The Cat and The City is a strange and beguiling book - as the blurb indicates, it’s very multifaceted, and for that reason I found a lot to like, but also a few things I was less keen on. This review is an attempt to elucidate - not least, to myself! - what my thoughts are about it.

Of course, the first thing that drew me to this book was the fact it has a cat in it! She’s not as prominent as I expected her to be, but it was a pleasure to see her reappear throughout the stories. I really liked the mystery surrounding the cat: the stories suggest, variously, that she was brought into existence by a tattooist (Kentaro) inking an aerial view of the city onto a young woman named Naomi, that Naomi herself transforms into the cat at will, and that a similar cat stars in a children’s science fiction story with connections to some of the characters.

This brings me on to something else I enjoyed: that the author plays with genre and format. I particularly enjoyed the sci-fi interlude mentioned above, as well as the manga section (taking the time to seek out the cat in each illustration!), and the parts where we get an insight into the life and work of a private detective (Keita) who’s having a bit of an attack of conscience.

While the characters seem disparate at first, connections become apparent beyond the cat as they show up in one another’s stories, are affected by each other’s actions, and turn out to be relatives, friends or colleagues, and this is very cleverly done. The main arc - such as it is - is the reunion of a broken family: a homeless former alcoholic (Ichiro) who is particularly friendly with the cat, his lonely taxi driver brother (Taro), and the taxi driver’s daughter (Ryoko) who has moved to New York. But there are some more minor resolutions that really stayed with me: Keita’s redemption, Flo the lonely translator making a friend at work, and the agoraphobic hoarder (Naoya) who, through the cat, becomes friends with a troubled 11-year-old boy (Kensuke) and begins to recover as a result.

It was also nice to take an unsanitised, unsentimental tour of Tokyo. Sure, we see the typical vending machines, theme bars and soaplands, but we also get an insight into what it’s like to be homeless there, specifically at a time when the authorities are moving homeless people into prison-like facilities to ‘clean up’ ahead of the Olympics (of course, now we know the games don’t end up taking place in 2020, giving the novel an unintentional ‘parallel universe’ feel!). We meet people who feel lonely and hate the city and its workaholic way of life. We encounter right-wing attitudes, gang culture, sexual harassment and much more.

So far, so positive, but I think the reason I have mixed feelings about this book is that I didn’t like all the characters and stories. Like a lot of other reviewers, it’s rare for me to unequivocally love any short story collection, conventional or otherwise, because I end up having favourites that I enjoy or ‘get’ more than the others. Also, while some readers get pleasure from spending time with awful characters, I’m not really into it at all (as I realised after dragging myself through Iris Murdoch’s The Sea, The Sea…).

For that reason, I ended up impatiently speed-reading the bits about George and Mari, an unpleasant and tedious English-Japanese couple with communication issues. We’re also privy to the toxic thoughts of an assembly line worker as he visits a hostess bar with evil intentions. Then there’s deluded Sachiko, who not only behaves horribly towards lovely postman Shingo, but takes her anger out on the cat. While this moves the overall story on and sets the stage for Naoya and Kensuke, who treat the cat really kindly, I hated that bit. All life is very much here, and therefore some parts are more palatable than others.

I’ve been picking this reaction apart, because I’m certainly not someone who only reads nice books where nice things happen to nice people. It could be because I went into this book expecting it to be feel-good, so wasn’t prepared for the more lurid passages, or for terrible characters who we just leave behind (reflecting the cat moving on elsewhere) without seeing if they get any comeuppance or redemption. It could be the contrast, as other parts of this book are such a pleasure to read. Also, while I read a lot of crime novels and hardly ever flinch, animal cruelty is my kryptonite.

So, very mixed feelings then! While I wouldn’t want to put anyone off The Cat and The City as there are some things I really like about it, I would advise you not to go in expecting a consistently feel-good read that satisfactorily ties up all its trailing ends.

