The Cat Who Saved Books

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. [. . .] Empathy - that's the power of books.

Books can't live your life for you. The reader who forgets to walk on his own two feet is like an old encyclopaedia, his head stuffed with out-of-date information. Unless someone else opens it up, it's nothing but a useless antique.

If you find it difficult, it's because it contains something that is new to you. Every difficult book offers us a brand-new challenge.

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.

In the same way that music is made up of more than notes, books are more than just words.

This world throws all kinds of obstacles at us, we are forced to endure so much that is absurd. Our best weapon for fighting all the pain and trouble in the world isn't logic or violence. It's humour.

Reading a book is a lot like climbing a mountain.” “What do you mean?” His curiosity piqued, Rintaro had finally looked up from his book. His grandfather wafted his teacup slowly under his nose as if savoring the aroma of the tea. “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.

Books have tremendous power. But take care. It’s the book that holds the power, not you.

Don’t hurt anyone. Never bully people weaker than yourself. Help out those in need. Some would say that these rules are obvious. But the truth is, the obvious is no longer obvious in today’s world. What’s worse is that some people even ask why. They don’t understand why they shouldn’t hurt other people. It’s not a simple thing to explain. It’s not logical. But if they read books they will understand. It’s far more important than using logic to explain something. Human beings don’t live alone, and a book is a way to show them that.

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.

Logic and reason are never the best weapons in an irrational world.

Books have souls,’ repeated the cat softly. ‘A cherished book will always have a soul. It will come to its reader’s aid in times of crisis.

Suddenly the cat spoke ' Books have a soul' ' A book that sits on a shelf is nothing but a bundle of paper. Un less it is opened, a book possessing great power an epic story is a mere scrap of paper. but a book that has been cherished and loved , filled with human thoughts has been endowed with a soul

Being able to express shallow words of sympathy in a sweet voice doesn't make someone a caring, compassionate soul. What's important is the ability to have empathy for another human being--to be able to feel their pain, to walk alongside them in their suffering.

In our stifling daily lives, we’re all so occupied with ourselves that we stop thinking about others. When a person loses their own heart, they can’t feel another’s pain. They lie, hurt others, use weaker people as stepping stones to get ahead – they stop feeling anything. The world has become full of those kinds of people.

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.

Books can give us knowledge, wisdom, values, a view of the world, and so much more. The joy of learning something you didn’t know before, and seeing things in a whole new way is exciting. But somehow I believed they gave us something more important than that.

Even if you try to destroy a book, it doesn’t disappear that easily. Right now, in places all over the world, people have connections to books.

Don’t give in to loneliness. You aren’t alone. You have many friends looking out for you.

In today's world, a lot of what should be obvious has been turned upside down. The weak are used as stepping stones and those in need are taken advantage of. People just caught up in this pattern. Nobody stands up and calls for it to stop.

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.

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.

It’s all very well to read a book, but when you’ve finished, it’s time to set foot in the world.

But time is merciless in its passing.

Of course, everyone is eager to assert their own uniqueness, but since everyone is equally obsessed with asserting it, then there's nothing unique about anyone.

I’m going to say it as loud as I can. Empathy—that’s the power of books.

I don’t know the answer. But I do know that books have helped me many times. I’m the kind of person who tends to dwell on the past, and I give up way too easily, but somehow, I’ve made it this far because books keep me going.

If you find it difficult it’s because it contains something that is new to you. Every difficult book offers us a brand-new challenge.