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jdintr 's review for:
The Cat's Table
by Michael Ondaatje
There is just something about the age of 11, isn't there?
In my life, it was a golden age, the last purely joyful year of childhood before adolescence messed everything up. With my own son, Owen, turning 11 this past week, it has brought back memories. Cat's Table is a lot cheaper than having an 11-year-old in the home, but it's just as effective.
Based loosely on Ondaatje's own experience, it follows Michael on a three-week journey from Sri Lanka to England. The boy comes of age and develops relationships that will follow him throughout his life.
There are some fascinating characters on the ship: the teacher, the theif, and the two friends, to be sure. Almost every character is told through the eyes of a boy, so they take on wondrous, almost mythical qualities.
This was the first Ondaatje novel I've read, and it was one I really enjoyed.
In my life, it was a golden age, the last purely joyful year of childhood before adolescence messed everything up. With my own son, Owen, turning 11 this past week, it has brought back memories. Cat's Table is a lot cheaper than having an 11-year-old in the home, but it's just as effective.
Based loosely on Ondaatje's own experience, it follows Michael on a three-week journey from Sri Lanka to England. The boy comes of age and develops relationships that will follow him throughout his life.
There are some fascinating characters on the ship: the teacher, the theif, and the two friends, to be sure. Almost every character is told through the eyes of a boy, so they take on wondrous, almost mythical qualities.
This was the first Ondaatje novel I've read, and it was one I really enjoyed.