Everything about this book appealed to me. My family are huge animal-lovers, and we all have a particular soft spot for cats. I would also love to visit Japan someday - the culture, the language, the scenery... It's all so beautiful!
So I'm sure you've realised by now that this book is centred around a cat, and set in Japan. It's quite hard to explain the book properly, as it's a collection of separate narratives that all connect in various ways. And every person's story features a particular cat, too.
Every character and narrative was extremely unique which I loved - from a renowned tattooist to a translator from America, to a homeless man living on the streets of Tokyo. There was also a large amount of Japanese terminology and cultural references. Some of it I wasn't actually familiar with, and I have no existing personal knowledge or experience to compare it to, but it felt authentic to me.
One small complaint I have is that I didn't find the passage of time particularly clear - were these stories taking place simultaneously, or in sequence? Or was there a longer length of time between each? The further I read, the more it kind of made sense to me, but I was a bit confused for quite a while.
This was a really interesting book, with some really lovely moments. There was also a slightly eerie, almost paranormal atmosphere following the cat, which I really loved!
Overall, I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. Perhaps, if/when I ever get to visit Japan and learn more about the culture, I'll read this book again and be able to appreciate it even more!

This is an amazing and very fun read. I enjoy how each story involves a cat and how this all connects them. I liked how each short story was. I went into this book blind having never heard of it before but it's now one of my favorites. I liked the insight into Japanese life, the formality and rules.

This was such a fun little read! It's basically a collection of interlinking short stories, all set in Tokyo, and linked by the presence in each of a calico cat

These stories are an exploration of humans and human nature, and the complexities and nuance of a city. It was interesting getting the inner thoughts of people in completely different situations, linked by living in the same city and by the fleeting presence of one cat

I will say, some of the inner thoughts and opinions of some of the characters are questionable. There is some sexually explicit content, as well as racism, sexism, and references to sexual assault. There is also one scene of violence against the cat, but I can confirm the cat is fine by the end of the book

I think people who enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Convenience Store Woman will enjoy this one

Really quirky and lovely book. I'm in love with Japan, and this was so great for a Japan lover. Good variation of stories, I felt so many emotions. Very unique, enjoyed it a lot

I enjoyed this, and anyone interested in Japan or Japanese literature will find this an interesting read - from a Westernised view of the country and its capital city.

We open with a young girl getting a tattoo of the city on her back in a traditional (tebori) style. She specifically states that she doesn't want the tattoo with any people in it, but Kentaro sneaks in a small tattoo of a calico cat. The next time she visits to continue with the tattoo, Kentaro notices that the cat has moved.... And so we progress through a series of inter-linked narratives, where characters crop up and are the main focus, or re-appear in the background. Common to them all is the figure of the cat, now wandering the city and somehow encountering each of our characters. As a plot device, this is a clever way of linking the stories: the city's homeless being 'cleansed' from the streets in preparation for the 2020 Olympics; an American translator trying to fit into the city; a scientist trying to clone or create an AI cat for his daughter; a private investigator being threatened by the mob; a taxi driver who suffers a life-changing car crash... Nick Bradley gives us a sweeping look into moments of each of these lives, and we see that, even in a mega-city, we are all somehow connected. His choice of narrative styles changes, too, and we get a (fictional) short story, a short manga comic, a relationship seen in the form of footnotes, amongst others

Where the book doesn't quite work is its failure to escape from its Western perspective. It *feels* like it's written by a Westerner, and in so doing you can almost play 'Japan bingo' with the book: salarymen and karaoke; gaijin; women being hassled on the underground; the yakuza; the formal restrictions of family life; etc. Not that there is anything wrong with this, of course, but it does then also have the feel of a first novel where the author, who has clearly done his research, wants to include absolutely everything. Sometimes, less is more. It can't help but be compared with David Mitchell's debut, 'Ghostwritten', which has a similar plot device of a spirit passing between characters and linking their stories. For me, Mitchell had a much better narrative style and control of what to include and what to omit. Perhaps that's grossly unfair of me to compare the two, but hey, I just have.

On the whole, however, this is a diverting and rewarding read, not afraid to show the underbelly of a country that prides itself on its social cohesion. An interesting Western take on Tokyo and its problems. 3 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

The Cat and The City is a very clever and very well written book.

