Do Books Have a Soul—and Can They Save Us?
The Power of Books to Pull Us Out of Isolation
I recently finished reading the book The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa. In the novel, we meet Rintaro, a high school student who refers to himself as a hikikomori. A hikikomori is a Japanese term for adolescents or young adults, mostly males, who stop going to school and retreat from society. The book translator left a note at the end of the book for readers about why she kept the original term in Japanese and did not translate it. And how the number of hikikomoris in Japan skyrocketed after COVID-19. The book acts as a PSA for hikikomoris and how books can pull them out of their dark hole.
Rintaro is grieving the loss of his grandfather and preparing to shut himself from the world when he is visited by a talking cat who prompts him on a hero’s journey through four labyrinths that magically appear at the back of his grandfather’s used book store.
Tiger the cat asks for Rintaro’s help in saving books from being mistreated. Each labyrinth teaches Rintaro a lesson about how readers should enjoy books. Ironically, the answer that pulls Rintaro back to his community is in the power of books.
What Makes a Healthy Relationship with Reading?
The first labyrinth warns readers of rushing through a book and not savoring it. Readers need to read sentences twice and let the book sit with them to get to the heart of its message. The second labyrinth criticizes abridged versions of books and challenges readers to persevere through tough books. The message is that difficult books make us think and learn something new. It is equated to climbing a mountain:
“Reading can be grueling… Of course, it’s good to enjoy reading. But the views you can see hiking on a light, pleasant walking trail are limited. Don’t condemn the mountain because its trails are steep…”
“If you’re going to climb, make it a tall mountain. The view will be so much better.”
“Reading isn’t only for pleasure or entertainment. Sometimes you need to examine the same lines deeply, read the same sentences over again. Sometimes you sit there, head in hands, only progressing at a painstakingly slow pace. And the result of all this hard work and careful study is that suddenly you’re there, and your field of vision expands. It’s like finding a great view at the end of a long climbing trail.”
Building Community and a Culture of Reading Through Books
Throughout the novel, Rintaro recalls his grandfather’s wisdom. The third labyrinth warns publishers and readers about chasing after bestsellers. It warns publishers of the dangers of making profit the main criterion for publishing books:
“My grandpa used to say, once you got thinking about money, there was no end to it. If you have one million yen, then you want two. If you have one hundred million, then you want two hundred. So better to stop talking about money and better instead to talk about the book we read today.”
Readers shouldn’t base their reading choices on the latest or trending book. There are great books out there that aren’t bestsellers.
Also, society should make it a habit of talking about books; that’s how to solve the problem of declining reading rates.
People have become so preoccupied with worries that they find it difficult to sit and read a book. Or even consider it worthwhile. Countries that face poverty function like this. When I moved to Mexico, all I wanted to do was find a library or local bookstore. Then I realized that there were no public libraries in Mexico. The only libraries they have access to are school libraries. I discovered it was a culture that didn’t read much. Bookstores are few and far between. I mentioned this to my hairdresser as I sat in her chair, and I asked her if she read a lot and if my observation was accurate. She confirmed and confessed that she wanted to read more, but that she found it hard to read because her mind was always filled with concerns, bills that needed to be paid, and that she couldn’t slow her mind to concentrate on what she was reading.
When Books Take on a Soul of Their Own
The novel culminates with a message that books have a soul:
“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.”
Rintaro realizes that the tabby cat is actually a character from a beloved children’s book his mom used to read to him when he was a child. The cat tells him, “A cherished book will always have a soul. It will come to its reader’s aid in times of crisis.” Rintaro’s beloved children’s book character arrived in a time when he was at his lowest. Rintaro was set to move in with his aunt after his grandfather died. He doesn’t object and goes through life passively, not caring about his life or anyone. The cat teaches him to be courageous and take control of his life.
Characters and quotes in a book, in this sense, do become friends that help us get through trials. For example, I remember how Esperanza from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros helped me deal with the emotions of feeling ashamed of growing up in poverty and wanting to escape.
Books and Empathy
On Christmas Eve, on his last journey, Rintaro has an epiphany that the true power of books is empathy and states:
“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.”
If Rintaro hadn’t learned the lesson of compassion, he would have remained a hikikomori, stuck in the bookshop with his nose in a book, still ditching school. Instead, he embraced his friendship with Sayo and his classmates. For book lovers, it can be easy to shut yourself away with a good book. But the novel’s message is about experiencing life and connecting with our community.
“It’s not true that the more you read, the more you see of the world. No matter how much knowledge you cram into your head, unless you think with your own mind, walk with your own feet, the knowledge you acquire will never be anything more than empty and borrowed.”
“Books can’t live your life for you. The reader who forgets to walk on his own two feet is like an old encyclopedia, his head stuffed with out-of-date information. Unless someone else opens it up, it’s nothing but a useless antique.”
Conclusion: How Books Save Us
In a digital world where it’s easy to retreat from the real world and interaction with people, reading, ironically, can bring you out of isolation and into the arms of a true friend.
Communities should talk about what they’re reading. Especially in a world where worries, like money, so often occupy our minds, discussing books is a healthy pastime. If you haven’t joined a book club, consider it. And if you can’t find one, start your own. That’s been a dream of mine for a while, and this novel has only encouraged me to go for it.
We should also challenge ourselves with deep, thought-provoking works that stretch our minds and perspectives. But, it’s the simplest stories—like a beloved children’s book—that stay with us forever and somehow take on a soul of their own. Characters and quotes live on in our hearts, becoming companions through life’s trials. However, in the end, it’s real-life companions that matter most. Books help us channel compassion and call us to reach out to others and the community around us. Ultimately, that’s how books save us.
Copyright 2025 Janet Tamez
Edited by Gabriella Batel
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