The Travelling Cat Chronicles | Hiro Arikawa | 2012 | Book Review

The Travelling Cat Chronicles Book Review: A Journey That Stays With You

Cats have a way of making themselves indispensable without appearing to try. They claim the most comfortable corner of the sofa, demand food at inconvenient hours, and behave as though sharing a home with us is a favor they’re doing us. Then, somewhere between all that mischief and indifference, they become family.

Hiro Arikawa understands this beautifully. Her novel, The Travelling Cat Chronicles, tells the story of a man and his cat traveling across Japan, but there’s much more happening beneath that simple premise.

For this The Travelling Cat Chronicles book review, it’s worth saying upfront that the novel is not particularly interested in surprising readers with dramatic events. Instead, it takes its time with people, their memories, and the things they struggle to say aloud. It’s funny in unexpected places, occasionally frustrating in its gentleness, and much sadder than its opening chapters might suggest.

And Nana, the cat at the center of it all, is quite a character.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles Summary: Five Years, One Cat, and a Road Trip

Nana doesn’t begin life as somebody’s pampered pet. He’s a streetwise stray who takes an interest in a silver van parked nearby. Its owner, Satoru Miyawaki, occasionally feeds him, and the two develop a comfortable arrangement.

Then Nana suffers an accident. Satoru takes him in, nurses him back to health, and gives him a home.

Five years pass.

By then, Nana has settled rather comfortably into domestic life, although he’d probably object to that description. Unfortunately, things are about to change. Satoru needs to find him another home, and the pair set off in their trusty silver van to visit several of Satoru’s old friends.

Satoru doesn’t reveal much about why he’s giving Nana away. Nana, meanwhile, has no intention of being handed over to just anybody.

Each visit takes us into Satoru’s past. We meet people who knew him as a boy, others who remember him from later years, and individuals whose lives took different turns after their paths separated.

That is as much of The Travelling Cat Chronicles summary as one needs before reading the novel. The unanswered question about Satoru’s decision is an important part of the experience, even if readers might begin to suspect the answer fairly early.

Nana Is the Kind of Cat You’d Love to Argue With

One of the pleasures of reading this novel is Nana himself.

He’s opinionated, possessive, clever, and completely convinced that cats are more sensible than humans. He has little patience for unnecessary sentiment and considers most human behavior faintly ridiculous.

Naturally, that makes him an entertaining narrator.

Arikawa gets something right that many books about cats struggle with. Nana talks to the reader, but he doesn’t stop behaving like a cat. His understanding of the world comes through his instincts, preferences, territorial habits, and attachment to familiar people.

He’s also wonderfully contradictory. He insists on his independence but dislikes the idea of losing Satoru. He judges other animals rather harshly, yet he can be unexpectedly considerate. And although he makes fun of humans for their emotional complications, he has quite a few feelings of his own.

His commentary brings welcome humor to the story, especially during encounters that might otherwise feel too sentimental.

But Nana isn’t the only narrator. Parts of Satoru’s history unfold through other characters, giving us glimpses of experiences Nana wasn’t around to witness.

The shifts work well for the most part. They allow the novel to develop Satoru as more than simply a kind man with a beloved pet, although some of these recollections take longer than necessary to reach their point.

Still, I wouldn’t trade Nana’s voice for anything. He’s easily the best reason to pick up the book.

The Friendships That Shape Satoru’s Life

The road trip introduces us to several people from Satoru’s past, and their memories gradually reveal the kind of person he is.

What’s interesting is that he isn’t somebody who goes around delivering inspiring speeches or making extraordinary sacrifices every other chapter. Much of what makes him likable comes from quieter things.

He remembers people and helps whenever he can, without making a fuss about his own difficulties. Even when things haven’t turned out particularly well, he rarely seems bitter about them.

His old friendships aren’t perfect, either.

There are childhood disagreements, moments of jealousy, regrets, and misunderstandings that only become clearer with age. These details give the story a little more texture than it would have had if everyone simply adored Satoru without complication.

Among books about friendship, this one is especially interested in what remains after people stop being part of each other’s daily lives.

We sometimes assume a friendship has faded because we no longer speak regularly. Yet a person who was important to us years ago can still occupy a surprisingly large place in our memories.

Satoru’s visits make that idea feel believable.

The novel’s exploration of friendship and loyalty also extends beyond its human characters. Nana may not understand every decision Satoru makes, but that doesn’t change where he wants to be.

And really, there is something very moving about that certainty.

A Cat Doesn’t Need Words to Love Someone

The relationship between Nana and Satoru is the real heart of this book.

Their affection develops through ordinary acts: sharing a home, traveling together, noticing each other’s moods, and being comfortable in each other’s company.

Anyone who has lived with an animal will recognize at least some of these little moments.

Pets become part of our routines so gradually that it’s difficult to remember when they weren’t there. We learn their habits, anticipate their demands, and find ourselves talking to them even when we know they can’t answer in words.

The human-animal bond isn’t always easy to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it. Arikawa doesn’t try particularly hard to explain it, either. She simply lets us watch Nana and Satoru together.

