I Am a Cat by Soseki Natsume (1905 to 1906, translated by Graene Wilson)

My Prior Posts on Natsume Soseki

Translation of authorial names will often see him as "Natsume Soseki") 

I Am a Cat is the fourth novel by Natsume Soseki (1868 to 1912) I have had the great pleasure of reading.  Previously I have read and posted on (there is some background information on him in my prior posts) three of his novels, Botchan, Kokoro, and Kusamakura.  

I Am a Cat is among the longest of pre-WW Two Japanese novels.  As soon as I saw the title I knew this was a book I needed to read.  Told by an unnamed household cat in a middle class family, the father is a teacher, it is a gentle to harsh at times satire of Meiji era (1868 to 1912) Japanese life. At times the manner of the prose reminded me of that of Saki.

All literary cats are a bit haughty and the cat in this work does not disappoint.  He is an "inside/outside cat" and it was a lot of fun to see his interaction with rougher ferral cats, in a subtle way cat society mimics human, and pampered pets.  We learn a lot about academic life and politics from listening in on the conversation of the humans.  We see how the family functions and the role of servants in daily life. Teachers are portrayed in a quite negative way.

I Am a Cat was first published in serial format and each chapter can function as a stand alone story.

The cat knows other cats in his neighborhood are much better taken care of than he.  He is hurt by the fact that his humans don't even bother to name him.  In the indifferent way the cat is treated I think the author is making a comment about the indifference of the affluent in Japan to the average person. The cat does not much like humans and he is quick to point out their flaws.  Much of the novel is devoted to cultural conflicts over the increasing westerization of Japan and the social issues this brings to the country.

I Am a Cat is must reading for all those into the Japanese novel. It is funny, clever, wise and will give you a glimpse into a fascinsting period in Japanese history.  

Published by Tuttle Publishing, the premier publishers of Japanese literature, you can get more information on the book HERE

Mel u