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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Homer is a remarkable kitty who embodies what it means to leap with blind faith into the world.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
This book was chosen for my book club so I think I might be different to the average reader of Homer's Odyssey because I believe to read a book solely about a cat you must already be a pretty big cat fan and maybe this bias explains why this book's good read rating is as high as it is. I do like cats but i wouldn't have read this book if not for the book club. Ultimately this is a book about a cat. A very kind, friendly cat who loses his eyes after surgery due to infection as a very young kitten. Although Homer is a good cat, this is a bad book.
There is a lot to discuss however what annoyed me initially was the huge amount of anthropomorphism to Homer and the other cats. Ultimately he is still just a cat and even Gwen Cooper, who had adopted 3 cats, has no way of knowing what it is like to be a cat or what a blind kitten is thinking of feeling. Nor will anyone ever know. However, Gwen frequently guesses what her cats are thinking are writes these out. I found it irritating.
Secondly, not a lot happens. We hear a lot about Gwen's struggles to get a career, a husband, her own apartment and her frequent moving of house. There are only two exciting things that happen during this book and both are mentioned on the blurb so if I talk about them here then i guess they are not spoilers because Gwen spoils that for us herself. Firstly, an intruder gets into her apartment! Although we don't find out how - Did they break in? Was the door open? Did they take anything? All the big questions you would want to know about a break in are not answered. I think this just might be bad writing. Furthermore, this must be the worlds worst burglar. Not only does Gwen manage to wake up, get the phone, call 911, tell the receiver her address and whats going on before the intruder does anything or leaves. They are also scared off by a hissing house cat with no eyes. The cat that is constantly described as small throughout the book and Gwen herself calls 'little boy' in this moment becomes so terrifying it frightens off someone who is willing to break into someone's apartment and therefore 'saves her life'. Maybe, but it is extremely doubtful.
The second big moment is 9/11. It is moving and interesting to hear about being in New York at the time and the horror and panic felt by those at the scene. This is the best part of the book, it is a shame it is mentioned in the blurb so you are expecting it throughout. Because of this you know Gwen will eventually move to New York, be there for 9/11 and that Homer will be fine and the lack of suspense damaged this part of the book.
Finally a few other things that I found irritating. There is a few times when I questioned Gwen's behaviour and it came across that maybe she felt because she adopted a blind kitten this made her a good person. i'm not saying she isn't, but there are times when I think she feels entitled and above others for owning Homer. She is rude to friends who 'dont understand' Homer and says she should get into heaven for not punching a worker at the airport who told her to get there earlier next time. You would think someone who can afford to fly herself, two friends and three cats first class to New York would be able to organise herself to get to the airport in plenty time without wanting to assault staff. At one point she moves herself and three cats back into her parents house but gets annoyed by them frequently and seems ungrateful for their support. She also talks about dumping an ex boyfriend for being 'unmanly'.
Then there is Lawrence. This part made me want to scream. She spends more time talking about meeting and finally dating this man than being caught in 9/11. Suddenly this becomes Gwen's memoir about finding a man and Homer and the cats are suddenly sidelined. Despite being able to read the minds of her cats, Gwen doesn't realise her and Lawrence are in love even though they have been BFFs for three years! However, the biggest wtf with Lawrence is that she doesn't introduce him to her cats?! We have spent 200+ pages reading about the importance of her cats and how they are apparently her entire life but doesn't introduce her best friend of three years to her cats. Then we he does meet them and they finally fall in love, he doesn't pay any attention to Homer ( the friendly blind kitten who is so special he deserves his own book!) and Gwen sees this as a good thing because he is the only person who treats Homer like he isn't special. What?! This is mind blowing. She also describes the love of her life having a huge temper and being incapable of affection but again this is a good thing to Gwen because this is MANLY! What a catch! After all her searching she finally found her unaffectionate, furious, cat-hating prince charming. Its hard to be happy for her.
Overall, Homer's Odyssey is poorly written and boring. Homer is a lovely cat and I, as would anyone (except, so it seems Lawrence) would loved to have met him.
There is a lot to discuss however what annoyed me initially was the huge amount of anthropomorphism to Homer and the other cats. Ultimately he is still just a cat and even Gwen Cooper, who had adopted 3 cats, has no way of knowing what it is like to be a cat or what a blind kitten is thinking of feeling. Nor will anyone ever know. However, Gwen frequently guesses what her cats are thinking are writes these out. I found it irritating.
Secondly, not a lot happens. We hear a lot about Gwen's struggles to get a career, a husband, her own apartment and her frequent moving of house. There are only two exciting things that happen during this book and both are mentioned on the blurb so if I talk about them here then i guess they are not spoilers because Gwen spoils that for us herself. Firstly, an intruder gets into her apartment! Although we don't find out how - Did they break in? Was the door open? Did they take anything? All the big questions you would want to know about a break in are not answered. I think this just might be bad writing. Furthermore, this must be the worlds worst burglar. Not only does Gwen manage to wake up, get the phone, call 911, tell the receiver her address and whats going on before the intruder does anything or leaves. They are also scared off by a hissing house cat with no eyes. The cat that is constantly described as small throughout the book and Gwen herself calls 'little boy' in this moment becomes so terrifying it frightens off someone who is willing to break into someone's apartment and therefore 'saves her life'. Maybe, but it is extremely doubtful.