There’s a lovely balance in their relationship. Satoru gives Nana shelter and affection. Nana offers companionship, amusement, and the occasional display of tolerance.

Both are fortunate to have found each other.

The book also considers unconditional love, though not in a way that makes either character seem impossibly noble. Nana can be selfish, while Satoru makes decisions that his companion doesn’t understand.

But love doesn’t necessarily require two individuals to understand everything about each other.

Sometimes, knowing that somebody is there is enough.

A Different Kind of Journey Through Japan

The landscapes form a memorable part of the novel.

There’s the familiar silver van, of course, but also changing scenery, old neighborhoods, mountains, fields, and glimpses of everyday life in Japan.

As Satoru revisits places from his past, the journey feels increasingly connected to his memories.

I particularly liked the way Arikawa uses these locations without overwhelming readers with descriptions. A place matters because of who lived there, what happened there, or how somebody remembers it.

Readers who enjoy Japanese fiction books will probably appreciate this attention to ordinary details.

The story also reflects a quality often found in Japanese literature: characters don’t always articulate their feelings directly. Much of the emotional meaning emerges through gestures, silences, and conversations about seemingly unrelated things.

That restraint suits Satoru’s personality.

It does, however, affect the pacing.

The first half of the book moves slowly, and several visits follow a recognizable pattern. We meet an old acquaintance, learn about Satoru’s past, and watch Nana assess the situation.

After a while, the structure becomes predictable.

For readers who prefer fast-paced contemporary fiction, that might prove frustrating. The novel asks for patience, and not every recollection is equally interesting.

I also felt that Satoru’s kindness occasionally made him seem a little too good to be true. He is such a considerate presence that I sometimes wished the book would let him be more openly irritated or unreasonable.

Even so, these reservations didn’t prevent me from becoming attached to him.

When Love and Grief Become Part of the Same Story

It would be misleading to describe The Travelling Cat Chronicles as simply a feel-good animal story.

There is plenty of warmth, but sadness is never far away.

As the journey progresses, the novel begins to explore grief and loss more openly. It considers what happens when circumstances change, when people can no longer stay together, and when the future starts looking very different from what they had imagined.

What I appreciated was the way Arikawa allows happiness and sorrow to exist alongside each other.

Satoru and Nana still enjoy their time together. They encounter familiar faces, see beautiful places, and share amusing experiences. Their journey doesn’t become meaningless because it might eventually end.

On the contrary, its uncertainty makes many of those moments feel more precious.

The emotional direction of the novel isn’t especially difficult to guess. In fact, readers familiar with sentimental literary fiction books may recognize some of its storytelling choices quite early.

There were also moments when I felt the author was pushing a little too firmly for tears.

Yet I found myself affected despite those reservations.

Perhaps that has something to do with the particular sadness of loving an animal. We know from the beginning that our time together is limited, although we rarely think about it while refilling food bowls or complaining about scratched furniture.

Eventually, the most ordinary memories can become the ones we treasure most.

That thought stayed with me throughout the final chapters.

Three Memorable Quotes from The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Arikawa’s writing is generally straightforward, which makes certain lines stand out all the more. These three were particularly memorable.

Humans who think we don’t understand them are the stupid ones.

This sounds exactly like something Nana would say. Beneath the insult, though, lies an idea every pet parent has probably considered: animals may understand more about us than we give them credit for.

At that moment, we were without doubt the greatest travellers in the world. And I was the world’s greatest travelling cat.

I love the happiness packed into this observation. Nana isn’t thinking about where the journey might end. He’s simply enjoying the adventure and the company of his favorite person.

Life, be it human or feline, doesn’t always work out the way you think it will.

This line captures much of what the book is about. Things change, often without warning, and we don’t always get to choose what happens next. What remains within our control is how we love and care for one another along the way.

Is The Travelling Cat Chronicles Worth Reading?

If you’re expecting an adventurous travel novel with a cat who happens to narrate parts of it, you might be surprised by how much time this book spends looking backward.

It’s less concerned with where Nana and Satoru are going than with the people, experiences, and memories that have brought them to this point.

That approach won’t appeal to everyone.

Some readers may find the story overly sentimental. Others might wish the secondary characters had more room to develop beyond their connections with Satoru.

I had both thoughts at different points.

And yet, for all its imperfections, this is a difficult book to dismiss.

Nana is delightful. The relationship at the center feels genuine, and the novel handles companionship with a warmth that never entirely loses its sense of humor.

If you’re exploring Hiro Arikawa books for the first time, this is an inviting introduction to her storytelling. It also deserves a place on the reading list of anyone who enjoys reflective, character-driven fiction.

Above all, I think the novel will resonate with people who have loved and cared for animals. There are feelings in these pages that don’t require much explanation if you’ve ever shared your home, routines, and affection with a cat.

As I finish this The Travelling Cat Chronicles book review, I keep coming back to the simple relationship that started it all: a stray cat, a kind man, and a silver van.

Their journey may be fictional, but the affection feels wonderfully familiar.

My Rating