Reviewed by Jeanne
Shuta Kawaga is struggling with his job. It’s a prestigious company and he should be
happy but the long hours, callous treatment of employees, and a horrible boss are
weighing him down. He’s having trouble sleeping, he doesn’t want to eat, he’s
miserable and yet he can’t bring himself to quit. What he needs, he thinks, is some counseling
to help him cope. That’s how he ends up at the odd little clinic in a narrow
alleyway. It definitely doesn’t fit his
view of a highly recommended doctor’s office, but he’s already run through all
the local clinics and none have helped.
He’s feeling a little desperate and ready to try something different.
This place turns out to be a little more different than he anticipated.
For one thing, the doctor prescribes him a cat.
A real cat.
Bewildered, Shuta heads home with his furry medication, only
to find out that the instructions for use are not as thorough as he would have
liked. . . .
We’ll
Prescribe You a Cat is a series of stories about different people who
seek help from the “Clinic for the Soul” from a frustrated office worker to a
designer at an upscale store. All are
struggling with both their personal and professional lives. All end up at the mysterious clinic with a rather
sullen nurse and off-beat doctor. I’ve read and enjoyed several of these
episodic Japanese novels, many of which have similar themes of sorting out what
one thinks one wants as opposed to
what one really wants. In some ways, this book does follow that
theme, providing attitude adjustments in the best sense of the phrase, but it
does something a bit different with an overall story line that is gradually
revealed. I hesitate to say more because
I don’t want to spoil it, but I was charmed and a bit teary-eyed at the
end. While Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa remains my favorite, I
have to say that this book is a very strong second. It is an absolute delight. I am buying my own copy, which is my highest
recommendation.
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