Customer Reviews

Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

truly a delightful book. stories of cat and their owners, or should i say people and the cats that own them. i do think you have to be a cat person to like this book. i enjoyed all the different stories of how cats and their people connect. our pets do become part of our family and can often bring family members together. i believe Vicky Myron took the best of all the stories and again, has written a very funny, witty and fascination book.

I LOVED Vicki Myron's first book, Dewey. I wiped away numerous tears the first time around. This second book however did not do it for me. It seems rather haphazard and carelessly written. Most of the cat stories are not endearing but rather portray crazy behaviors exhibited by some cat owners. I felt sorry for a lot of the cats in the book. One subject even admitted to making up parts of her story. Another discrepancy that I noted was that she states on page 4 that Dewey only liked to sit on someone's right shoulder, but on page 290 (and in the original book) it states only the left shoulder. I could have done without the drawn out introduction to Vicki's new significant other. The best read and written material in my opinion was actually not even done by Vicki but was authored by Kristie Graham about her cat, Marshmallow. That chapter was humorous and delightful to read.

Nine stories about cats of all kinds are told in DEWEY'S NINE LIVES. Author Vicki Myron responded to the overwhelming reaction to her first book, DEWEY, by compiling and sharing these stories of other unique cats and their owners. Each tale is different --- depending upon both the individual cat's personality and the circumstances of the owner --- but shares many similarities. In several instances, the cat owner experiences difficulties of some sort --- whether poverty, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, unemployment, or alienation and loneliness. It doesn't matter if the cat is a cuddler, a watcher, a clown, a hunter, or a lapcat. Each holds an important role in the life of its owner or companion. And each human readily acknowledges the value and importance of the cat's companionship and affection.

The felines include, but are not limited to, Mr. Sir Bob Kittens, who does a strange karate-type dance while standing on his hind legs; Tobi, a very timid cat who remains in hiding unless her owner Yvonne is nearby; and Spooky, who likes motorcycle rides --- under 25 miles per hour, that is. Although cats are carnivorous, Cookie loves broccoli rabe. Rusty, a rather large cat, has a taste for people food and loves relaxing in a bathtub full of water. Anyone who has ever owned a cat will confirm that no two cats are alike, and the stories in this book are certainly proof of that.

At a resort on Sanibel Island, Flordia, Tabby rides in the basket of Mary Nan's bike. In the 1980s, Sanibel Island has an abundance of feral cats, and many of them end up at Mary Nan's. First, one cat shows up. Then another. Before long, she and her husband are running an unofficial feline shelter.

As a farmboy, Bill rescues animals and owns a pet raccoon. He volunteers for the army and serves in Vietnam, where he encounters the unspeakable side of war. He returns with post-traumatic stress disorder, which plagues him for many years. The only constant in his life is the little kitten that had somehow escaped the grip of an owl in flight and landed on Bill's car. He rescues the kitten, which he names Spooky. Many years later, Bill adds another kitten, Zippo, to the family. Both have feline AIDS.

Glenn is under the dashboard working on his old 1953 Studebaker Commander when he feels something land on his chest --- a small orange and white kitten. Glenn pets the kitten, which stretches out on his chest. It isn't frightened by the banging of tools, so Glenn continues to work on his car. An immediate bond is formed.

The stories here are as varied as the cats and their people. Also included is information about Dewey and Vicki's lives. The final chapter contains a very happy ending for Dewey's mom. And it's no great surprise that a cat is part of that story, too.

--- Reviewed by Carole Turner, cat lover

Just so you know...I cry a lot through books about how an animal can make you feel, their inspiration, and their complete and total unconditional love to us, but it's such a good cry. I just love to be reminded of how incredibly important animals can be in our lives and how they deserve our mutual love, respect, and protection. An animal can't speak for themselves and tell you what's right and what's wrong, or what hurts. We have to do that for them, to help them, and care for them, to stand up for them when something is wrong or inhumane. But sometimes it's forgotten what an animal's love can do for them, the inspiration that they can provide.

Dewey's Nine Lives reminds you that the magic of an animal's love and devotion can be found everywhere, not just in one library in Spencer, Iowa -- but one little cat named Dewey had such an amazing story that it brought out the personal stories of people with their own cats, in such an incredible outpouring of love, inspiration, and most especially, the amazing bond one can have with their precious pets.

Dewey's Nine Lives is such a feel good book that reminds us of the importance of animals in our lives, perfect for the holidays!

Vicky did a great job of finding out the details in the stories she put in this book. It really is a great follow-up to the original Dewey book, and I enjoyed hearing more about him from a different perspective.

Reading about the people talking about their animals in the most heartfelt way really resonated, especially since I'm such an animal lover myself. And, I'm really glad I got just a little more Dewey, since he seemed like such an awesome cat!

I adored this book, and shed many tears over its heartwarming tales of cats and those of us who love them. I have owned cats my entire life, including one very special cat, Max, who was part of our family for 19 years. His resemblance in both appearance and temperment to Dewey is what attracted me to Vicki's first book. Dewey's Nine Lives made me realize how special Max truly was, and I identified completely with the various people who shared their stories. Thank you, Vicki, and may you, Glen, and Page Turner continue to believe in the Dewey Magic.

Ok, I know most of the time we out live our pets.Yet,Each story ended with the cats death.
I only read three storys and have not picked it up again. Too sad..JB IN SC

I am one of those people who watches cats on Youtube. Sometimes, I watch cats watching other cats on Youtube. So, I fit the exact demographic that the masterminds of this book envisioned. i.e., a complete sucker. I played right into their greedy paws.

I think the choice to include Dewey in the title, to put the portrait of his beautiful kitten self on the cover, to link him to these stories was rather a stretch. Sure, the people and their cats featured in this anthology were moved by Dewey's story (which I absolutely loved), but I think it's a very cheap marketing ploy.

Anyway, on to reviewing just the content of this book: with Myron narrating not her own story but the stories of others, "Dewey's Nive Lives" just kind of loses it emotional punch, for me. Some chapters were better than others: the Vietnam vet and Shadow's story was compelling, and Cookie, the uber-devoted cat of Queens, New York, was very touching. My favorite was the chapter written by Kristie Graham, the daughter of one of Ms. Myron's friends. Her voice was hilarious and authentic.

Still, I couldn't help feeling all throughout reading that the gimmick (human meets cat, the two are never the same) was becoming ragged, like that of an aging cat's once lustrous coat. I wonder if I might have liked it better had Dewey's name and image not been milked for this book. Maybe it's to Ms. Myron's credit that I loved her first book so much that anything that could follow (anything feline-related, that is) would seem like a downer.

Edit: The "M. Night Shyamalan" twist at the end was a real kick. Let me just say it again differently: when Ms. Myron tells her own story, the narrative comes alive and sparkles.

Three paws.

My sister gave me the original Dewey book which I thoroughly enjoyed so I was delighted to learn the author had written addition books. This new book really hit the mark since I had recently lost four kittens in my feral cat colony; at the same time I could have done with a little less of the author and more of her letters received. Over all, it was very good.

After reading the first Dewey book I was delighted to learn of this second book. The author did a great job of telling the stories of cats who have made a difference in people's lives. Our pets are important and add so much to our lives. I am so grateful the author shared these with Dewey fans!