If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura (2012): A Review

Title: If Cats Disappeared from the World

Author: Genki Kawamura

Publication Year: 2012

Pages: 202

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Literary Fiction

Source: Audiobook @storytel.tr

Let’s start with the title, “If Cats Disappeared from the World.” I was ready to give it 1 star if the book made the cats disappear. Spoiler alert: it did not. The cats and the stars are safe. I have ambivalent feelings about this book. I liked it and wanted to give it 5 stars, but by chapter 2, my feeling dropped to 3 stars. When I realized the cats were safe, it settled at 4 stars.

What is the story about? We follow a narrator who receives the devastating news that he has stage 4 cancer and doesn’t have long to live. The story is heart-wrenching as it is about his last days on Earth. However, a humorous twist occurs when a devil or the narrator's doppelgänger appears, offering to add a day to his life for each thing he agrees to make disappear from the world. Who wouldn’t want to live one more day, especially when facing stage 4 cancer? He agrees to make phones, movies, and even time disappear, but when it comes to cats, he simply can’t do it. In the process of disappearing these things, he has the chance to revisit his relationships with his ex-girlfriend, his friend, his mother, and his father.

The story revolves around revisiting good memories and regrets, which is a compelling theme. The first chapter begins with humor, despite the gloomy atmosphere, as he is facing death. However, the humor fades, and it only returns only when the devil comes back, presenting a drastic shift after chapter one. I understand that during your last days on Earth, it’s not appropriate to constantly joke around, but this shift was noticeable. And I did not like it.

One off-putting aspect of the book is that it contains many quotable lines, which can feel like the author is directly hitting the reader with life lessons. I tend to dislike that approach; if I wanted to read about life philosophy and how to live my last days, I would choose self-help books. However, the sections about cats were so well done that I was able to overlook the self-help elements. Also, I found the narrator quite selfish because the things he made disappear were directly related to the people who had hurt him. For instance, phones were the only way he maintained his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, and movies were not just a hobby but the livelihood of both his ex-girlfriend and his best friend. Additionally, his father made his living repairing clocks—without clocks, the message is clear. It felt like the narrator was taking revenge on them in his final moments. The only reason he couldn’t bring himself to make cats disappear was due to their connection to his mother.

Despite these issues, it was a fast read (especially if you listen at 1.25X speed). Why should you read it? If you want to explore the inner thoughts and last days of a dying person, this could be the book for you. If you’re a cat lover, definitely pick this one up. There’s even a talking cat! If you’re looking for something that might make you cry, this is also a good choice. I have to admit that I started crying when the cat, Cabbage, became a central focus of the story. After that, I just couldn't stop.