I Am a Cat

Discover the original Japanese Cat classic, now in a vibrant new translation by Nick Bradley, author of The Cat and the City . 'I am a Cat. But I still don't have a name...' Once a stray kitten, I Am a Cat ’s narrator finds himself adopted by a local scholar and thrown headfirst into the absurd upper middle-class world of Meiji-era Japan. Now a noble but somewhat world-weary observer, he has ample opportunity to dissect the strange ways and convoluted conversations of the human race. First published at the turn of the 20 th century, and regarded as one of Japan’s most iconic classics, I Am a Cat is a captivating exploration of identity, society, and the often bewildering nature of the human condition—all seen through the eyes of a very special, uncompromising cat. ‘ A biting satire of Meiji-era Japan' Jessie Burton, Guardian ‘Soseki is the representative modern Japanese novelist, a figure of truly national stature’ Haruki Murakami

Discover the original Japanese Cat classic, now in a vibrant new translation by Nick Bradley, author of The Cat and the City . 'I am a Cat. But I still don't have a name...' Once a stray kitten, I Am a Cat ’s narrator finds himself adopted by a local scholar and thrown headfirst into the absurd upper middle-class world of Meiji-era Japan. Now a noble but somewhat world-weary observer, he has ample opportunity to dissect the strange ways and convoluted conversations of the human race. First published at the turn of the 20 th century, and regarded as one of Japan’s most iconic classics, I Am a Cat is a captivating exploration of identity, society, and the often bewildering nature of the human condition—all seen through the eyes of a very special, uncompromising cat. ‘ A biting satire of Meiji-era Japan' Jessie Burton, Guardian ‘Soseki is the representative modern Japanese novelist, a figure of truly national stature’ Haruki Murakami

This English version of ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ (Wagahai-wa neko de aru: I Am a Cat), Chapters I and II, written by Natsume Soseki, pseudonym of Natsume Kinnosuke (1867-1916), and translated by Kan-ichi Ando (1878-1924), was published by Hattori Shoten, Tokyo, in 1906. It begins: "I am a cat; but as yet I have no name." Its sardonic feline narrator describes his origins, his settlement in the household of a Meiji teacher-intellectual, and the goings-on and conversations among the cats and humans about the neighborhood. Of the men he concludes: "They are miserable creatures in the eyes of a cat."

This English version of ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ (Wagahai-wa neko de aru: I Am a Cat), Chapters I and II, written by Natsume Soseki, pseudonym of Natsume Kinnosuke (1867-1916), and translated by Kan-ichi Ando (1878-1924), was published by Hattori Shoten, Tokyo, in 1906. It begins: "I am a cat; but as yet I have no name." Its sardonic feline narrator describes his origins, his settlement in the household of a Meiji teacher-intellectual, and the goings-on and conversations among the cats and humans about the neighborhood. Of the men he concludes: "They are miserable creatures in the eyes of a cat."

"A nonchalant string of anecdotes and wisecracks, told by a fellow who doesn't have a name, and has never caught a mouse, and isn't much good for anything except watching human beings in action…" — The New Yorker Written from 1904 through 1906, Soseki Natsume's comic masterpiece, I Am a Cat , satirizes the foolishness of upper-middle-class Japanese society during the Meiji era. With acerbic wit and sardonic perspective, it follows the whimsical adventures of a world-weary stray kitten who comments on the follies and foibles of the people around him. A classic of Japanese literature, I Am a Cat is one of Soseki's best-known novels. Considered by many as the most significant writer in modern Japanese history, Soseki's I Am a Cat is a classic novel sure to be enjoyed for years to come.

"A nonchalant string of anecdotes and wisecracks, told by a fellow who doesn't have a name, and has never caught a mouse, and isn't much good for anything except watching human beings in action…" — The New Yorker Written from 1904 through 1906, Soseki Natsume's comic masterpiece, I Am a Cat , satirizes the foolishness of upper-middle-class Japanese society during the Meiji era. With acerbic wit and sardonic perspective, it follows the whimsical adventures of a world-weary stray kitten who comments on the follies and foibles of the people around him. A classic of Japanese literature, I Am a Cat is one of Soseki's best-known novels. Considered by many as the most significant writer in modern Japanese history, Soseki's I Am a Cat is a classic novel sure to be enjoyed for years to come.