{"product_id":"an-undesirable-friend-9781529983654","title":"An Undesirable Friend","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEnjoy a BRIEF ENCOUNTER with Natsume Soseki, Japan's greatest modern novelist, in this sly, comic tale of cats, humans, and the absurdities of friendship  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\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781529983654\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 112\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 20 Oct 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Vintage Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: London, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 19.8(H)x12.9(L)x0.9(W)100\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 100\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003eNick 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.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003e","brand":"Natsume Soseki","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50837518319833,"sku":"9781529983654","price":19.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781529983654.jpg?v=1793105119","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/an-undesirable-friend-9781529983654","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}