The second big moment is 9/11. It is moving and interesting to hear about being in New York at the time and the horror and panic felt by those at the scene. This is the best part of the book, it is a shame it is mentioned in the blurb so you are expecting it throughout. Because of this you know Gwen will eventually move to New York, be there for 9/11 and that Homer will be fine and the lack of suspense damaged this part of the book.
Finally a few other things that I found irritating. There is a few times when I questioned Gwen's behaviour and it came across that maybe she felt because she adopted a blind kitten this made her a good person. i'm not saying she isn't, but there are times when I think she feels entitled and above others for owning Homer. She is rude to friends who 'dont understand' Homer and says she should get into heaven for not punching a worker at the airport who told her to get there earlier next time. You would think someone who can afford to fly herself, two friends and three cats first class to New York would be able to organise herself to get to the airport in plenty time without wanting to assault staff. At one point she moves herself and three cats back into her parents house but gets annoyed by them frequently and seems ungrateful for their support. She also talks about dumping an ex boyfriend for being 'unmanly'.
Then there is Lawrence. This part made me want to scream. She spends more time talking about meeting and finally dating this man than being caught in 9/11. Suddenly this becomes Gwen's memoir about finding a man and Homer and the cats are suddenly sidelined. Despite being able to read the minds of her cats, Gwen doesn't realise her and Lawrence are in love even though they have been BFFs for three years! However, the biggest wtf with Lawrence is that she doesn't introduce him to her cats?! We have spent 200+ pages reading about the importance of her cats and how they are apparently her entire life but doesn't introduce her best friend of three years to her cats. Then we he does meet them and they finally fall in love, he doesn't pay any attention to Homer ( the friendly blind kitten who is so special he deserves his own book!) and Gwen sees this as a good thing because he is the only person who treats Homer like he isn't special. What?! This is mind blowing. She also describes the love of her life having a huge temper and being incapable of affection but again this is a good thing to Gwen because this is MANLY! What a catch! After all her searching she finally found her unaffectionate, furious, cat-hating prince charming. Its hard to be happy for her.
Overall, Homer's Odyssey is poorly written and boring. Homer is a lovely cat and I, as would anyone (except, so it seems Lawrence) would loved to have met him.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Death
The last line of the book, and what I believe summarizes my own impression of such a loving memoir:
"I am Homer's eyes. And he is my heart. And finally, the two of us - Homer and I - had found another person whose own heart was big enough to carry us all."
"I am Homer's eyes. And he is my heart. And finally, the two of us - Homer and I - had found another person whose own heart was big enough to carry us all."
I just finished "Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, Or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat" by Gwen Cooper. This selection was something I had been interested in reading and it happened to come up as one of the selections for a book club I participate in on Twitter, so it became my 19th read of the year.
The title pretty well describes the premise of the book. Ms. Cooper is (for most of the book) a single gal living with three cats. As she moves through life, the cats play a huge role for her. She is able to rely on them to boost her up and keep her moving when times are difficult. They are able to show her things about loving that she wasn't previously aware of. As she is caring for them, they are caring for her too.
There are tons of great anecdotes throughout the book, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, the chapters that moved me the most were the two that centered on her experiences on September 11, 12, and 13, 2001. As I sat reading and crying through these chapters, I felt so connected to the author. I could understand her emotions and her fight to get through those days. It was heart-wrenching. It was also healing for my soul to know this woman existed in the world. A woman who would do anything possible to protect her pets.
Gwen Cooper, I think I love you!
The title pretty well describes the premise of the book. Ms. Cooper is (for most of the book) a single gal living with three cats. As she moves through life, the cats play a huge role for her. She is able to rely on them to boost her up and keep her moving when times are difficult. They are able to show her things about loving that she wasn't previously aware of. As she is caring for them, they are caring for her too.
There are tons of great anecdotes throughout the book, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, the chapters that moved me the most were the two that centered on her experiences on September 11, 12, and 13, 2001. As I sat reading and crying through these chapters, I felt so connected to the author. I could understand her emotions and her fight to get through those days. It was heart-wrenching. It was also healing for my soul to know this woman existed in the world. A woman who would do anything possible to protect her pets.
Gwen Cooper, I think I love you!
A very sweet and hearwarming biography of Homer, a blind cat. The author provides insight into how Homer navigated his world, and the challenges of being the "owner" of a blind cat (if anyone can actually own a cat). it is a sweet tale of a cat with an amazing attitude toward life. I recommend it for feel-good, pick-me-up factor.
If you like animals and what they can teach people, then you’ll really like Homer’s Odyssey, which is about a special needs cat named Homer. He was found and brought to a vet at 2 weeks of age with an eye infection so bad that both of his eyes were removed. But don’t feel sorry for him. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t say much more other than this isn’t at all cutesy and saccharine sweet, and is at times, terrifying. I like Cooper’s writing style and she’s a very likeable narrator. Quick, fun, easy read.
I loved this book so much! Not only as a pet owner, but as a compassionate human being who loves learning about how others live. Homer reminds us all that when life throws us lemons, we should make the most delicious cup of lemonade imaginable, and share it with others.