Sunday 2 June 2013

"Lost Cat" by Caroline Paul

"What'cha reading?"
It was over a month ago that Caroline Paul's latest book arrived on my doorstep. As per usual, the cats knew about it first and, as per usual, Tilly gave it the once over. Mind you, I didn't actually see her inspecting the post that morning but I was greeted with the familiar sight of torn paper and a series of highly incriminating bite marks... she's never been good at covering her tracks. Nevertheless, unlike my bank statement, it seems she must have deemed "Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology" acceptable and with a title like that who can blame her?

Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting when I sat down to read "Lost Cat". Actually, that's a lie, I knew exactly what I was expecting and I expected exactly what everyone always expects from a book about cats; that is to say, a cute, lighthearted and occasionally funny tale of inter-species companionship. You know, something slightly vomit-inducing. So you can imagine my surprise when, upon finishing "Lost Cat", I realised I had quite legitimately laughed, sighed and ultimately cared about the story I had just read. For someone like me that is no small feat. I mean, sure, I own two cats and I occasionally draw pictures of them but I'm not a crazy cat person, right? "No, of course not", I hear you cry and you'd be right. And yet, Caroline writes with a wit and conviction that never fails to make an impression. Her story is one of tragedy, loss and reconciliation, subject matters that could so easily have buckled under their own weight, but which she handles with an understated ease. The poignancy of such moments are underpinned by Caroline's subtle sense of humour, which manages to remain omnipresent without ever feeling forced. The same can be said of Wendy MacNaughton's beautiful illustrations; adding a seemingly organic vibrancy and intimacy that ebbs and flows in perfect unison with Caroline's words. "Lost Cat" is a delightful book that will be instantly relatable to all but the most nonchalant of cat-owners and animal-lovers alike. This still doesn't mean I'm a crazy cat person though...

Find out more about "Lost Cat" at http://lostcatbook.com/

1 comment:

  1. Well written review. I'm intrigued.

    You say crazy cat person like it's a bad thing :D

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