DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

If Cats Disappeared From The World

Genki Kawamura author Eric Selland translator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Pan Macmillan

Published:20th Sep '18

Should be back in stock very soon

If Cats Disappeared From The World cover

A million-copy bestseller, a poignant and thought-provoking Japanese tale that asks what it really is that makes life worth living.

A moving tale of loss and reaching out to the ones we love.

Our narrator’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live.

But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week . . .

Because how do you decide what makes life worth living? In dealing with the Devil our narrator will take himself – and his beloved cat – to the brink.

Genki Kawamura's If Cats Disappeared from the World is a story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters in modern life.

This beautiful tale is translated from the Japanese by Eric Selland, who also translated The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide.

'If you're a fan of The Guest Cat (or even just cats generally), you'll love this.' – Sunday Times

A warm, quirky novel on life, love, family estrangement and what remains when we are gone with a surprising emotional charge. * Observer *
If you're a fan of The Guest Cat (or even just cats generally), you'll love this. * Sunday Times #StyleReads *
This brief existential enquiry into life’s priorities is gently charming. * The Skinny *
A moral tale. * The Express *
A poignant, affecting story about facing up to one's mortality, taking responsibility for one's choices and deciding what truly holds value. * The Herald *
Reminiscent of Johnathan Livingston Seagull, this was a quick read – it only took me a few hours – but it will stay with you long after you finish it. * My Weekly *

ISBN: 9781509889174

Dimensions: 197mm x 134mm x 14mm

Weight: 160g

208 pages