{"product_id":"the-guest-cat","title":"The Guest Cat","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eBOOK SUMMARY\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eA bestseller in France and winner of Japan's Kiyama Shohei Literary Award, The Guest Cat, by the acclaimed poet Takashi Hiraide, is a subtly moving and exceptionally beautiful novel about the transient nature of life and idiosyncratic but deeply felt ways of living. A couple in their thirties live in a small rented cottage in a quiet part of Tokyo; they work at home, freelance copy-editing; they no longer have very much to say to one another. But one day a cat invites itself into their small kitchen. It leaves, but the next day comes again, and then again and again. Soon they are buying treats for the cat and enjoying talks about the animal and all its little ways. Life suddenly seems to have more promise for the husband and wife — the days have more light and color. The novel brims with new small joys and many moments of staggering poetic beauty, but then something happens….\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eAs Kenzaburo Oe has remarked, Takashi Hiraide's work \"really shines.\" His poetry, which is remarkably cross-hatched with beauty, has been acclaimed here for \"its seemingly endless string of shape-shifting objects and experiences,whose splintering effect is enacted via a unique combination of speed and minutiae.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eABOUT THE AUTHOR\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eTakashi Hiraide was born in Moji, Kitakyushu in 1950. He has published numerous books of poetry as well as several books of genre-bending essays, including one on poetics and baseball. He currently lives in the west suburbs of Tokyo with a cat and his wife, the poet Michiyo Kawano.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eEric Selland lives in Tokyo. He is the author of The Condition of Music, Inventions, and Still Lifes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003ePRAISE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\"What initially reads like free association turns out to be a near-microscopic record of emotion and phenomena.\" — Alan Gilbert, The Believer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\"The best novels are often the ones that change us. Over time, they stay with us- like small miracles. Takashi Hiraide, the Japanese poet and novelist, blindsided me- he shows himself to be a poet of the highest grade. A rare treasure, beautiful and profound; whether you're a cat lover or not, don't pass this one up. Ultimately, it's about what it means to love and to lose. Even dog lovers will relate.\" — Juan Vidal, NPR\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\"A beautiful, ornate read, brimming with philosophical observation, humor and intelligence.\" — Publishers Weekly\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003ePRODUCT INFORMATION\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-pre-wrap leading-[1.7]\"\u003ePaperback \u003cbr\u003e144 Pages \u003cbr\u003eFiction \u003cbr\u003e7.1 in H | 5.1 in W | 0.4 in T | 0.3 lb\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Posman Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46017497759943,"sku":null,"price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/3277\/8951\/files\/9780811221504-The_20Guest_20Cat_20Hiraide3215.jpg?v=1777681104","url":"https:\/\/posmanbooks.com\/products\/the-guest-cat","provider":"Posman Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}