Customer Reviews

The Cat Who...Companion

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like the author, I discovered The Cat Who series in the early 1990's and my family has read all her cat books. There hasn't been much written about Braun's personal background until this book which reveals much in common with Qwill and other characters, as well as her history of "being owned by cats".

The Cat Who Companion refreshes your memory in that year-long stretch between new titles. Maps in front help you visualize the fictional landscape and town layouts. An adequate amount of information (without ruining the plots for newcomers) jogs your memory of favorite plots, characters, buildings, and interior decoration, and especially those memorable scrumptious dishes!

I have re-read some of the books 3 times. However, the Cat Who Quiz in the back stumped us on many of the questions!

I was disappointed with one thing in the 1998 edition: there is no current photo of Braun, her cats, her deceased husband, or her second husband. I would have liked to have seen a photo section.

Several books ago, on one or two titles only, I detected a change in style and wondered if she was preparing a ghost-writer to carry on the series into the future. Wouldn't you like to know how far in the future we can hope to be entertained by KoKo and YumYum's antics?

I bought this as a gift for my wife, who is a big fan of the "Cat Who" books. (I like them too, so she lets me borrow her book now and then). Like all such reference books, the purpose of this one is to help you keep track of all the various characters and places from previous stories that might be mentioned in passing during sequels, etc. It doesn't give you a whole lot of new info, but it does help organize what you already know about the world of Qwilleran and his two amazing Siamese. Of course, if you haven't read all the episodes yet, then the synopses could be real spoilers for these whodunits. In that case, the solution is very simple: refrain from reading the summaries until you've read the original book(s) first! (Duh. I can't believe some reviewers actually complained about this feature. What use would such a reference work be if it didn't explain the plots?) The one complaint I have is that the map of Moose County is a bit primitive and not drawn to scale. Maybe there will be an upgrade in the next edition???

A boon for any "CAT WHO" fan. If you like the Cat Who books and have faithfully collected and read each one, you know that keeping characters, locations and incidents in mind, especially when books come out only one time a year, is tough. This book helps. Love the map of the county!

Sharon Feaster's "The Cat Who... Companion" provides concise cross-references and synopses of Lillian Jackson Braun's popular series of mysteries, up through "The Cat Who Sang for the Birds".

I had high hopes when I saw this book, as I have been enthralled with the series since I found it a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, the "Companion" offers very little in the way of original material. It does, however, break down information into categories (e.g. "The Cat's Tricks and Games", "Crimes and Clues", "The Women in Quill's Life") that were interesting to read.

I enjoyed the "Cast of Characters", with it's alphabetical listing of all the people who have been a part of Qwill's mysteries, and the two maps - "Koko's Map of Moose County" (which looks like it was drawn by a cat, unfortunately), and a detail map of Downtown Pickax.

My favorite part of the "Cat Who..." series has always been the descriptions of food... Whether it is a meal in a fine restaurant, a quick snack at home, or even dinner for the cats, Ms. Braun's description of the food always leaves me hungry. It is no surprise, then, that my favorite chapter of "Companion" is "A Companion's Guide to Dining". I would love to see an attempt at recipies for some of the courses described in these pages.

The "Companion" is helpful if you are a casual reader of the series, or if you want to know something about individual books before reading them. For those who have read all the books, however, there is little new matierial; this makes "Companion" an all-too-quick and not entirely satisfying read.

Our bathroom has a bookrack, and this book is my everyday helper when I get stumped with a place or person, I can find it there.
Sometime when reading a "Cat Who..." mystery, I quickly turn to the front of the book, for the map, but have to remember it is in The Companion BOOK. I can't fault this book in any way. I always am on the lookout for any new books, about or by Lilian Jackson Braun, this one is a treasure, NOW to get the earlier edition!!

I really enjoyed this book. My mother and I are huge fans of The Cat Who books and just cannot wait to read each one! I have quite a collection of the books and am constantly working on adding to it. This book is really interesting and I poured over many of the chapters. I found the chapter on the author very interesting and enjoyed getting to know her a bit. Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum feel like old friends to me. I just laugh and laugh over the antics of the cats and always share those parts with my husband who is a fellow cat lover. The concise information found in this book was fascinating and I learned things that I had not picked up from reading the books. If you are a big fan of The Cat Who series... I know you will enjoy this book! It is fun!

Anyone who has read Lillian Jackson Braun's feline mysteries "The Cat Who ..."have probably read the entire series. The two Siamese detectives (Koko and Yum Yum) and their human bachelor (reporter James Mackintos Quilliman) have become cult favorites. Sharon A. Feaster, a fan of the series, has compiled a compendium of information, about her favorite detectives.

There is a wealth of information contained in this trade paperback. This includes an alphabetical listing of all the characters (people and animals) who have appeared in the novels. There is also a summary of each book, which bring back fond memories of books read several years ago. There is also an in-depth interview with Ms. Braun. Anyone who is not already a fan will be converted after reading THE CAT WHO...COMPANION.

Harriet Klausner

I really enjoyed this book. I have read all of the CatWho Books several times but I still failed the quiz in the back until I read the book. She covers all the people and places that Qwill and his cats knew. It reminded me of a lot of people and places in her books that I had forgotten until I read through this book. Now I am going back to reread all the books again. This book is better for people that have read most of the books as some of the items do give away the plot which may disappoint some people that have yet to read that particular mystery.

This book was a wonderful idea! At times I had to find the other books to look up a reference, now I no longer have to do this! Everything you ever needed, wanted, or didn't want to know about Braun's "Cat Who" series is right at your finger tips. A truly great book!

I have found the "Companion" to be especially useful now, the second time I'm reading them (in sequencial order.) Feaster has made the vast number of "nouns" in the books (persons, places, things) easier to remember without my having to look them up when my memory fails me. Her enthusiasm about the "Cat Who..." books is obvious and contagious. I just wish that all of the books could have been included, but since some hadn't been written when Feaster published this... Excellent resource.