Source: Publisher
Description: For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and How to Stop Time, a charming novel by TikTok sensation Alex Howard that follows a cat through his nine lives in Edinburgh, moving through the ever-changing city and its inhabitants over centuries.
Early morning, 1902. In a gloomy Edinburgh tenement, Eilidh the charlady tips coal into a fire grate and sets it alight. Overhearing, a cat ambles over to curl up against the welcome heat.
This is to be the cat's last day on earth. But he is going to return... as The Ghost Cat, a spirit-feline destined to live out his ghostly existence according to the medieval proverb of "The Cat with Nine Lives" - For Three He Plays, For Three He Strays, For Three He Stays.
Follow The Ghost Cat as he witnesses the changes of the next two centuries as he purrs, shuffles and sniffs his way through the fashion, politics and technological advances of the modern era alongside the ever-changing inhabitants of an Edinburgh tenement.
As we follow our new spirit-feline friend, this unique story unearths some startling revelations about the mystery of existence and the human condition and provides a feel-good read full of charm for any fan of history, humour and fur-ridden fun.
Genre: Fiction
Why I Picked This Book: The comparison to Before the Coffee Gets Cold really caught my attention and I decided to give this one a try.
My Impression: This was a quiet read with a cozy atmosphere. It wasn't too long and read almost like short stories as the cat moves through history. He can't interact with the world around him (except for those lives where he plays) but he can observe. There are some interesting bumps with history and the author provides context with footnotes which I enjoyed.. There are some heartbreaking moments as the cat observes tragedies without being able to comfort those around him.
My main issue was I felt that this stayed very surface. Because we are only seeing through the cat's point of view we never really got to know any of the people or have any connection to what was going on around the cat.
This was a book I always enjoyed reading but was never anxious to pick up to see what would happen next. If you're looking for a quiet read that is light but still with a bit of poignancy and enjoy a historical twist this would be a good choice.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Yes, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to find or auto-buy the next book by this author. However, if I found one at the library or at the bookstore I'd pick it up.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you're looking for a quiet read with an interesting take on historical fiction this is a good choice - it just might not be knock your socks off.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you're looking for a quiet read with an interesting take on historical fiction this is a good choice - it just might not be knock your socks off.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
An interesting approach to writing a book. I like your observation that "I was never anxious to pick up to see what would happen next." You have given me food for thought about reviewing a book that was likeable but not "must read it."
ReplyDeleteSometimes the quiet reads are just what I need. I had hoped this one would have a little more depth, but I imagine it would be hard to add in given the perspective. I do want to read it, but likely will wait until I'm in the right mood.
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