mensenleven (én het gezinsleven) kan veranderen.
Zelf ben ik meer fan van één groot verhaal, maar ik moet toegeven dat ik aangenaam verrast was door de mate waarin ik telkens werd meegesleurd.
Arikawa is er zeker in geslaagd om mooi weer te geven wat voor impact een dier op iemand kan hebben.
De Kat die Bleef is een leuk boek om tussendoor even op te pakken.
Arikawa heeft een simpele en vlotte schrijfstijl, waardoor je deze meteen uit hebt.
Je hoeft er niet te veel bij na te denken - na een lange werkdag kan dat wel eens welkom zijn...
Beste kattenliefhebbers, zet dit boek maar op je (waarschijnlijk veel te lange) leeslijst.
Hartelijk dank aan Ambo Anthos voor het recensie-exemplaar! -
I will never tire of reading books with personified cats or cat-person relationships but The Traveling Cat Chronicles is better
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The way I bawled my eyes out almost half of the story? Like out of the 7 stories, I cried for 5 of them. And I wasn't just crying, I was literally sobbing my eyes out to a point that I woke up my cats, got them confused and licking my tears which ended up of me crying more :') Yeah this book had taken me for such a good ride.
"Creators were human beings , and human beings instinctively cared how others reacted to what they created. How may people in the world, when ordered to put a lid on that instinct, could actually comply?"
For a story that has a seemingly straightforward plot, I loved how its a potrayal of so many things inside the stories. We can observe a lot of cats in Japanese works, literature and even art that its considered part of the culture there -with cats as either a background in the story or the main characters themselves.
For The Goodbye Cat, the 7 short stories are a mix of different perspectives, but mostly highlighting cats as the main characters and each stories has its own unique traits. But whats common in most of the stories in this book is in the observation of humans in the eyes of a cat . The actions that reflects the animals behaviour , in how some are kind and some can be mean, in which each story portrays the overall feeling of the story through the eyes of the cats. I loved how different each stories and circumstances are, and how realistic they are. Humans and animals have a deeper connection than we think they have and these are what is portrayed in the book.
I was not a cat person myself. Cats naturally come to me but I didn't emphatize as much - until I had my own cats, and I think that's what had made me bawled my eyes so much - because as owners, we wonder the feelings of our cats as well. Pet owners has a special relationship with their pets. They are not just animals in the house, they are a part of the family, an extension of their daily lives, and the mere thought of losing a loved one can break your heart to pieces, let alone your own family. I love the way God created us, in a sense where everything is a full cycle - and that is what potrayed in the book. Everything that happens to us, instances that led us to certain things, all has its meaning, and in due time, it will become a blessing in disguise.
This book looks to be a very simple book on the surface, but when dived deeper, its a whole exploration of human connections and animals in ways that is unexpected. Its a story that is very heartwarming but also has a bittersweet end that can make you tear up (or in my case, bawled my eyes out). Its a story that can last and transcends time.
Recommended and I'm glad I read this for one of my reads for #JanuaryinJapan.
Thank you to Times Reads for this copy, I truly appreciate it .
Personal Ratings: 4.5🌟 -
Hiro Arikawa can write as many books on cats and I will sit here and devour them all!! For people who think cats don’t show love, aren’t capable of loving, should really really read this and The travelling cat chronicles. My heart is full 🥹🥹🥹
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I liked The Goodbye Cat, but it didn’t hit me the same way that Hiro Arikawa’s other book,
The Travelling Cat Chronicles, did. The short stories that I enjoyed the most in this collection were the ones that were written from the POV of the cats. Or the ones that had a bit of a fantastical edge to them. It made them more charming and helped to give the stories a whimsical feeling. Also, it was fun to be able to revisit some of the characters from The Travelling Cat Chronicles.
While there were definitely stories in here that I loved, a lot of them also fell short for me. Some of them just felt pretty generic and like they weren’t adding anything special to the collection. Overall I did have a good time reading this and would still suggest that people give it a shot.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
On my blog.
Rep: Japanese cast & setting
Galley provided by publisher
When I read The Travelling Cat Chronicles last year, it absolutely ruined me. Like full on tears and everything. So, when I saw that there was another cat anthology from the same author being released in translation this year… well, I had to read it.
The Goodbye Cat is a series of seven stories centring, well, cats. And the humans looking after them, I suppose. What’s more, you don’t just get to see new faces, but some old friends as well, which was a nice surprise (and made me want to reread The Travelling Cat Chronicles, I’ll admit).
