"The Door into Summer" (Robert A. Heinlein)
Book Title: "The Door into Summer"
Author: Robert A. Heinlein
Neko-Deco Price: 400 yen
Shelf Owner ID: 2350
Commentary inserted in the book
Dan, a highly successful inventor, has his inventions and company stolen by his best friend and fiancée, and is sent 30 years into the future via cold sleep. Despite this, he doesn't give up; he returns to the past using a flawed time machine, fixes his problems while avoiding time paradoxes, and heads back to the future to find happiness in this classic sci-fi fantasy.
It is brilliant how the seemingly inconsistent events scattered throughout the first half are all resolved in the second. And, above all, his beloved cat Pete is truly charming.
A fantasy by a master of science fiction that cat lovers will find irresistible
The title, "The Door into Summer," refers to what Petronius (Pete), a cat who hates winter, is always pestering Dan to find. Pete believes that even in winter, when he is trapped inside by unpleasant snow, one of the many doors in the house must be a "door into summer." The story follows Dan, who, like Pete, struggles to find his own "door into summer" after being betrayed by his best friend and fiancée.
Although it is an old science fiction novel, the descriptions are so vivid that once you start reading, you are immediately drawn into the world of Dan and Pete.
While there aren't many scenes where Pete the cat plays a major role, he is a very captivating presence, which I think is why he is so loved by cat lovers.
Even though it is science fiction, unlike hard sci-fi, there is no need for complicated logic. You should be able to enjoy it as a wonderful story.
Aside 1
The manager of the Deco branch first learned of this work through the song "The Door into Summer" (THE DOOR INTO SUMMER) included on Tatsuro Yamashita's album "RIDE ON TIME." It is a song written for keyboardist Hiroyuki Namba, who is also a science fiction writer, with lyrics by Minako Yoshida. The lyrics are hard to understand on their own, but once you read the novel, you can see how the core of the story is skillfully woven in. It is one of my favorite songs, and I was moved to tears when I heard it live.
Aside 2
In this edition of the Hayakawa Bunko, Masami Fukushima's translation is superb. I became interested in what kind of English this natural Japanese was translated from, so I had the original book ordered at Shosen Grande in Ochanomizu (buying foreign books was a hassle back then). This book was one of the reasons I started working in translation.
A new translation has been released, but I am afraid to read it because I am worried it might shatter the image I have in my mind.
Aside 3
I named one of the first cats I ever owned Petronius. It was partly because I loved Pete from this book, and also because he looked like the cat drawn on the cover of the Hayakawa Bunko edition.
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