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dilchh's review against another edition
5.0
I remember picking this book up after I finished A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen. I have always been a cat lover (technically it started when I was in Junior High School, meeting my first pet cat ever, Timmy, may she rest in peace), but it was rare to me to actually found a book about a cat written by a male author (not that it was literally rare, it was rare to me only), so to actually be lucky enough to found these two books I was elated.
Surprisingly, I didn't like this book easily as I have like James Bowen's book; at times I felt like the author was using a very complicated words and I find it very distracting to actually stop once in a while to go through my dictionary to understand the said words. But, as the author recall the lost of his first cat, Monty, I was hooked. You can feel his pain and it was not long until I had water in my eyes recalling the death of Timmy. The lost of your first cat is a pain that will never fade, no matter how long it has been; it was liberating to actually read someone share his deep pain in retelling the story of the lost of his first cat.
What's so amazing about Tom Cox is that you can tell that at times he seems a bit mad when it comes to cat, but it's nothing strange if you are a cat lover yourself or you've met one like them; Tom Cox also loves all his cat equally it seems impossible. I once had the privilege of owning 12 cats, and I can assure there is no way you would pick favourites, but not with Tom. He literally loves all his cats equally, even the one that he can't be in possession with. I'm talking about Raffles, and from Tom's description I can totally understand how he would want to have Raffles, because I would want Raffles too, but he couldn't and the thought of taking Raffles back to the shelter broke him so much (make that two, Tom, for I am broken too).
During my experience with this book, I took the time to browse Tom's website and acquaintance myself with all of his cats, and now that I can put a picture to every single one them (I have to say The Bear and Shipley is easily my favourites), reading the rest of the book was easier because now I can imagine all the misfits that they did and thanks to Tom's descriptive words (by now, I am already accustomed to stop once in a while to check my dictionary for words that I don't understand), I felt like I had known all of his cats personally.
Surprisingly, I didn't like this book easily as I have like James Bowen's book; at times I felt like the author was using a very complicated words and I find it very distracting to actually stop once in a while to go through my dictionary to understand the said words. But, as the author recall the lost of his first cat, Monty, I was hooked. You can feel his pain and it was not long until I had water in my eyes recalling the death of Timmy. The lost of your first cat is a pain that will never fade, no matter how long it has been; it was liberating to actually read someone share his deep pain in retelling the story of the lost of his first cat.
What's so amazing about Tom Cox is that you can tell that at times he seems a bit mad when it comes to cat, but it's nothing strange if you are a cat lover yourself or you've met one like them; Tom Cox also loves all his cat equally it seems impossible. I once had the privilege of owning 12 cats, and I can assure there is no way you would pick favourites, but not with Tom. He literally loves all his cats equally, even the one that he can't be in possession with. I'm talking about Raffles, and from Tom's description I can totally understand how he would want to have Raffles, because I would want Raffles too, but he couldn't and the thought of taking Raffles back to the shelter broke him so much (make that two, Tom, for I am broken too).
During my experience with this book, I took the time to browse Tom's website and acquaintance myself with all of his cats, and now that I can put a picture to every single one them (I have to say The Bear and Shipley is easily my favourites), reading the rest of the book was easier because now I can imagine all the misfits that they did and thanks to Tom's descriptive words (by now, I am already accustomed to stop once in a while to check my dictionary for words that I don't understand), I felt like I had known all of his cats personally.
belbookandacuppa's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
2.5
I would have enjoyed this book much more if I didn't find the author quite judgey about certain other types of cat owners. Also what really let this book down was the repeated use of the R....d word used in relation to a couple of his cats mental abilities. This word was used alot in the book and 11 times just between pages 200 and 203. I think it was an attempt to be funny but that word is not acceptable do overall the book left me feeling uncomfortable.
booklovingcatmom's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
geegee_74's review against another edition
3.0
Good psychogeography as expected from reading Tom Cox's blog. Nice cat centric biographical account.
elizabethwb's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
I laughed out loud a lot, cried a little, got a bit angry sometimes, but was never bored. I look forward to reading more of Tom Cox's books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Alcohol and Ableism
pewterwolf's review against another edition
3.0
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
On the surface, Tom Cox looks like a normal guy. Expect for one thing. He's a cat person. In a big way. So when he meets his soon-to-be wife, he gives up his life as a journalist for NME, moves to Norfolk and, within a matter of years, finds himself owning several cats. Well, at one point, seven. Including The Bear, a cat that is "painfully sensitive" but could very easily be an evil genius...
If you know me, I am a bit of a cat person myself so seeing this, it was a no brainer that I was going to read it. A no-brainer. And I thought I was going to enjoy it SO MUCH! I mean, what's not to love about cats?
However (yes, there's a however), for a short book (it's around 250-odd pages), it felt like a drag to read. Sometimes, I whizzed through it but, most times, it DRAGGED! Maybe it's because I have owned cats in the past so when Tom chatted about something, I would have gone "Oh, my old cat use to do that".
I think my problem with this is that I expected it to be much funnier than it was. I had a high expectations.
But I did like it. But I don't think I will rush quickly to read the next read.
On the surface, Tom Cox looks like a normal guy. Expect for one thing. He's a cat person. In a big way. So when he meets his soon-to-be wife, he gives up his life as a journalist for NME, moves to Norfolk and, within a matter of years, finds himself owning several cats. Well, at one point, seven. Including The Bear, a cat that is "painfully sensitive" but could very easily be an evil genius...
If you know me, I am a bit of a cat person myself so seeing this, it was a no brainer that I was going to read it. A no-brainer. And I thought I was going to enjoy it SO MUCH! I mean, what's not to love about cats?
However (yes, there's a however), for a short book (it's around 250-odd pages), it felt like a drag to read. Sometimes, I whizzed through it but, most times, it DRAGGED! Maybe it's because I have owned cats in the past so when Tom chatted about something, I would have gone "Oh, my old cat use to do that".
I think my problem with this is that I expected it to be much funnier than it was. I had a high expectations.
But I did like it. But I don't think I will rush quickly to read the next read.
owls_rainbow's review against another edition
5.0
Tom has a really enjoyable writing style and I loved all his descriptions of their personality and behaviours. The only downside is that there weren't any photos of the cats internally, only a hard to make out group photo on the back of my copy.
ashalinggg's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.0
Twee and surface level, just a book about a man who likes cats without any real depth, not my thing. Disliked the use of r-slur and looking down on inside cats when the book wasjyst a list of ways cats are harmed when living outdoors
Writing was confusing and lost itself at times.
Writing was confusing and lost itself at times.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism