Customer Reviews

The Bachelor's Cat

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I loved the book. The last chapter almost pulled the same manipulative ending as Breath, Eyes, Memory and Friendship Cake but thankfully didn't. Given the photograph on the back of the book, I have to wonder if the author was writing in part about himself. It was nice to see the Bachelor evolve as a character as the kitten brought out the best in him. Anyone who liked this book would also like Clevland Amory's books and James Herriot's Cat Stories. With so many of these sentimental books about men and their cats, do they count as a genre-"kit lit" perhaps?

A wonderfully done little book. It will take you about an hour our so to read and I must say, it is an hour well spent! I am a sucker for syntax and Mr Hoffman's is a joy to mull. The story is an honest story, warts and all as to the characters involved.
I do hope we get more from Mr Hoffman - thank you for writing this book!

Fortunately or unfortunately this story mirrored my own all too well. The love that develops with trust, the clarity that is found in honesty with and to oneself. The simple beauty and kindnesses found between the covers of this book have in a single day worked to scrape away layers of doubt and to shed rays of light where there was a darkness. I told you, this was too close to home for comfort. Like so many things that I've discovered or uncovered recently, I found The Bachelor's Cat to be "exactly what I needed, when I needed it". "The shared experiance heals both." For this I thank Mr. Hoffman as well as for the warm story itself. I'm sure Mr. Hoffman will be glad to hear that I too, can no longer cast pearls before swine. And yes, my cat received some extra food and strokes tonight. Guess he approves as well.

"The Bachelor's Cat" tells the story of a man who adopts a stray kitten and, after forging a friendship with his new pet, is finally able to understand what a loving romantic relationship entails, finally choosing between a manipulative but beautiful woman and a less attractive woman who treats him well.

The book is a fast read; I started and finished it inside of an hour. The unusually short length is appropriate to the work; dragging it out for another hundred or two hundred pages would only have turned a winning tale into a dragging bore. Even at its current length, there are slow sections, such as the pages of description of the bachelor playing with his cat - perhaps these are interesting to cat lovers, but after the first description of the "fishing game" I had heard enough about it.

A more important criticism of this book is the immaturity and pigheadedness of the bachelor himself (which the author, to judge by the book's tone, seems to share). Here we have an adult man, clearly meant to be in his early or middle thirties, who spends months debating whether to be involved with a beautiful woman who cheats on him and makes him miserable, or a woman who makes him happy in every way but who is slightly overweight. The fact that the decision is so difficult, and that his thoughts during the process are so shallow and unattractive, removes any satisfaction from the final, unsurprising outcome.

So there is nothing very mature about this book, either in the characters or in the way they are portrayed. Perhaps the author is exhibiting his genius for simplicity; perhaps this is simply the height of his ability. Either way, the book is short and pleasant and easy to read, especially for cat-lovers.

This book is absolutely wonderful! I have read it again, and again, and again! It made me feel good, and gave me hope and faith in everything. I love the style in which it was written. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying it and coming away with spirit uplifted after having read it. I am glad this book was written!

A good story works on a number of levels. "The Bachelor's Cat" is such a story, a joy to read as you learn about how a little gray ball of fear transforms a self-absorbed bachelor with a penchant for drama into someone approaching a genuine, joyful human being.

Along the way we examine the foibles of modern dating, and feel the razor's edge of real love and compassion.

"Cat-people" will love the story -- but it's a story with gentle lessons for all people, whether they love cats or not!

Highly recommended!

i picked up and read this book in one seating and loved it. i enjoyed the man's gradual evolution from shallow to caring (despite himself ! ) and how the cat he took in taught him how to love. the end almost broke my heart and i was thankful there was a happy ending !! i have a cat and its true, they own and train us ! a wonderful book i think for everyone who has human frailities and for cat lovers.

I was given a copy of this book by my mother, who termed it 'delightful'. It was much more than that. I too am a feline-file... As I read, I remembered the adage that a cat is never owned, but choses whom 'it' will own. Yes, the ending is sentimental and predictable, but that doesn't make the story any less readable. I cried at the ending, and made sure my kitty got a little extra love. I think even non cat owners will fall in love with the story.

I normally don't read a lot of contemporary fiction, but as soon as I saw this one's title I knew I had to at least give it a try. I'm a feline-phile myself, so any story with a cat as one of the main characters would be at least worth trying...

It is wonderful! It is such a lovely story and it moves well and reads very easily.

Warning: One cat lover to another -- there is a sad part and it made me cry, but don't worry... everything turns out ok. I promise.

Even aren't ga-ga over love stories, if you're a cat lover, you will enjoy this book

This is the tale of a cat who helps a man realize the true meaning of love. But don't let the "love story" label put you off - this isn't a "romance novel." Very true to life and insightful, I recommend it especially to lonely guys with cats. And maybe their girlfriends, too.