The Guest Cat

Starred review from December 2, 2013
A husband and wife explore their marriage and life together through the portentous appearance of Chibi, a neighborhood cat, in Hiraideâs newly translated short novel that has claimed prestigious awards and bestseller status in Japan and France. The couple (who go unnamed) live in a small house together without children, both working from home as freelance copyeditors, and have forgotten how to speak to one another. As Chibi comes into the picture, the husband finally begins writing his book, and the couple bonds again in mutual appreciation of the animal, though neither of them particularly like cats. This is a short and subtle story, but remarkable in the number of layers packed into the gorgeous and textured, lolling rhythm of its prose: âAfter watching her tiny figure leap past the mirror stand and slip through the gap in the hanging strips of cloth onto the pile of cushions in the upper shelf of the closet, I would leave her undisturbed for a while.â The novel takes a nice metafictional turn midway through, as the reader slowly begins to understand that the book the husband is writing is the book heâs narrating. This is a beautiful, ornate read, brimming with philosophical observation, humor and intelligence, leaving the reader anticipating more translated works of Hiraide.

A seemingly simple story gives way to unexpected depth in Hiraide's international prize winner. David Shih narrates the story of a couple who rent a guesthouse outside of Tokyo to get away from the busy city. Both being writers, they work in the same house yet have become distant from each other--until the guest cat arrives. Shih's narration gives the story a sense of the ordinariness of life while still keeping the listener engaged. Hiraide's poetic prose is brought to life through Shih's plainspoken voice. As the husband and wife begin to interact with the cat, their lives start to take on new meaning, until everything changes. While this is a short novel, listeners may be so charmed that they finish it and start it again immediately. A.G.M. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine