Eric Selland

Genki Kawamura

A Novel

If Cats Disappeared from the World

世界から猫が消えたなら

Our narrator's days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor's diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week . . .Because how do you decide what makes life worth living? How do you separate out what you can do without from what you hold dear? In dealing with the Devil our narrator will take himself - and his beloved cat - to the brink. Genki Kawamura's If Cats Disappeared from the World is a story of loss and reconciliation, of one man's journey to discover what really matters in modern life.This beautiful tale is translated from the Japanese by Eric Selland, who also translated The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide. Fans of The Guest Cat will also surely love If Cats Disappeared from the World.

Ricardo Feliciano

“To think that Mom spent her days like this, putting up with my endless questions and then later putting up with it again from Cabbage. You'd find a flower and then sit down to study it, then find another flower and sit down again. Our walks would last forever. It's not easy taking care of a small child," my mother told me once I'd grown up, but those were happy times all the same." She'd get that faraway look in her eyes when she talked nostalgically about the past, then let out a little laugh.”

"So, human beings may think that they're looking at the world as it's supposed to be, but they've got it all wrong. In fact, they've just imposed a meaning on something and come up with a definition for what the world is supposed to be all about in a way that just happens to suit them.”

“I guess it's the same with life. We all know it has to end someday, but even so, we act as if we're going to live forever. Like love, life is beautiful because it must come to an end.”

Nininin

“Yeah, but just being alive doesn’t mean all that much on its own. How you live is more important.”

sofia 🪆

“But as I write these things down, I'm beginning to wonder, is this really what I want to do before I die?

Perhaps I should start a new list, but when I think of all the things that I want to do before I die, they all involve you.”

Love has to end. That's all. And even though everyone knows it they still fall in love.

If you've gained something it means that someone, somewhere, has lost something. Even happiness is built on someone else's misfortune.

Lindy

Human beings exchanged their freedom for the sense of security that comes from living by rules and routines-despite knowing that costs them their freedom.

And next to all the movies that play on a loop inside me, sit the images of friends, lovers, the family, who were with me when I watched them. Then there are the countless films that I've recorded in my own imagination-the memories that run through my head, which are so beautiful, they bring tears to my eyes.

It's a real loss, something deeply human, that can't be expressed by counting things. It's so small you could miss it, but without anyone noticing, our lives are changed completely.

Before, I would hold him and pet him without thinking about it much, but now, for the first time, it occurred to me that this is what life was all about. 

Ina Christofferson

’There are so many cruel things in the world,’ he once told us. ’But there are also just as many beautiful things.’

Melanie

It was the first time the finality of death had really hit home for either of us, and so she started to cry there in that place. A place where there no denying just how powerless and utterly helpless we human beings are. I didn't know what to say. 

Yes, this may be “dramatic” or “crazy” but I, too, would choose for myself to disappear than for cats to disappear. 💔

nikki

“I just couldn’t bring myself to get rid of cats. I realize you must think I’m crazy for turning down that deal. But that’s just the way it is. This is who I am. Of course there’s a possibility that I’m some kind of idiot for choosing this, but I couldn’t find any satisfaction in extending my life in exchange for other people losing something that they love so dearly.“

You see, I don’t cry much about things that happen in my life but when it comes to books ESPECIALLY when there’s an animal involved, oh boy…

“I’d be flattered if you continued to live, sir. I could never be happy in a world deprived of your existence.”

This is so evil but then again, what did I expect from this character

“But he didn’t stop; instead the devil revealed his plan. “This time, let’s make cats disappear from the world.”

“What did I gain by growing up, and what did I lose?”

“So I suppose I now know two things that I didn’t know then: I can’t fly, and what I had back then is now gone forever.”

I completely agree like yes tell me everything!! 

