Stevie‘s review of The Story of Fester Cat by Paul Magrs
Memoir published by Berkley 04 Nov 14
I like cats, as my icon can attest, and I generally enjoy memoirs as a glimpse into other lives. I know Manchester reasonably well, so at first glance this book seems made for me, especially as the author has written other books that also sound like my kind of thing. But, and this is quite a big but, books written from the animal’s point of view either work really well for me or they don’t. So which category did this book fall into?
The good news is that Fester Cat’s voice works really well and gives a great impression of how a cat might think. The other cats in his neighbourhood all have very distinct features and personalities, along with quirks that often seem to come from the mistakes and assumptions humans make about their feline companions. The humans’ personalities also come across very clearly too, even through Fester’s cynical, but not always correct, interpretations of their feelings and motivations.
The not-so-good news is that the stories Fester has to tell aren’t the type that grab my attention and keep it grabbed. I suspect I know too many real-life equivalents of Paul and Jeremy to want to read about the trials and tribulations of a pair whom I’ve never met. I expect, however, that this book will appeal to plenty of people that aren’t me, so if the blurb grabs your attention, then you should still give it a go in spite of my underwhelmed reaction.
Grade: C
Summary:
I always knew that the rest of my story is gonna be a good one. I don’t know how I knew that, but I always did. Ungow! I am Fester the cat. Welcome to my book, everyone!
From when he first ambled into Paul Magrs’s yard—skinny, covered in flea bites, and missing all but one and a half teeth—Fester knew he’d found his family. Paul and his partner, Jeremy, thought it was the ragged black-and-white stray, tired from a rough life on the streets, who was in desperate need of support. But clever Fester knew better. He understood that it was his newfound owners who needed the help.
Over the course of seven years, the feisty feline turned the quaint Manchester house into a loving home. Through his fierce spirit, strong will, and calming energy, Fester taught Paul and Jeremy how to listen and breathe, how to appreciate the joys of simply sitting and singing (what Fester’s purrs sounded like to his silly humans), and how to find joy and contentment in life, even when dealing with hardship.
This is the true story of an extraordinary little cat whose gentle charm and trusting soul turned two young men into a family.
No excerpt found.
