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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
A very sweet story about a very cool cat. The part where the author describes living through the World Trade Center bombing was heart-wrenching and very close to home (she lived 8 blocks away). I had not thought about it from the perspective of a pet owner. The story of Homer is inspiring and the author reiterates the "lesson" we can learn from him every day. It's a quick read. And don't worry, Homer is still alive when the story ends. :)
A dear friend who is also a cat lover recommended Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper some time back, and I finally got around to it. It’s been on my to-be-read list for a long time. I kept picking up random books whenever I went into the library to pick up one of my books.
My friend and others who’ve read about Homer said it was inspiring. It was that and much more. Homer’s story is nothing short of miraculous as well as inspiring. Abandoned as a tiny kitten, a caring veterinarian decided to save his life in spite of the fact that he would be blind.
Gwen Cooper was a single working professional with two cats. Both of her cats had been rescued as abandoned kittens. The veterinarian who’d saved Homer was desperately trying to find him a home. It seemed no one wanted a kitten with a disability. But Gwen decided to come to the vet’s office and meet Homer.
Homer, throughout the story, was amazing. He was able to carry out feats the other two cats wouldn’t have dreamed of trying. With a never-ending curiosity and bravado, Homer easily adapted and navigated through a sightless world. Gwen, ever protective, made accommodations to keep him safe.
Originally, I thought this would be just an inspiring feel-good story, but I was mistaken. There were situations that put me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages and unable to stop until I found out what happened. Homer’s story is more than just a light-hearted read, although there were times I found myself laughing harder than I have at comedies. It’s a story of courage, love, and the ability to overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.
You don’t have to be a cat lover or animal lover to enjoy Homer’s story on so many levels.
My friend and others who’ve read about Homer said it was inspiring. It was that and much more. Homer’s story is nothing short of miraculous as well as inspiring. Abandoned as a tiny kitten, a caring veterinarian decided to save his life in spite of the fact that he would be blind.
Gwen Cooper was a single working professional with two cats. Both of her cats had been rescued as abandoned kittens. The veterinarian who’d saved Homer was desperately trying to find him a home. It seemed no one wanted a kitten with a disability. But Gwen decided to come to the vet’s office and meet Homer.
Homer, throughout the story, was amazing. He was able to carry out feats the other two cats wouldn’t have dreamed of trying. With a never-ending curiosity and bravado, Homer easily adapted and navigated through a sightless world. Gwen, ever protective, made accommodations to keep him safe.
Originally, I thought this would be just an inspiring feel-good story, but I was mistaken. There were situations that put me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages and unable to stop until I found out what happened. Homer’s story is more than just a light-hearted read, although there were times I found myself laughing harder than I have at comedies. It’s a story of courage, love, and the ability to overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.
You don’t have to be a cat lover or animal lover to enjoy Homer’s story on so many levels.
Finally, a book about a cat that DOESN'T die at the end (eg Dewey)!! This book was adorable and reinforced what I love so much about my own two cats. It was really interesting to read seeing that I have a good friend who has not one, but two blind kitties. One of them has no sight whatsoever like Homer, and acts pretty much the same way as him. She takes leaps of faith, loves to rub her face all over you, and follows my friend around everywhere. The other one has half of an eye and can see some...mostly light/darkness contrast and some movement. But he is incredibly skittish and cautious. It's so interesting to see their different approaches to life when the only real difference is half an eye. He acts the way the vet thought Homer would act...huh.
Gwen's recounts of September 11th were chilling to me...I was 12 when it happened and have tried to avoid first-hand accounts of the events in NYC because they're just too painful to handle. But I made it through those chapters and just remembering the confusion of what was happening and the aftermath really brought me back. Throughout the entire book, I laughed and cried. It was great. This might be the Hanukkah gift for my parents...
Gwen's recounts of September 11th were chilling to me...I was 12 when it happened and have tried to avoid first-hand accounts of the events in NYC because they're just too painful to handle. But I made it through those chapters and just remembering the confusion of what was happening and the aftermath really brought me back. Throughout the entire book, I laughed and cried. It was great. This might be the Hanukkah gift for my parents...
I must admit, I was surprised at how much I liked this book. I usually find pet stories to be a little bit saccharin and lacking in depth. This was a well written story about a remarkable animal that tapped into the feelings every pet owner has for their animals. The chapter on trying to get back to her NYC apartment and her animals after 9/11 made me cry; I can completely relate. I didn't want to put it down, and I kind of want to adopt a blind cat now...
As a pet parent to three cats, I get it and the author describes it all perfectly. Homer sounded like an awesome cat, and Gwen put into writing what I think all the time -- that I've learned so many things about life from my cats. It sounds hokey, but it's undeniably true. Highly recommend.