“I realized then that when a person talks about something they really love, there’s a kind of thrill to listening to them.”

hande

Love hast to end. That's all. And even though everyone knows it they still fall in love. I guess it's the same with life. We all know it has to end someday, but even so we act as if we're going to live forever. Like love, life is beautiful because it has to end.

lily lily 

My whole existence had taken place within this little sliver of time that sat between two much larger chunks of time—during which I didn’t exist.

I’m satisfied with who I am and how I’ve lived. I’m happy to have been here at all. Where else but here could I have been?

Cute concept but I feel a lot of the writing was lost in translation 

Hannah 

sorry I’m a hater. maybe it’s a me thing or maybe it’s a translation thing but I was Not Vibing with the writing and also? Did not find any idea that made me reflect in any deep way but maybe that is because I am on the trail and only have my necessities but also even if there was something cool there I don’t think it makes up for not enjoyable writing 

Jules 

I laughed. I gasped at the audacity. I cried.

This book really made me pause and reflect—EXACTLY what it was aiming for.  

I laughed. I gasped at the audacity. I cried.
Maybe that’s what life’s all about.

This book really made me pause and reflect—EXACTLY what it was aiming for.  
And yeah... they got me there.

The international phenomenon that has sold over a million copies in Japan, If Cats Disappeared from the World is a funny, heartwarming, and profound meditation on the meaning of life. The postman’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage to keep him company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can tackle his bucket list, the Devil appears to make him an offer: In exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, our narrator will get one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week... With each object that disappears the postman reflects on the life he’s lived, his joys and regrets, and the people he’s loved and lost. Genki Kawamura’s timeless tale is a moving story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters most in life.

I think this holds true universally: whenever you’re in need of a little tenderness in life, choosing a piece of Japanese literature is never the wrong move. I’m not here for the well-crafted plots or the poetic reflections on life—just the vibe. There’s hardly a storyline in sight, yet somehow, it lets you see things more clearly, especially when you’ve been focused on something else for too long.

🏹

simple yet makes u think abt the little things that make life worth living.

mint

It's simplistic, straightforward yet it clenches your heart. It makes you ponder about life, about the importance of simple everyday things, and yes — the importance of cats. 

It's simplistic, straightforward yet it clenches your heart. It makes you ponder about life, about the importance of simple everyday things, and yes — the importance of cats. 

PS: the devil is so funny lol

"Yeah, but just being alive doesn't mean all that much on its own. How you live is more important." 

Thought provoking and absolutely beautiful 

Das ist genau mein Buch. Das ist genau meine Geschichte. Das ist genau mein Favorit.

Dieses Buch gab mir alles, was ich von einem guten Buch wollte.

Es macht Spaß und bringt mich dennoch zum Nachdenken über viele Dinge, die in der Realität wirklich wichtig sind.

Ich liebe es, wie der Autor so große Themen des Lebens auf so einfache Weise geschrieben hat. Es ist einfach erstaunlich.

Ich habe gelacht und geweint, während ich dieses Buch gelesen habe. Es ist bezaubernd und wird eine der denkwürdigsten Lektüren bleiben.

Es geht nicht nur um die Katze oder irgendwelche emotionalen Bindungen zwischen Katzen und Menschen, die die Handlung dieses Buches ausmachen.

Sondern es ist etwas, das völlig anders ist und dem Leben des Erzählers so wichtig ist, am Ende ergibt alles einen Sinn.

Fatima

Das ist genau mein Buch. Das ist genau meine Geschichte. Das ist genau mein Favorit.

Dieses Buch gab mir alles, was ich von einem guten Buch wollte.

Es macht Spaß und bringt mich dennoch zum Nachdenken über viele Dinge, die in der Realität wirklich wichtig sind.

Ich liebe es, wie der Autor so große Themen des Lebens auf so einfache Weise geschrieben hat. Es ist einfach erstaunlich.

Ich habe gelacht und geweint, während ich dieses Buch gelesen habe. Es ist bezaubernd und wird eine der denkwürdigsten Lektüren bleiben.

Es geht nicht nur um die Katze oder irgendwelche emotionalen Bindungen zwischen Katzen und Menschen, die die Handlung dieses Buches ausmachen.

