Book review
The difficult thing writing about animals, and pets in particular, is anthropomorphism. I think Tom Cox solves this problem in writing about his cats as if they were distinct people. Take The Bear, for example, whose quizzical gaze graces the cover: his air of melancholy mysticism makes him resemble a sort of feline Yoda that one cannot help fall in love with.
All the cats here are lovingly evoked, as are the occasional humans like Cox’s elderly parents. The section where they acquire a new kitten brims with wry tenderness. Cox, of course, is inviting readers into some very private areas of his life: the book begins with the break-up of a long-term relationship and the impact on his cat ownership; it slowly segues into a new romantic entanglement, with a dog person.
This book is quite meandering, and veers dangerously towards the kind of dewy-eyed sentimentality that seems to bedevil a lot of ‘pet writing’. Thankfully these sections ate quite brief, and mainly consist of interspersed lists of cute cat tidbits.
Cox comments very cogently on the perceptions surrounding (multiple) cat ownership, particularly the stereotype of the Crazy Cat Lady. He also writes (rather disdainfully) about the Internet phenomenon of LOL or meme cats, and how this has effectively debased the intellectual standing of felines as creatures of refinement and erudition.
Cox’s worries about his future prospects as a journalist, combined with concerns about the upkeep of his too-large house, and the impact of any impending relocation on his troop of cats, is understated but very real.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Cox clearly loves the good, the bad and the furry, but perhaps more than this, his respect for his cats as intrinsic creatures is luminous, and lights each page with grace and wisdom.
- Goodreads rating – 4.08
- REVIEW – Gerhard