Thomas Gray Philosopher Cat (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The central characters of this charmingly fey but slight novella are Thomas Gray, a female cat of metaphysical inclinations, and the eccentric Lucas Fysst, historian of science, Anglican priest and Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge. The eponymous feline, named after the author of the "Ode on a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Goldfish," inadvertently enables Fysst to further his research and find true love and happiness. Davis, a professor of mathematics possessed of a dry donnish wit, follows in the footsteps of Carroll and Tolkien in this fantastical whimsy. Initially a clever, intelligent andif a bit show-offycivilized book, the guiding conceit eventually stretches into tedium, and the fragmentary episodes fail to cohere into a satisfying whole. Yet, if Thomas Gray and Lucas Fysst's diffuse philosophical ruminations do not add up to anything substantial and if their wit is at times labored, this likable book, replete with stimulating intellectual trivia and the elegant Oxbridge sensibility, leaves the reader with lightened spirits.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

This light, philosophical fireside tale wrapped around a mathematical problem tells the story of Thomas Gray, a cat who found herself at Cambridge University helping a historian of mathematics with his research. Two-color illustrations. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Independent Publishers+group; 1 edition (October 12, 1989)
• ISBN-10: 0285629476
• ISBN-13: 978-0285629479
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,445,175 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars charming and clever, October 28, 2001

By	Natalie Mills "purr_verse" (Reservoir, VIC, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Thomas Gray: Philosopher Cat (Hardcover)

It's a pity this is out of print, because it's a great read. Very intelligently written with an expectation that the reader is at least fairly well-versed in literature and other scholarly pursuits, it is nevertheless not at all dry or difficult to get through. A lovely story about an eccentric professor and his cat, Thomas Gray, it is an engrossing and thought-provoking read with a great touch of humour to its style. As someone who loves both books and cats, I can recommend this highly.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Museful Storytelling with Academic Wit and Charm, March 17, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Durham NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thomas Gray, Philosopher Cat (Paperback)

If you like academic wit and charm, and think you might enjoy a fanciful story about a cat named "Thomas" and *her* friend Lucas, both of whom ponder questions mathematical, philosophical, practical, and romantic, then this book is for you. Else, I'm not sure. You might get happily lost in the writing, or you might ask, "what in bloody blazes is this all about?" on page five. But as for me, I enjoyed every bit--even the parts I didn't understand. Marguerite Dorian's illustrations are *wonderful*. Another good and comparable work by Davis is _The Thread_ (which does not appear available on Amazon, but ought be).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tale of a Cambridge Cat, August 18, 2002

By	The Blue Man (Oxford, OXON England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thomas Gray: Philosopher Cat (Hardcover)

Philip J. Davis, the author, is Professor of Applied Mathematics at Brown University. In the mid 1980s, he was briefly a Visitor at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where his (fictional) tale is set.

I recommend the book highly. It provides great insight into the traditional methods of study and reflection used within Cambridge colleges, and Thomas Gray the cat is a most engaging fulcrum who effortlessly imposes her (that's right!) personality upon the direction matters take. Philosophy, history, love and mathematics all come together in a Cambridge environment where the landscapes are as lovingly described as the abstract ideas.