Sondern es ist etwas, das völlig anders ist und dem Leben des Erzählers so wichtig ist, am Ende ergibt alles einen Sinn.

Maureen

"I guess it's the same with life. We all know it has to end
someday, but even so, we act as if we're going to live forever. Like love, life is beautiful because it must come to an end."

***

Memento mori, basically. The premise really piqued my interest, but I didn't get to connect with the book as much as I thought I would. The thing about Japanese literature is that it's always hit-or-miss. Translation is probably a major factor because I felt like I was reading a YA novel here. 

If you're not a fan of self-help, you might feel this book getting over preachy at times. Nonetheless, the ending tied everything together nicely. 😃

I really enjoyed this book. Although the plot is obviously a little bit depressing, the beginning of the book is written in a rather fun and carefree way which lightened the atmosphere a lot. For me personally, it could have used a lot more emotion at this point and I found the constant reflecting and deep thoughts a little repetitive, I was fully prepared to give this book only 3 stars (because it was still nice and entertaining to read), but the last couple of chapters really hit me in the face with the emotions, they definitely made me tear up a couple of times. 
The book really does make you reflect on your own life, on the people and things that surround you and what they mean to you, and how your life would change if they happened to suddenly disappear. You begin to ponder whether things are really necessary or if they are only around us out of comfort. Lovely novel. 🐈‍⬛

Ghofran Mustafa 

How would the world change if I disappeared??

A touching and depressing novel about a young man who faces death, after he discovers he has a tumor and he doesn't have much time to live.
It made me think of how we sometimes forgot that life is truly short and in the middle of everything we lose ourselves we forget how to life and enjoy the little things.
 
It pushed me to question myself about the life I'm living, how I'll end up at the end? would I feel any regret?

A beautiful book about what makes life worth living. Had me bawling my eyes out at multiple occasions, one of them being in the middle of a train station in Madrid (which was embarassing.) The story was simple and at times repetitive, but still a fun read. 

sani

“And that’s why we need cats. It’s just like my mother said. Cats don’t need us. It’s human beings who need cats.”

the first book to actually made me cry this year. this is my kind of book. the book which is funny, nothing significant really happens and yet at the same time, it teaches us so much about reality. loved the way the magical realism was shown in the book. perfect for those people who love cats and movies. 

it was a short but beautiful journey of seven days with the narrator and as cliche as it sounds, i have grown to appreciate the little things, like he said. 

“I was never able to be completely myself or live my life in exactly the way I wanted to. I’m not sure I ever even figured out what exactly “being myself” really meant. So I’ll die with all those failures and regrets, all those unfulfilled dreams—all the people I never met, the things I never tasted, the places I’ve never been. But that doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m satisfied with who I am and how I’ve lived. I’m happy to have been here at all. Where else but here could I have been?”

loved the ambiguous ending. in my mind, the narrator and his father had made up and his father now takes care of sweet Cabbage while he is dead now.

honestly idk what i expected coming into this but i did like it. it really did make me think about life and just things humans do lol. also my first book i’ve read in yeaaars so shoutout to it for that 🙏

This is the most beautiful book I have ever read. I sobbed. Literally sobbed. 

Anca B

I'm not going to lie, the title of the book is what drew me to this book since it would be terrible if cats actually disappeared from the world! I did find the title a little bit misleading though, but I still enjoyed the novel.

Kawamura's prose is adorned with a simplistic and genuine emotion that it adds to the immersive setting and thought-provoking concept. Although some parts were a little too cliché, and a comedic tone to the writing and characters was added, it was the quiet tender moments that I adored the most. While the ending of the novel becomes a little more obvious as I read, the manner in which the conclusion is reached, to me, is poignant and touching.

I feel like I can’t give this a full 5 stars but I will remember this book for a long time. I recommend it if you love Japanese fiction or speculative writings about life and death.

