From Japan's most famous, classic novelist comes a remarkable gem of wit, irony, and feline observation A stray kitten, catapulted to literary fame loudly observes the world of Meiji Japan in all its absurdity. But he’s not the only cat in the neighbourhood, and as he rallies against the stupidity of human habit, he grows closer to the sophisticated Miss Calico – but he can’t hide his own inadequacies for long. BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: classic novellas and captivating stories, to be read in a single sitting or savoured over days