This non-fiction book about a young woman and her three cats is definitely not the greatest book I've ever read, but it was still endearing. Reading this after the death of my own black cat probably made me resonate with the story a little more but I still think I would have enjoyed it either way. Somehow, most of the stories in the book should be mundane but Gwen Cooper finds a way to share her life in a way that maybe isn't captivating but still warms your heart. You definitely fall in love with Homer and wish you could meet this eye-less cat for yourself.
Not having gotten enough "cat memoir" out of [b:Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean|13446655|Cat Daddy What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean|Jackson Galaxy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329986208s/13446655.jpg|18959810], I followed it up immediately with this book. As a cat memoir, this book is superior, because Homer and Gwen's other cats (Scarlet and Vashti) take center stage and come totally alive on the page. Gwen's descriptions of cat antics are spot-on, and each cat emerged with its own distinct personality. Gwen's personal story takes a backseat to the way her cats' lives unfold, and indeed, her commitment to her "blind wonder cat" impacts her life in major ways -- such as her decision to switch jobs so she could afford to live in an apartment that allowed cats, or her decision to drop a man after his first date when she caught him backing Homer into a corner and terrorizing him due to his superstitions about black cats (WTF?).
Several years ago, I read an article in a magazine about Homer's famous attack on an intruder to Gwen's apartment, and it was easy for me to wonder whether there was enough to say about this unique cat to fill an entire book. It turns out the intruder isn't the only bit of upheaval Gwen and her cats experienced; the strongest point in the whole book probably came when Gwen described, in harrowing detail, her attempt to make it back to her apartment to rescue her cats after the 9-11 attacks. I've never read a first-person account of 9-11 that is as visceral and vivid as Gwen's, with the added emotional resonance of her desperation to make sure her cats were okay after she had to be away from them for days, not even knowing whether her apartment's windows had survived the blast and her cats were still safe inside.
Although I found it endearing and amusing, I also got a little annoyed by how often Cooper regaled the reader with stories of how everyone wanted to "keep" the cat that, initially, no one had wanted to adopt. Still, the message about opening your heart to a hard-to-place pet is a noble one. And Gwen Cooper is not only a dedicated pet guardian, but also a gifted writer. That makes this book a sound choice for cat lovers and memoir enthusiasts alike.
Several years ago, I read an article in a magazine about Homer's famous attack on an intruder to Gwen's apartment, and it was easy for me to wonder whether there was enough to say about this unique cat to fill an entire book. It turns out the intruder isn't the only bit of upheaval Gwen and her cats experienced; the strongest point in the whole book probably came when Gwen described, in harrowing detail, her attempt to make it back to her apartment to rescue her cats after the 9-11 attacks. I've never read a first-person account of 9-11 that is as visceral and vivid as Gwen's, with the added emotional resonance of her desperation to make sure her cats were okay after she had to be away from them for days, not even knowing whether her apartment's windows had survived the blast and her cats were still safe inside.
Although I found it endearing and amusing, I also got a little annoyed by how often Cooper regaled the reader with stories of how everyone wanted to "keep" the cat that, initially, no one had wanted to adopt. Still, the message about opening your heart to a hard-to-place pet is a noble one. And Gwen Cooper is not only a dedicated pet guardian, but also a gifted writer. That makes this book a sound choice for cat lovers and memoir enthusiasts alike.
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Not my usual speed of book, but a super cute story nonetheless. I had fun reading about this amazing cat who was visually impaired but didn't let that slow him down at all. Such an interesting cat. Everyone who was friends with the author in real life always made a point to tell Gwen that they would take the cat off her hands if she ever needed them to. Which is really funny.
As someone who's had cats all her life, this was just another way to show the none cat people just how much personality cats have and how much joy they can bring to your life.
Not my usual speed of book, but a super cute story nonetheless. I had fun reading about this amazing cat who was visually impaired but didn't let that slow him down at all. Such an interesting cat. Everyone who was friends with the author in real life always made a point to tell Gwen that they would take the cat off her hands if she ever needed them to. Which is really funny.
As someone who's had cats all her life, this was just another way to show the none cat people just how much personality cats have and how much joy they can bring to your life.
I can't stress how much I LOVED LOVED LOVED this story. This is such a heart-warming tale of pet-ownership. And the best part is.....no pets died in the making of this story! My favorite part was when Homer, the blind wondercat, taught himself to use the toilet without any human intervention. It's hilarious! Homer is completely lovable, remarkable, and influential. If you're looking for an insightful (the author is amazingly tuned into her cats), feel-good story, this is definitely one to check out!