This will probably be a pretty short review, since it’s a reasonably short anthology. There’s only seven stories here, but each is so distinct, each cat is so memorable. You’ll actually want the anthology to last for a whole lot longer because of how good it is. The first story alone made me tear up, which frankly I should have expected, and it was a sign of things to come.
Actually, this will definitely be a short review, because all I really have to say about this book is how much I loved it. I especially loved the final two stories, which tie into The Travelling Cat Chronicles in a way that makes you just a bit nostalgic (not saying how they tie in, but it might well be guessable). Any which way, it’ll leave you wanting more, and that’s always a good sign when it comes to a short story collection.
All that remains, then, is for me to ask — nay, beg — that you read The Travelling Cat Chronicles now, and this book when it comes out later this year. If you don’t, you will be sorely missing out! -
Those short stories brought tears and laughter. They are beautiful! ✨
My favorite is Bringing Up Baby. It is amazing that an unexpected encounter can bring about good change in someone's life. And of course, I was able to see Satoru's adventure with Nana again and what a great man he is. ♥️ -
cute stories about cats, nothing serious, but fun. They mention "women's roles" and other things like that, which is a little upseting, but it is how it is in japan i guess. I read it in hungarian and in the first book they translated the first cat's name fully different, but it's not the book's fault
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Ez a könyv nagyon közel áll a szívemhez. Az Utazó Macska Krónikájának az előzetes könyvének mondanám, azt imádtam és szerencsére ezt is könnyen megszerettem. Ez a könyv bemutatja, hogy egy kis állatka mennyire megtudja változtatni egy ember vagy akár egy egész család életét. Hét nagyon kedves, szívmelengető történet van benne amik macskákról és a gazdijukról szólnak. A fülszövege a könyvnek engem megtévesztett mert azt gondoltam, hogy akkor Az Utazó Macska Krónikájának a szereplőiről lesz csak szó, de nem. Ők az elején megjelennek aztán több más szereplőt ismerünk meg akiket mind más miatt tudunk szeretni. Úgyhogy ha valaki csak Szatoru és Nana cica miatt olvasná akkor sajnos rossz hírem van:( de jó hír hogy ezt a könyvet 4.5 csillagosként értékelem.
Nagyon szépek voltak a történteket de nekem az hiányzott belőle, hogy valamiért megtudjuk miért pont azokat a szereplőket ismerjük meg. Pl ha a végén összekötik a történeteket az nagyon szép megoldás lett volna. Én már nagy rajongója vagyok Szatorunak és Nanának és Nyolc cicának ezért sajnáltam hogy többet nem tudtunk meg róluk.
Még azzal volt egy kis problémám hogy az első könyv végig (azt hiszem) Nana a cica szemszögéből nézve van és ebben a könyvben eleinte is így volt (macska szemszögekből) de aztán átváltott egy külső nézőponttá ami szerintem nem lett volna szükséges.
Számomra a legkedvesebb történetek az első kettő és az utolsó lett ❤️ -
My last book of 2023! What a purrfect read to end this year with.
'The Travelling Cat Chronicles' is one of my favourite books ever so when I heard that Hiro Arikawa had a new cat book translated, I knew I had to read it. I only realised that it was a collection of short stories after reading the first story. So unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as good as I thought it'd be. There are 7 short stories that involves 7 different cats. 3/7 stories stuck to me and the rest of it was just alright. Still, all of the stories made me smile no matter what.
What I really loved about the overall book is how relatable it is from a cat and an owner's perspective. Every cat's POV is exactly what a cat would think. Even though it didn't meet my expectations, it still made me weep. I'm referring specifically 'Finding Haichi' because that story made me bawl my eyes out. The sense of humor, love and parting is just so profound. And it's literally just a book about cats.
Not the best cat book I've ever read but it was still such an enjoyable read. I will forever be a cat person reading cat books. -
Could a collection of short stories featuring cats be amazing? Yes. That's the simple answer. I adored each of the short stories in this collection. I'm usually not a huge fan of short stories (and I'm trying to introduce more into my reading) but I'm glad I picked this up.
I have not read Arikawa's novel yet, but will do so soon. I'm aware that some of the characters in this collection do appear in that novel. I'm hoping the novel is just as good.
