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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
The time period is the early 1950s. Michael is an 11-year-old boy traveling from his native Sri Lanka to England to meet his mother. He has little supervision during the three week voyage, and much time to spend with his two new friends as well as to get to know his adult mealtime table-mates. Life changing friendships and crimes develop on the voyage.
I find Ondaatje's writing to be beautiful, but sort of spacy and easy to put down -- without plots that drive my reading forward. This book, however, got better the further I read. I wouldn't recommend it to many people, but I am glad I read it.
I find Ondaatje's writing to be beautiful, but sort of spacy and easy to put down -- without plots that drive my reading forward. This book, however, got better the further I read. I wouldn't recommend it to many people, but I am glad I read it.
Didn’t connect well to the characters. Some where too thin/under developed and others (protagonist) quite verbose and meditative, overly-analytical.
That was a small lesson I learned on the journey. What is interesting and important happens mostly in secret, in places where there is no power. Nothing much of lasting value ever happens at the head table, held together by a familiar rhetoric. Those who already have power continue to glide along the familiar rut they have made for themselves.
Michael is a young boy travelling on the Oronsay, a voyage that will take him to England to reunite with his mother. The title of the book stems from the table that he is assigned to sit at, accompanied by characters that are regarded as lowly by the rest of the ship but frankly, more interesting. Two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin, form the trio and the tale consists of their adventures on the ship, and remnants of the period making its mark on these boys.
This is the first book I've read by Michael Ondaatje, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but if this is a solid representation of his style, then I'm looking forward to his other works. The vibrant cast of characters were allowed to shine in memorable vignettes, which in return served as threads that were strong enough to tie the past and present together, through friendships lost and gained. No matter how brief the intro for a character, they held importance to the overall direction of the story.
There's a wonderful tinge of nostalgia to it all, which might be what hooked me in. Michael recalls his memories with fondness but some regret as well. The "Oronsay tribe" isn't able to stay together, as it is with life, and I frankly was torn between meeting more new characters or finding out what had happened to Ramadhin and Cassius. No doubt that for me, it's easier to relate to Ramadhin's quiet nature, but Cassius was the one that intrigued me. As impulsive as his decisions can be, his gentler moments (regarding Asuntha, in particular) were the ones that tugged at the heart strings. And Ondaatje's style, which I love, are not to indulge in these moments but to have an implicit trust in the reader to take these in and have them in our memory for safekeeping in the future.
The Cat's Table is a fulfilling mix of intrigue, longing, adventure, comedy, coincidence, and possibly a dash of dark magic. It's one of the rarer books that I enjoy and wouldn't mind revisiting in the near future. My reading list is now a few books longer - the rest of Michael Ondaatje's works.
It's always nice when one reads a work as sublimely excellent as this, with characters that will stay with me for a long time.
I couldn't help but find this a little disappointing. I thought the bits on the boat were so interesting and had so much promise, but the bits about Michael's life after the voyager were not interesting. I think there's something inherently interesting (if not a little bizarre) about cruise ships, and Ondaatje plays around with this idea in an enjoyable way. But just not enough!
Ondaatje is a lovely writer, but I'm not sure if this book really shows his best work.
Ondaatje is a lovely writer, but I'm not sure if this book really shows his best work.
Overly pompous writing of a boy's trip to England on a boat.
First half - engaging and building a ton of potential for a great story
Second half - boring, no direction, useless melodrama in place of intelligent plot design.
Aside from exquisite writing, this book is pointless.
Second half - boring, no direction, useless melodrama in place of intelligent plot design.
Aside from exquisite writing, this book is pointless.
i loved this book--the boys' odd freedom, the adults' half understood lives, the authorial debates over memory. I
this is why i'm thankful for my bookclubs. this novel was so dense and layered - i'm not entirely sure how i feel about it.
questions I'm pondering:
what the heck was going on with that cousin? did they really have sex? or was she just trying out her sexuality with him?
and was she involved (in advance ) in the murder?
and what about that geenroom - was that fanciful thinking or simple exaggeration?
questions I'm pondering:
what the heck was going on with that cousin? did they really have sex? or was she just trying out her sexuality with him?
and was she involved (in advance ) in the murder?
and what about that geenroom - was that fanciful thinking or simple exaggeration?