Post by account_disabled on Dec 31, 2023 22:27:49 GMT -8
Before you buy the book I want to warn you: this novel is not about cats , it is not a book for cat lovers, even if there is a cat - in fact there are 3, even if 2 disappear from the scene in a short time. I am a cat ( Wagahai wa Neko de aru , 1905) is Natsume's first novel – small note: Natsume is the surname, given that in Japan, before the Meiji period (1868-1912), it was customary to precede the surname with name – a satirical novel illustrating Japanese society of that time. In short, in the end it's a kind of mainstream, with a different narrative than I'm used to: so why did I read it? I was interested in reading a story featuring a sentient animal and a friend pointed this out to me, but I ended up with something I wasn't expecting.
She called it “a novel of observation” and, if you read it, you will agree with this definition. “I am a cat” is not the Western-style Japanese novel On the back cover it says: the first work which, as Claude Special Data Bonnefoy wrote, inaugurates the great Japanese Western novel. No, this Western novel has nothing at all. If you have read 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami , you will notice many differences, although 1Q84 in my opinion is certainly not 100% Western – and how could it be, given that it was written by a Japanese author? So, before reading it, know what you're getting into. The genius of choosing a cat as a narrator As I read I wondered why Natsume chose a cat to tell this story. Yes, because our cat – without a name – is the narrator of the novel . He does not participate very actively in the events narrated, he is more of an observer.
Then I thought this: Natsume needed – or simply wanted – an omniscient narrator who told in the first person and could show the reader the various characters even outside of the main scene. The story takes place almost entirely in Kushami's house, but there are also scenes in other locations. Who better than a cat could do such a thing? Our narrator can sneak into any room and walk around undisturbed, peeking everywhere, telling the reader what's happening. This is just my impression, let's be clear. But let's now look at what these 7 exceptions to the rules of storytelling are . 1 – The narrator is an animal One of the most difficult characters to create is undoubtedly a sentient animal as the protagonist . We are talking about a novel for adults, not a fairy tale, obviously. Reading The Three Little Pigs , it never occurs to anyone that pigs and wolves cannot speak, much less build houses. But here the question is different: Natsume must tell a story about a family in a novel not suitable for children and teenagers.
She called it “a novel of observation” and, if you read it, you will agree with this definition. “I am a cat” is not the Western-style Japanese novel On the back cover it says: the first work which, as Claude Special Data Bonnefoy wrote, inaugurates the great Japanese Western novel. No, this Western novel has nothing at all. If you have read 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami , you will notice many differences, although 1Q84 in my opinion is certainly not 100% Western – and how could it be, given that it was written by a Japanese author? So, before reading it, know what you're getting into. The genius of choosing a cat as a narrator As I read I wondered why Natsume chose a cat to tell this story. Yes, because our cat – without a name – is the narrator of the novel . He does not participate very actively in the events narrated, he is more of an observer.
Then I thought this: Natsume needed – or simply wanted – an omniscient narrator who told in the first person and could show the reader the various characters even outside of the main scene. The story takes place almost entirely in Kushami's house, but there are also scenes in other locations. Who better than a cat could do such a thing? Our narrator can sneak into any room and walk around undisturbed, peeking everywhere, telling the reader what's happening. This is just my impression, let's be clear. But let's now look at what these 7 exceptions to the rules of storytelling are . 1 – The narrator is an animal One of the most difficult characters to create is undoubtedly a sentient animal as the protagonist . We are talking about a novel for adults, not a fairy tale, obviously. Reading The Three Little Pigs , it never occurs to anyone that pigs and wolves cannot speak, much less build houses. But here the question is different: Natsume must tell a story about a family in a novel not suitable for children and teenagers.