It covers many characters in Tokyo, all whom are cleverly intertwined. Even with so many characters. I didn't at any point feel lost or confused about who was who or their relevance and finding the links between the character was a lot of fun!

A really enjoyable read.

There was a lot going on in this short book and I will try and be as disciplined as possible in reviewing it, rather than interpreting it, as right now I want nothing more than just to sit down with someone else who has read it so we can talk about how GOOD that was.

This is a book with LAYERS. Onions and onions of layers.

First off, it is a great collection of short stories - they all take place in Tokyo and are entwined around each other - some take place before and after the previous story. Most are in prose, but a couple have slightly different approaches - one contains a manga strip, another is based around a detective's case notes, and another is closer to a personal monologue.

It is also an interesting range of short stories - they are a wide variety of different characters, personalities, ages and experiences - some are genuinely unpleasant to read, others are delightful. Some are Japanese, were born in Tokyo or Hiroshima, for example, and others are international. It's all very ... human.

Then there's how these stories relate. The first is of Naomi, a green-eyed woman who goes to a traditional tattooist and asks for a tattoo of Tokyo across her back. The tattoo artists includes a small calico cat, who also features, either directly or indirectly in all of the other stories. But is it the cat that links the stories? Or the larger story of how a calico cat is a feature of sci fi story written by a man that also seems to link to so many of the other characters. Is the cat part of that story, or the story part of that cat?

And the characters too - some are related to each other, or friends, or overhear someone else's conversation, or form part of someone's backstory, or an encounter in their day. They are all small details, small ants, in the workings of a much more complex machine like Tokyo.

There were lots of clever links and hints, and I loved finding them, as well as learning more about a place I know little about.

As a Westerner, I felt as though I learnt so much more about Japanese culture and traditions. I don't know if a Japanese reader would feel the same - they might feel that some aspects of their culture and of Tokyo were being stereotyped, or over-hyped, but there were also so many different stories and personalities, that it makes it hard to generalise any one as being typically 'Japanese'. As the writer himself is not Japanese, I hope he is viewed as a Japanologist, rather than a Japanophile.

In any case, for this reader, it was PERFECT.

Much of the story also relates to the upcoming excitement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics - although that has been postponed for a year, it has not changed the value of the book at all. In fact, it makes the story feel a little more sci fi - like the Copy Cat story it contains, which is like the heart of the novel - which works perfectly.

It's a little bit Illustrated Man, it's a little bit Cloud Atlas, but with the same wistful air that I've found from Japanese writers, and for me it was one of the best things I've read this year.

I got interested in this book because of two factors - association with Japanese literature and cats. I wasn't disappointed. This book comprises of a selection of short stories each of them situated in Tokyo or it's surroundings. They are not connected with each other in an obvious manner yet all of them fit reasonably well together. I certainly enjoyed spotting these small elements that join the stories together. This book isn't a feel-good collection of stories I have expected it to be. Yet it brought me a feeling of calmness and happiness. The main characters were extremely diverse and their histories simple yet enjoyable. I would certainly read another piece by this author.

"This is what Japan is turning into- a theme park for all those ghastly foreigners." Well after reading this book there are quite a few ghastly residents of the city of Tokyo to consider as well.
I liked the idea of the one calico cat wandering through the stories which became more interlocked as the pages turned. However you did have to put yourself into the total mindset of the culture (which obviously the author is well aware of) but parts of which may jar with British readers.
There some excellent characters in some although many have an undercurrent of sleaze and there is often a lot of sexually explicit descriptions of activities in the seedier parts of the city.
I liked the hints to do with the past history of Japan and its traditions, language and the beautiful aspects of the scenery ie the visits to the spring cherry blossom.
The backdrop of the (now cancelled) 2020 Olympics was interesting including of course the discussion of the disappearance of many cats but also undesirable humans (ie homeless drunks) cleared up off the place put into vans and taken right out of the city.
Overall I liked parts of the book. Not sure I would recommend it to many of my particular friends but felt that male readers, fans of sci-fi MANGA comic fiction and those genres might find it more appealing. Beware the experiments on the cat - but be relieved nothing terrible happens!

