Undesirable Friend

Regular price €16.99
Quantity:
In stock with our UK publisher. 14-28 days
Will Deliver When Available
14 days return policy Shipping & Delivery
20th century history
A01=Natsume Soseki
absurdism
adoption
affluent society
animals
Author_Natsume Soseki
cat
Category=DNG
Category=FBC
Category=FUP
Category=FXED
Category=FYT
Category=WNGC
cats
class
classic
classic books
classic books collection
classic books for adults
classic fiction
classic literature
classic literature books
classics
comedy
conversations with friends
culture of critique
eq_bestseller
eq_biography-true-stories
eq_classics
eq_fiction
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
existentialism
feline
fiction
forthcoming
funny books
history japan
history of japan
human condition
human nature
humour
humour books
identity
japan
japanese
japanese book
japanese books
japanese cat book
japanese culture
japanese fiction
japanese literature
japanese short stories
literary fiction
literature
literature books
meiji
mid century
modern classics
novel
novella
penguin books classics
penguin classics paperback
political satire
quick reads
quick reads paperback books
satire
short book
short stories
short stories for adults
social class
society
special edition books
storytelling animal
stray
timeless classics books
translation
vintage classics
vintage japanese classics

Product details

  • ISBN 9781529983654
  • Weight: 100g
  • Dimensions: 129 x 198mm
  • Publication Date: 02 Jul 2026
  • Publisher: Vintage Publishing
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Paperback
Secure checkout Fast Shipping Easy returns

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

Nick Bradley (Translator)
Nick Bradley is the author of THE CAT AND THE CITY (2020) and FOUR SEASONS IN JAPAN (2023). In 2024 he was chosen by The British Council and The National Centre for Writing as one of ten rising stars in UK writing. His work has so far been translated into twenty languages.


He lived in Japan for many years where he worked as a translator, and currently teaches on the Creative Writing master's programme at the University of Cambridge and also taught on the Creative Writing Prose Fiction MA at UEA.

More from this author