Customer Reviews

The Fur Person

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4 star:		(2)
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Sarton's turn as secretary to her feline auteur yields a fun, moving tale of purrsonal growth. Tom Jones, Cat-About-Town, decides it is time to find a home, and ends up at the Cambridge, MA house of Sarton and her companion. Over time, Jones becomes a Gentleman Cat, and eventually -- when he learns both to give and to receive love -- a Fur Person. Sarton raises the issues of what makes a person, and what makes a family -- and though her story risks cuteness, she ably avoids overdoing it. Cat lovers and kids are not the only folks who will enjoy this parable about the importance of love and the discovery of family in all shapes, sizes, and species.

The life of the cat who's eventually to be known as "Tom Jones" begins inauspiciously, when his mother disappears and his littermates are picked up by the Animal Rescue League (probably not for adoption by other families, the reader quickly realizes). After spending his first few years as a Cat About Town, the young gentleman sets out to find himself a suitable housekeeper. A nice old maid in whose home he can settle down - that's what Tom has in mind. Instead of one old maid, though, he finds two. And that's not the only way in which his new life as a Cat of Property turns out to be more than he bargained for.

The author based this charming short novel on her own life, and her own cat named (what else?) Tom Jones. It's very suitable for doing as her preface suggests, and reading it aloud to one's children or grandchildren. However, it's also a delight for any cat lover of any age. This is definitely the best book of its kind I've read, and heaven knows I've read plenty of pet stories!

- Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Tabitha June Is a Shoulder Cat"

This sweet little book is a charmer ! I live across the country from my mother, so I read it to her over the phone. Together, we got into the spirit of a homeless, prowling cat who decided it was time to settle down and be a house cat. Tom invites himself into several households before settling in on the humans he decides to take comfort with. The author does a delightful job , I think, of helping the reader fantasize about just WHAT is going on inside these little personalities.

I stumbled upon this book after first reading The Autobiography of Foudini M. Cat. Since The Fur Person was an older book, I didn't expect much from it. Was I wrong! It now ranks among my all-time favorite books.

Tom Jones, the Cat About Town, decides it's time to settle down and find himself an owner. Sounds like a simple enough story, but what makes this book great is its clever use of language. To settle himself when he's scared, Tom "does some yoga exercises to calm himself down, which is really quite hard to do." You'll also discover the 10 "commandments" of cats, which includes some humorous oddities that only cat lovers/owners can appreciate.

I highly recommend this book. It's a fun read that will also give you an interesting look at a cat's perspective.

Author May Sarton has given me some of my most reflective reading experiences with her journals but I've been much less organized about reading her poetry and novels. When I spotted her 1957 short novel The Fur Person it was an easy choice to grab it. Sarton spent her last twenty years in Maine, so I have a special interest in her work.

The story, told from the cat's point of view, is of a stray cat, a Cat-about-town. His life on the streets is guided by the Ten Commandments of the Gentleman Cat, such as "Never allow constraint of your person under any circumstances." One day the hunger and homelessness begin to pall, and our cat goes about "finding a permanent home and staff." His search brings him to the home of Sarton and her partner, who are known to the cat as Gentle Voice and Brusque Voice. Once installed in their home in Cambridge, MA, he dines on creamed haddock, keeps the neighborhood cats in line, and has the occasional catnip bender. They name him Tom Jones because he was a foundling, and perform their servant duties admirably. This little parable ends with our cat musing on what it means to be a Fur Person: a status that can only occur "if the human being has imagined part of himself into a cat."

The Fur Person is a short but essential read for cat lovers. The 1978 edition has a preface by May Sarton containing a rare treat: she tells the story of going away for a sabbatical year and leaving house and cat in the care of Vladimir and Vera Nabokov. The great writer used Sarton's study, where he installed a semi-reclining stuffed armchair for his writing -- with Tom Jones draped across his chest.

This is a charming little book that says as much about the people as the cat, and even more about the comfort of home and family. Every lover of cats or of the English language will enjoy it.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This is such a wonderful book. It is short and easy to read, but so well written, by the late poet May Sarton. It is the story of her cat, Tom Jones. When the fur person decided it was time to settle down and find a home, he found Ms. Sarton and her partner, and became a precious part of their family. This book makes a very great gift for any cat lover. Unbelievably, it has been out of print from time to time. Thank goodness it is available both in paperback and a gift edition now.

This book was given to me as a gift and after reading it I promptly bought 4 from Amazon to give as gifts for the holidays. The author has truly captured her cat's essence. It's beautifuly written and tells just how much love a cat needs and gives. I highly recommend this book.

May Sarton, poet and journal-writer extraorindaire, wrote a novella/poem to the Cat, the Gentleman Cat, called "The Fur Person". I have reread this masterpiece every year for the past 25 years. "The Fur Person" is for children and adults, for everyone!

This book, The Fur Person, by May Sarton, was well packaged and arrived at my home within the time frame specified. It was a gift to a relative, so its timely arrival was important. I have been an Amazon customer for a long time, and I would gladly recommend its services to my friends. This book is a treasure, and hard to find.

A charming work full of humor and grace. The only downside is the great sadness brought about by the realization that neither the Cat nor Ms. Sarton are still with us.