The Cat Who Saved Books

“In truth, Rintaro isn’t calm and collected at all. The very idea of death is unfamiliar to him; […] he feels detached, as if he were watching a badly performed play.”

This simile articulates Rintaro’s emotional dissociation after his grandfather’s death. The theatrical metaphor frames his grief not as an absence of feeling but as an overwhelming sense of unreality and discomfort, which prevents him from engaging with the situation. This initial characterization establishes the deep isolation that defines his hikikomori state and sets up the central thematic conflict of The Courage to Emerge From Isolation.

“There are timeless stories, powerful enough to have survived through the ages. Read lots of books like these—they’ll be like friends to you. They’ll inspire and support you.”

Rintaro’s grandfather’s words of wisdom establish the novel’s central philosophy regarding literature, using the simile comparing books to friends. This personification suggests that the value of reading lies not in accumulating knowledge but in forming a supportive, personal relationship with stories. The grandfather’s words are a moral and thematic touchstone for Rintaro’s journey, providing the core principles he uses to combat the corrupted philosophies he encounters.

“‘It looks like it’s full, but in fact it’s empty.’ The cat’s response was very Zen. ‘There’s no philosophy behind it and no taste.’”

Speaking about the labyrinth’s mansion, the cat’s paradoxical observation concisely summarizes the allegorical space. This statement critiques a superficial approach to culture, in which possessing an abundance of books masks a void of genuine understanding or guiding principles. The line directly introduces