I'm not going to lie, the title of the book is what drew me to this book since it would be terrible if cats actually disappeared from the world! I did find the title a little bit misleading though, but I still enjoyed the novel.

Kawamura's prose is adorned with a simplistic and genuine emotion that it adds to the immersive setting and thought-provoking concept. Although some parts were a little too cliché, and a comedic tone to the writing and characters was added, it was the quiet tender moments that I adored the most. While the ending of the novel becomes a little more obvious as I read, the manner in which the conclusion is reached, to me, is poignant and touching.

I feel like I can’t give this a full 5 stars but I will remember this book for a long time. I recommend it if you love Japanese fiction or speculative writings about life and death.

Amna A.

"With his four white feet tucked in and folded under his fur, he looked like a perfectly round throw-pillow. I stroked him and felt his little heart beating away. It was almost unbelievable that such a life force flowed through this small creature, as he lay there so still, sleeping beautifully".
This book explores the "unnecessary things" that play an important role in shaping who we are and give our lives meaning, such as cats and movies, and the ethical dilemma of denying the rest of the world those "unnecessities" in exchange for an extra day of life. Up until around the halfway mark of this book, I wasn't really enjoying the writing style and felt that the narration was too stoic for such a subject (cats disappearing from the world!!!). Initially I thought it was a translation issue, but looking back, I see that this may have been intentional to reflect the main character's development and the emotional awareness he gains with the realisation of what he might cause to disappear from the world.

Laura Rodrigues de Pina

** spoiler alert **
           Honestamente? Eu gostei muito. 

Apesar de ser uma leitura reflexiva — com todos os clichês que tem direito — não é um leitura pesada, talvez porque meus estágios do luto estão mais avançados e já não sinto mas tanto quanto sentiria há alguns anos atras. Pra Laura de hoje é um ótimo livro com passagens bonitas e significativas. O final me remeteu a duas possibilidades e em qualquer uma delas, fico satisfeita de ter decidido ler. 

obs: não acho egoísta nenhuma das decisões dele e acho que faria a mesma coisa.

gülsu

*4.5
cant believe i started to sob when he talked about his mom

Would’ve been a 5/5 but I absolutely hate abrahamic religions.

An amazing book on the uncertainty of life and death. A beautiful piece on the inevitability of death and acceptance.

SuanuAndTheirBrain

Would’ve been a 5/5 but I absolutely hate abrahamic religions.

An amazing book on the uncertainty of life and death. A beautiful piece on the inevitability of death and acceptance.

Isabella 

a book u hav to rlly connect with to actually feel it unfortunately i didnt rlly connect to it i think the premise of the book is good tho

Izabela Borges

** spoiler alert **
           Dude this book is a huge disappointment. It’s flat, it comes short on 98% of its points, and it had a lot of potential if you read the blurb, but god, the book is just as underdeveloped as its protagonist.
Our dude is either a teenage boy pretending to be an adult or a very emotionally underdeveloped 30 yo man. Reading the book was an insufferable experience… it’s extremely hard to connect with a character so shallow and self-serving. It just made the book an unpleasant read for most of it. 
There were moments that I just hated the character, and I know that some books are written in a way that it’s just intended for you to hate a character, but let me tell you, this was not it. He’s after all just a very flat and unlikeable character. To the point where all the bullet point items in his mom’s list of “things I love about my son” felt either delusional or just taken out of nowhere for cry effect at the end of the book. You couldn’t at all grasp any of those qualities anywhere else in the book, and there wasn’t any type of discussion or exposition to debate that maybe impending death made the boy act out. He should just have scheduled a therapy appointment when he left the doctor and this book would’ve been more interesting.
So there, it’s just an overall badly constructed tale. I would’ve totally DNF’d this book if it wasn’t so tiny (it was a 4-hour read while in a road trip).
But god, it really doesn’t make any sense to me that this book is so well acclaimed. Read at your own risk, I guess.

If Cats Disappeared from the World A Novel

Reviews

Highlights