An unnamed cat, narrator and protagonist, becomes an observer and critic of Japanese society in his time. The perceptive and wise feline delves into the hidden recesses of society to scrutinize behaviors, eavesdrop on conversations, and witness events that give him the opportunity to pontificate like a philosopher. In reality, by entrusting the cat with the role of inquisitor and scourge of human transgressions, the author attempts to scrutinize fashions, customs, and ways of thinking imported from the West. Under the implacable gaze of a cat who presents himself with a majestic and petulant self, the novel evokes, in addition to smiles, a sense of unease regarding the eternal conflict between indigenous cultural traditions and the model of civilization brought from abroad.

This novel is an excellent introduction for all readers who wish to understand the Japanese people, always attentive to modern progress and, at the same time, respectful of their ancestral heritage, which sometimes seems mysterious and enigmatic. Unintentionally, the nameless cat may also help to overcome cultural barriers and enigmas.

"Sōseki's characters offer us a new vision of what Humanism is." —Kenzaburo Oe, Nobel Prize in Literature