In these collection of short stories set in Tokyo, a stray cat weaves its way unsuspectingly into the lives of different characters throughout the city. This is a captivating collection of stories, that captures the feeling of the city and the people within it. It connects them all in beguiling ways and always manages to keep each character unique, managing to paint a perfect picture of a varied capital and the mysteries that play out in them. It is mystical at times and always leaves the reader suspecting, wondering and devouring. A perfect read.

"It often the ones we love the most who do us harm"
I loved how this story was a collection of short stories that were all somehow links. I enjoyed finding those links within the stories. I don't know if I could choose a favourite story they were all so unique, there are definitely a few characters who you could hate, but that also makes their story so fascinating. the calico cat was so cute and the major connection throughout.
I loved the style in which the book was presented with the stories not being on a linear timeline, some were from the present some from the past.

Thank you Netgalley and Atlantic Books for the ARC.

I love anything to do with Japan and this book is no exception. An engaging ride which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Intriguingly capricious just like the eponymous cat. Each life the cat interacts with is unique and we only get the merest of glimpses as she moves through the various subtly intertwined lives. As she traverses the length and breadth of the city we see are briefly introduced to variety of characters. Like the cat we are voyeurs on a moment, a snapshot, a calamity, thoughts, death, love, heartbreak, friendship. If you liked Mira Yu's Tokyo Ueno Station then I think this will appeal as there are themes of the hidden Tokyo that resonate through both.

Rather naively I imagined this to be like The Travelling Cat Chronicles. Well, it wasn‘t.

It was much darker and really rather distasteful in places. Immediately, the grubby scenes in the tattoo parlour nearly put me off reading the book, and then there were further instances, particularly of animal cruelty. Whilst some of the stories of the disparate characters were interesting, there were far too many to keep track of and I lost track of the tenuous relationships.

The ending was a little disappointing, as far as I could tell, not all of the storylines were wrapped up satisfactorily, although maybe that was down to me completely losing track.

Much as I adored the cover, I think this gave a misleading impression too. It leads one to think that the book will be charming, and it's rather the opposite.

Overall it felt as though it was trying too hard.

I was lucky enough to get a NetGalley copy of this and as always with that a review is needed...

I actually want to give this book 4.5 stars. It feeds into a long tradition despite being set in Tokyo that is almost Dickensian in everyone in a metropolis being interconnected. It feels similar to David Mitchell in that smaller stories are the narrative and interlink...

It's precisely the kind of story I love to read; it is really well written, the characters feel different and their stories are believable and pause in the best places. (The ending wasn't where I expected either!) The lives are real, and in places grimy but not excessive - I feel no qualms in recommending this book and yes, it had to be set in Tokyo - it's not just on a whim.

I tried to read this but just couldnt follow or understand what was going on. It just wasn't what I expected!

Quirky, absorbing and so evocative. Nick Bradley paints such a picture with this book. I love anything set in Japan and this had all the atmosphere and detail I was looking for. Delightful.

Found this book fascinating and very different! This is a very interesting story, and very clever the way the various characters link up. Amazing insight into Japanese culture too and the descriptions are so well written you do feel totally immersed in the environment. A little ‘near the knuckle’ for an old prude like me at times, but was necessary to depict the various sectors of society . Recommended.

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Two Stars

In all fairness to this book, I spent most of it comparing it to other works of Japanese literature I'm familiar with, primarily Murakami (because it feels like it's trying really hard to be Murakami) and that's a hard act to follow. But it also didn't do it for me, at all. I jumped at the chance to read this because I thought the idea of snippets of lives that somehow cross paths with this tortoise-shell cat in Japan sounded cool! Turns out the cat isn't so much a motif or a thread; just a coincidental object each story shares. Fine, but the individual stories weren't working for me either.

I made it three short stories in (a fair percentage through the book), but none of them clicked, whether it be the pacing, the themes, the characters etc. The fact that most of what I was expecting was hindered on the cat motif or a cultural exploration of Japan (which from a Western perspective is already ambiguous) meant that I was disappointed. It might have the setting, socio-political events and I guess references of Japan, but it doesn't feel like it has the heart, and isn't offering anything else besides to hold my interest.