Reviewed by Jeanne
There’s a pet shop in Tokyo with seven unusual cats—the Blanket
Cats. Each cat has its own special security
blanket, something familiar. They need
it because these cats are rented out to different customers for a three day
periods, after which the cats are to be returned to the shop. The customer has to agree to certain rules,
such as only feeding the cat its specific food and keeping the cat and blanket
together. These are cats who have been
chosen for their demeanor and calmness; most are purebred cats.
The people who come to rent these cats come because their
lives are in some way broken. They come
hoping that the company of a cat, even if it’s just for three days, will somehow
make their lives better.
Sometimes they’re right.
Lately it seems that there’s been a proliferation of books by Asian
authors, mostly Japanese, which have cats on the cover and feature stories
about troubled people who come to a certain café or coffee shop or restaurant
and have a life changing moment. Some have referred to this as “healing
fiction,” since most of these people have a revelation or encounter that
changes their lives for the better. Blanket
Cats is in many ways a more realistic take on these situations. People do
not miraculously change their hearts or make peace with an enemy, but they do
see their problems in different ways. For some, there is a glimmer of hope; for
other may find the courage to face a problem-- or else become resigned.
These may not be “feel good” stories found in other
collections but they do feel more true to life, and as a result feel darker to
me. They avoid sentimentality, which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on
your preferences, but they are also wonderfully crafted, complex tales that
leave a reader wondering what happened next.
The translation seems very smooth, not as choppy as some can be, which
certainly added to my enjoyment.
Short story fans will find a lot to like in this book as will
cat lovers.
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