If you're after stories that feel just feel comforting, then this is for you. It celebrates all moments of a cat's life, from kitten to old age, and also the impacts cats have on their owners. I think the best in this collection is when the cats have a voice in the narrative. It made me think this author really knows about cats.
Not much more to say. Brilliant collection. -
I’m on a mission to read every book where the narrator is a cat, and this was a collection of quite heartbreaking stories. I mean, I was expecting this after
The Travelling Cat Chronicles, but I still feel sad.
The short stories fit together perfectly, and that last story made it all even more memorable. -
Unfortunately it's not as good as The Travelling Cat Chronicles, but damn it's always nice to read Japanese stories! They just have something, I don't know what it is, but they're cozy and warm, and full of wonder!
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3.5⭐️
Historias cortas sobre los lazos que creamos las personas y los gatos particularmente, son sencillas y ahondan en diferentes etapas de la vida y en diferentes situaciones.
También hablan sobre la familia y la amistad. -
Arikawa's books about cats just hit different. I cried like four times while reading but loved every second of it. The titular story was probably my favourite although I really enjoyed returning to Hachi, Nana and Satoru's lives in the closing stories.
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I received a copy of "The Goodbye Cat" from NetGalley. Hiro Arikawa writes eight different stories with a cat in each one. A couple are seen through the eyes of the cat. All stories are about cats. I liked all of them. In one a boy rescues the cat with a bent tail. the same boy character has another cat with a bent tail.when He is an adult. Many of the stories surrounding the cat being a rescue and how they changed the lives of the people they each live with. Another story is about a cat island where people come to pick out their cat. This is a very nice book for people who love cats. It can be sad, feel good, and always. have me rooting for the cat to have a happy life.
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Japanese short stories are starting to be my favourite thing ever! And about cats??? Omg
If there's a guinea pig one I'm gonna die of cuteness 😭😍 -
I don’t often give five stars to short story collections, because I never find all of them equally good, but this one absolutely deserves it. All seven stories were beautiful in their own way, each in its own style and through its own point of view, sometimes through the cat’s eyes, sometimes from the humans’. Some of them will make you laugh, some will tug at your heartstrings, and a couple will turn you into a blubbering mess of snot and tears (Kota and Hachi, I’m looking at you!) But through all these different tales, the constants of family and a love for our feline pals remains.
I also recommend reading
The Travelling Cat Chronicles first. As two of the seven short stories are about cats we meet in the previous book, they are much more impactful reading them knowing the surrounding story. -
I know I am gonna cry over this book since I requested for an ARC but I don't mind, it worth what I was about to read!
This book, as its title indicates, is a compilation of short stories about losing cherished cats. This book opened my eyes to many new viewpoints, such as how cats view people. How do they feel knowing that there are people out there who do not like them? I started crying with the first story and had to take a few days break to read the other parts of the book since I get emotional when pet stories are told. Some of the stories here also mention how her family does not like cats, although she does. This part resonates to me! BTW, if you guys have read The Travelling Cat Chronicles, through this book, you will meet Nana AGAINN!
Having read her first two works, The Traveling Cat Chronicles and Freeter Buying a House, Hiro Arikawa's writing did not let me down. As a cat lover and admirer of Arikawa sensei's writing, I would recommend that you secure off on purchasing this book till it is published! because it is worth the wait!
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for giving me an advance reader copy in exchange for a honest review! -
The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa is more than just a collection of feline tales; it's a heartwarming exploration of life's intricate tapestry, woven with threads of love, devotion, and the undeniable charm of our four-legged companions 🐈
Arikawa, acclaimed for "The Travelling Cat Chronicles," returns with a delightful sequel that introduces us to seven cats, each leaving an indelible mark on their owners' lives.
As someone who has shared their life with cats, each story felt like a personal journey.
Arikawa captures the essence of these mysterious, endearing creatures, celebrating the joy they bring and the lessons they impart.
The Goodbye Cat is more than a book; it's a heartfelt ode to the wondrous bond between humans and their feline friends.
If you've ever wondered about the magic that happens when a cat weaves its way into your life, this enchanting collection is a must-read.
Thanks to @putrifariza & @times.reads for this heartwarming book in exhange for honest review.
Swipe left to meet Leo, my furball, gracefully napping in the midst of a towering bookstack.
Cats truly know how to turn any spot into a haven of coziness! Every story in this The Goodbye Cat is my fav, just like every moment with Leo.
Link:
https://shope.ee/9KIFsAXheD
