Nick Bradley (1) (1982–)

Here is a collection of short stories. But not stand-alones. Each one, mainly set in Tokyo references characters who may well turn up in another story, in an entirely new context. Only the cat weaves his or her way through the lot. First person, third person, manga, 'translations from the Japanese' by Fay Dunthorpe, who like other characters will appear in Bradley's next book, 'Four Seasons in Japan': all these are grist to Bradley's mill. Serious themes are tackled: loneliness, sexual assault, the deliberate cleansing the streets of the homeless, in time for the Tokyo Olympics and this lends the book a touching and often surprising quality. By the time I finished I realised I'd read not a batch of short stories, but an ingeniously constructed novel… (más)

There are parts of this book that totally felt like Nick has taken Ghostwritten and number9dream, put them both in a mixing bowl, threw a calico cat in and stirred them all together.   Which is not a bad thing as they're both excellent reads, and, as it turns out, so is The Cat and the City.   Although, having said that, Nick does have his own writing style and the underlying theme of the story is completely different.

This is one of those reviews where i feel i can't say as much as i'd like to say without giving away the book's ending, which is a bit annoying, both for me and, i imagine, anyone wanting a review.   So i'll just do my best without ruining it for anyone: i'm sure if anyone wants to have it ruined by reading a more in depth review they'll soon find one somewhere on the internet.

At first this is what appears to be a collection of short stories, however, each is interconnected by a calico cat and various characters that keep appearing around various parts of Tokyo. Slowly, over time, a back story begins to coalesce.

I wouldn't put this down as an easy read because you do have to keep track of some of the characters who randomly appear -- and their relationships -- add to this that most of the characters have Japanese names and it becomes a bit of a challenge.   Then there's the Japanese terminology that is peppered throughout, for which most of us will need to stop occasionally and use "Look Up".   All in all it is quite a challenge but it is well worth the investment if you have the sort of mind that likes reading books that require you to make a bit of effort.   If, however, you like your stories spoon fed to you by mother at bedtime then i would probably not bother as you'll probably just end up getting totally lost, confused, annoyed and ultimately blame a really good book for your own failings.

One could ask why is all this chaos necessary?   I would suggest that it's meant to portray Tokyo and it's metropolitan area of 37,468,000 people, all passing on the streets, trains, taxis, etc.; pretending to ignore each other while obviously being continually affected, being extremely polite while ultimately suffering inside, and being so distant from each other while being so very near.

Anyway, like the two David Mitchell books, mentioned above, i really enjoyed it and if you do make the effort i'm sure you will to as it's a great story spread out all over one of the world's greatest cities.… (más)

What I enjoyed: mixing two stories by using a "translation" plot device. The translator, Flo, an American translator living in Tokyo, is breaking up with her girlfriend and trying to find a translation project to get excited about. She finds a book in Japanese in the train, by a mysterious author, and the novel we're reading now is basically the "translation" of this book interspersed with elements from Flo's story. So meta, i like it ! There are some parallels that make us understand why Flo is so fascinated by the book, for example Flo's and Kyo's approach to art/craft, human connection, joy... I loved a lot of details and the character progression for Kyo. I found that the unsettling feeling of navigating between the 2 stories was enjoyable rather than confusing. I was quite engaged with the story and the characters, I wanted to know more and for Flo to find the mysterious author.
What I enjoyed less: the story between Ayako and her grandson Kyo was a bit... eye-rolling? sometimes, I can see the progression, but not sure I'm on board with the believability of it all, with the balance between some candid plot points and what feels like soul crushing life events. I also felt the balance of viewpoints between Kyo and Ayako in the "translated" story a bit off at times, and I wished to see more of Flo's life as it felt mostly empty, characters around her props more that other characters.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for gifting me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.… (más)