Short & Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected by James Mackintosh Qwilleran [Hardcover]

Lilian Jackson Braun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 2002

As the devoted readers of the series know, Qwill has been working on this book since The Cat Who Tailed a Thief. Now the tales are finally all compiled-legends such as "The Secret of the Blacksmith's Wife" and "The Trevelyan Curse."

In Short and Tall Tales, Lilian Jackson Braun introduces James Mackintosh Qwilleran and tells how he collected the tales. Qwill provides a preface for each legend, identifying the teller and the circumstances. And it is no surprise that the tales themselves are entertaining stories that reveal the off-beat "history" of Moose County.

Cat Who . . . fans will delight in reading these stories and anecdotes taken from the pages of the books they have come to love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of Lilian Jackson Braun's Cat Who... series won't want to miss Short and Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected by James Mackintosh Qwilleran. In the voice of Qwill, her beloved fictional journalist, Braun presents 27 amusing yarns, from "The True(?) History of Squunk Water" to "Those Pushy Moose County Blueberries."
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Braun here presents stories about the denizens of Moose County, presumably collected by the journalist hero of her numerous mysteries.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1ST edition (October 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399149562
• ISBN-13: 978-0399149566
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,706,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lilian Jackson Braun is the author of twenty-nine bestselling Cat Who . . . novels and three short story collections.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Only diehard "Cat Who" fans will appreciate this one, October 27, 2002

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Short & Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected by James Mackintosh Qwilleran (Hardcover)

It's a nifty little book, don't get me wrong; and you can polish it off in a single afternoon. And some of our favorite "Cat Who" personalities and families are mentioned, so it's like coming home to familiar faces. These 27 tales just won't be entertaining or meaningful to anyone who hasn't read at least a few of Braun's episodes. The best myth / legend is saved for last, in which the mystery of Midwestern scamadiddles is revealed. That one could be shared aloud with others, even if they don't know that KoKo and Yum Yum are Siamese cats. But a larger question looms here: Does this publication, authored by fictional character James "Qwill" Qwilleran, signify the end and culmination of the series? I hope not. Those of us who live Down Below still have a need to believe in the existence of eccentric Moose County, 400 miles north of everywhere. We enjoy visiting there every once in a while, even if the trip is made page-by-page instead of by car or boat.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars James Mackintosh Quilleran, has finally finished his work, October 15, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Short & Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected by James Mackintosh Qwilleran (Hardcover)

Fans of The Cat Who... mystery series have something to celebrate. The protagonist of the novels, James Mackintosh Quilleran, has finally finished his work SHORT AND TALL TALES, a series of stories told to him by the residents of Moose county. At the beginning of each tale, Quill explains how each story came into his possession and who gave it to him.

Every reader will have a favorite or two but all the unique anecdotes in this book make a delightful holiday gift especially for series fans. Two of this reviewer's favorites are the "Secret Of The Blacksmith's Wife" (revealed to her grandson on her deathbed) and the "Tale Of Two Tombstones" (related by the stonecutter told to his grandson).

There are twenty-seven stories in this collection and anytime the reader feels blue, try this collection for a pick-me-up.

Harriet Klausner

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for The Cat Who fans, January 26, 2003

By 

Sissalou "sissalou" (SAINT CLAIR, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Short & Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected by James Mackintosh Qwilleran (Hardcover)

The purpose of my review is to say whether or not, in my opinion, a book is worth buying. If you are one of Lilian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who. . . " fans, then, Yes.

This is a book you can read in one sitting if you like. It is not a mystery, but rather just what the title says, a collection of little "tall" tales that are written as though the main character in the series, Mr. Q, would write if he were a real author.

I thought the book was exceedingly charming and although I can barely wait between publications of Bruan's mystery books, I thoroughly enjoyed this little collection. The idea of it is extremely novel and I would say it is a success from her fans' point of view.

Some of the stories were already mentioned, or alluded to, in some of the author's other "The Cat Who. . . " books, but that was OK. It was a good refresher and the stories really do cement the flavor of Moose County.

Again, I cannot say how much I just enjoyed the "chit-chattiness" of this little, easy-to-read volume. Ms. Braun has an amazing imagination--that is, she is able to reign it in and make it "fit" the imaginary people of Moose County. My railroader father especially enjoyed the tale about the hoghead.

I also enjoyed the size of the book. It was light and easy to hold and felt very comfortable in my hands.

I am looking forward to getting my hands on The Cat Who Brought Down the House soon.

If you are new to Ms. Braun, this book is probably not the one you should start out with. But buy it anyway and set it aside until after you read a few of The Cat Who books. After you are well introduced to the characters of Moose County, pull out this little book. If you wait, you will be able to really enjoy it better that way.