The Cat Who Saved Books (The Cat Who..., #1)

by Sōsuke Natsukawa

“A book that sits on a shelf is nothing but a bundle of paper. Unless it is opened, a book possessing great power or an epic story is mere scraps of paper. But a book that has been cherished and loved, filled with human thoughts, has been endowed with a soul.”

met you once in a story. I think it was one my mother read to me.” “Books have souls,” repeated the cat softly. “A cherished book will always have a soul. It will come to its reader’s aid in times of crisis.”

“Older books, particularly those that have a long history, have been influenced by the minds and souls of a great many people. Those books become imbued with a tremendous power, whether it be good or evil. And when the soul of such a book becomes distorted . . .”

“Books teach us how to care about others.”

“Books are filled with human thoughts and feelings. People suffering, people who are sad or happy, laughing with joy. By reading their words and their stories, by experiencing them together, we learn about the hearts and minds of other people besides ourselves. Thanks to books, it’s possible to learn not only about the people around us every day, but people living in totally different worlds.”

“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.”

There was no such thing as having no choice. Rintaro knew that now.