I Am a Cat

"I am a cat. As yet I have no name." So begins one of the most original and delightfully subversive novels in world literature. Natsume Soseki's groundbreaking 1905 masterpiece tells the story of a nameless, supremely self-satisfied cat who observes the ridiculous behavior of his owner—a pompous, dyspeptic schoolteacher named Mr. Sneaze—and the parade of eccentric intellectuals, scheming businessmen, and pretentious academics who frequent the household. From his privileged vantage point (usually atop the kitchen stove or under the veranda), our feline narrator delivers devastating commentary on human vanity, the absurdities of Meiji-era Japan's rush to Westernize, the pretensions of the educated classes, and the eternal follies of mankind. Part philosophical treatise, part domestic comedy, part biting social satire, I Am a Cat established Soseki as Japan's greatest modern novelist and remains as fresh, funny, and wickedly observant today as when it first delighted readers over a century ago. With its unforgettable narrator—learned, lazy, and lethally witty—this comic masterpiece proves that the sharpest insights into human nature sometimes come from those who view us with feline detachment. A landmark of Japanese literature that influenced countless writers and continues to charm readers worldwide.