I Am a Cat: I - pre-read

[Kaseadillla]

Hello all - starting up discussions for the MAY 2018 BOTMs. For this month's theme of Japanese Literature, this discussion is for the group's poll selection for the CLASSICS category: I Am a Cat: I by Natsume Sōseki.

This discussion will be SPOILER-FREE. If you have already finished the book and want to discuss, hop on over to the spoiler-filled discussion HERE .

Happy reading!
Kasey

[Shelley]

My library does not own this one, but I did find a recording of the first two chapters on LibriVox. It seems like I read that the entire book is not available in audio in English. That's too bad, but I am looking forward to giving this one a try.

[ｄａｎｉｅｌａ]

My library has the ebook compilation, and at first I freaked out because it seemed extremely large! Then I realized it was all three books, lol.

[Cheryl]

I'm on the waiting list at openlibrary... have been since mid-March....but I def. want to read it!

[Kim]

Welp, here's a little advice to all: don't read the introduction first because there's a spoiler right in the middle! I would advise reading it after you're finished with the book if you want a bio about the author.
Also, I've only read the first 2 pages and was shocked by the straight up animal cruelty toward the cat!! Maybe I'm being too sensitive (like to know if others feel the same) but I cannot tolerate violence toward innocent creatures so we will see how this goes. I will read further but so far the first few pages are cringe-worthy. To me.

[Saar The Book owl]

I might join on this one. I have the copy since a while and started reading it, but didn't finish.

[Kerri]

I just learned today that my library system doesn't have this book! Oops. I have a few other resources to try, but I don't know if I will be able to join in. I was really looking forward to this one too. Drat.

[Sue]

I'll be joining this one a bit late, but definitely looking forward to reading!

[Saar The Book owl]

I think I have another edition that is not on GR, because it has over 300 pages.

[Cheryl]

Did you try typing in the ISBN?

Is it the omnibus?

https://www.goodreads.com/series/8917...

[Sarah]

I started it but then opted out! It didn’t grab my attention right away and I’m trying to read books that really grab me this year, since there is so little time and so many books!

[Saar The Book owl]

Sarah wrote: "I started it but then opted out! It didn’t grab my attention right away and I’m trying to read books that really grab me this year, since there is so little time and so many books!"

I know! Al those books. I need to clone myself :) I'm sorry that it didn't held your attention.

Cheryl wrote: "Did you try typing in the ISBN?

Is it the omnibus?

https://www.goodreads.com/series/8917..."

Thanks, Cheryl. That's it :)

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Only slightly amusing so far. The cat is beaten a lot - not ok in the Western World, though.

[Cheryl]

My copy became available. Now to find time to read it, as we start a long-distance road trip.

[Bethany]

Also putting this one aside--I read the first chapter and am partially through chapter 2--it's not holding my interest even though I am a certified crazy cat lady. I'll pass, here.

[Cheryl]

Reading the forward... it's not a cat book, I'm learning. Too bad. But I expect to find it somewhat interesting to learn about Japanese society. The forward itself is actually fascinating.

[Kim]

Not enjoying this. And I really want to. Have made it to page 100. I get the cats' observations of humans. That they are boring, petty, cruel but I'm really not interested in every detail of how they're boring, petty and cruel. I did like his interactions with the other neighborhood cats but they have been very brief. Those were the only parts of this saga that I have liked. Not sure if I'm going to make it through to the end. Who here is enjoying this and why?

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

The proportion of action to talking is like, 25 to 75. Plus it seems to me a domestic fiction written for philosophy/literature majors. AND, it was written by a Japanese author, educated in England, in 1905.

This book is best read in small chunks, and I think those people who enjoy reading magazines such as The Atlantic Magazine, or books which are essay anthologies will actually 'enjoy' this book. For everybody else, it will be read for the kudos of getting through a classic of sorts.

There really isn't a lot of cat action in the form modern readers are accustomed to. The cat is an observer of human conversations, mostly, which he occasionally discourses on at length giving his opinions on Human behaviors and selfishness.

[Thot Slayer]

I just read Botchan from start to finish and I should have read this instead, but I just joined the group and saw everyone was reading this today!
Botchan was great though so maybe I'll make it to I Am a Cat by the end of May.

[Cheryl]

My digital copy was automatically returned before I had a chance to finish the intro.... though I do actually like essays and talky analyses of human nature, I might not bother to try again, based on comments from you-all.

[Renee]

My copy finally arrived. It is enormous. I may put the read off and catch up the discussion later. I have Qi 84 and a busy schedule. I may read one of next months . This just looks too big

[Cheryl]

Remember, it's a trilogy... the group is only reading the first third together.

[Renee]

Thank you Cheryl. I h ad forgotten

[Kim]

Oh. I must have missed this as well. Well, I’m still reading it and am into volume 2. I think it’s better than the first. Less tediousness. I’m going to try to stick it out and read all 3.