Translated by: Louise Heal Kawai
If my cat could talk, I’m not sure I’d want him leading me on a fantasy adventure. Even if it was to save books? Well, maybe.
A teenager on an adventure of self discovery. A talking cat. An unlikely ally. A dusty old used book store.
But, beyond the fantasy, there was something to be learned…
”In our stifling daily lives, we’re all so occupied with ourselves that we stop thinking about others. When a person loses their own heart, they can’t feel another’s pain. They lie, they hurt others, use weaker people as stepping stones to get ahead - they stop feeling anything. The world has become full of those kinds of people.” (P 146)
”Books teach us how to care about others.” (P172)
”I think the power of books is that - that they teach us to care about others. It’s a power that gives people courage and also supports them in turn…Empathy - that’s the power of books.” (P 174)
These are the questions I am left with: If books show us ideas outside of ourselves. Other ways of living. Other ways of feeling and doing things. Then why aren’t more people empathetic? How are those lessons not learned? Or are they just ignored? If one doesn’t read, are they at a distinct disadvantage in understanding the people around them?
If my cat could talk, what would he say about the world we inhabit today?
