If Cats Disappeared from the World
Hi!! Today I read an entire book during my shift at work! This is the first book I’ve read for my own enjoyment rather than an assignment for one of my courses, and it has reminded me just how much joy reading brings me. I’ve been in a reading slump and this book singlehandedly brought me out of it.
A short and incredibly brief summary of the book
The story follows an unnamed narrator who has just found out he has a brain tumor and has a very limited amount of time left to live. The devil offers a proposition for our narrator to continue living: for each day he wants to extend his life he must choose an item to disappear completely from the world. He chooses cellphones, clocks, and movies, and slowly begins realizing the seemingly mundane things he once took for granted hold importance to life. To extend his life for an extra fourth day the devil asks him to remove cats from existence. Our narrator then reflects on his lifelong relationship with cats, how they have connected him to his late mother, and overall leaving him reflecting the meaning of life and loss. He chooses to accept his fate and die rather than get rid of Cabbage, his cat.
What I thought of the book
To be completely honest, I had tried to read this book once before and after the first ten pages I put it down and forgot about it for an entire year. However, once you get past the first 20-ish pages which fall under the cliche “Heh. I bet you’re wondering how I got here…” genre of books, it is definitely an encapsulating and well written story. The narrator is a relatable guy who is going on this journey of self reflection and nostalgia before he dies. Throughout the story he retells short anecdotes about his mother, an ex-girlfriend, an old friend from his adolescence, his cats, and, very briefly, his father, which all give us a better idea as to who he is and what he has lost, which I often found myself relating to. His reflections on his life and experiences ultimately lead him to the conclusion that the boring things he once took for granted are what made life so beautiful and worth living. This book is a short and, at times, sentimental story which is a quick and easy read!
Would I recommend this book, and if yes to who?
Yes!!! This story is a delightful reminder to be grateful and cherish this confusing world we live in. Life itself is such a gift and this book emphasizes the beauty in the ordinary. This book is perfect for someone who has a long TBR list and it looking for something a little less daunting than a 400 page novel. With just under 170 pages, I was able to read this book in one sitting while not getting bored or feeling as though there was too much. I’m not sure if I’ll ever find myself reading this again, but I enjoyed it for what it was!
Before I go…
This is my first attempt at a novel review, and I don’t think I like how I structured this at all. I’ll learn what to do better and continue trying and improving! Thank you for reading! Happy Wednesday! Well, it’s 12:25 now so happy Thursday, I guess!
