If Cats Disappeared from the World

What a gem! This is a love letter to life, people, cats, movies and so much more and a must-read for everyone who likes at least one item on that list.

What's your life worth, and what would you give to not lose it? A great question, which Kawamura is asking in his book. It's a short novel but it will live in your head rent-free.

Even though Genki Kawamura's novel is rather short, it nevertheless poses the all important question of what it is that makes life worth living. The unnamed protagonist suffers from stage four brain cancer and has only a few more days to live - until the devil shows up and offers him a canny deal. Our protagonist has to irrevocably eradicate one thing each day in exchange for another 24 hours of life. It is against this background that the narrator begins to ponder what it is that makes his life rich and meaningful and which kind of objects the world would not miss in a heartbeat. However, it is absolutely impossible to predict each and every consequence if essential objects such as smartphones or abstract concepts of reference such as clocks and time would truly disappear from the world. Kawamura's message is unmistakable: look inside yourself and look around you. Live your life as best you can and appreciate each new day as another chance to make a difference. With this short story, Kawamura finds answers to questions and feelings that other authors would work on for many hundred pages.

A book about the importance of things and the own life, about what might really matter in the lifes of each of us. This is a book that is a bit difficult to catch up with but can be quite life changing if you let it happen.