Customer Reviews

The Wild Road

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I picked up this book expecting it to be sentimental and silly. I was very pleasantly surprised. Firstly, the author uses language beautifully, and has a keen eye for animal behavior. Secondly, the plot and characters are refreshingly original -- while reminiscent of Adams' excellent The Plague Dogs, the book resembles Tailchaser's Song (which I didn't like) rather little, and I'm not sure what the reviewer was thinking who made the connection with Gallico's book. If I have a criticism, it's that the villain ( so far -- I'm not quite done with the book) has a nebulous, confusing quality which makes him less than purely terrifying. Overall, this is an excellent fantasy, very much intended for intelligent adults.

Wonderful, amazing, fantasitic... Right away, this book became one of my favorites. It was adventurous and fun, and I couldn't put it down. I guess one of The Wild Road's secrets is that you fall in love with the characters from the first chapter and from then on you're eager to see what's going to happen next. The plot is very exciting and isn't like anything I read ever before. Being a cat lover, I cannot wish for a better book, because not only is it a very interesting story, it also present the reader with a problem of the cruel treatment of animals in labs. I recomment The Wild Road to all cat lovers! I have re-read it a couple of times, and each time it gets my interest from the first word, and keeps it to the last. Purrrs!

After reading some of the reviews on this page, I felt compelled to write one myself. I own the Wild Road as well as the Golden Cat, and read both when I was still a young student in highschool. I enjoyed the Wild Road especially but found the plot a tad convoluted and confusing, both due to the author's writing style, and the puzzling and fantastical qualities of the subject matter in general. Upon reading it at a later date a second time, I was able to appreciate it much more thoroughly, picking up on subtle nuances in the writing that made it a much more understandable read; it has since become among my favorite books.
However, it is not to be mistaken as kin to Tailchaser's Song, Watership Down, The Sight, or other animal epics; if you expect to read a book of those sorts, you will probably be dissapointed. The Wild Road and The Golden Cat alike are first fantasty, and secondly animal epic; you must be open to some extremely outlandish concepts traditionally only found in the realm of fantasy and sci-fi novels to enjoy this book. It deviates vastly from the very natural, organic approach most animal epics take, delving deep into the mysticism and allegory that are usually only found as small underlying currents in the genre.
Furthermore, the author of this book was clearly an animal welfarist (or even animal rights activist), as evinced be re-occuring motif of man's cruelty. Starving strays, tortured victims of vivisection, and similar themes dominate both books. This may be difficult for sensitive animal lovers and irritating to those who will percieve this as "PETA propoganda." I personally think that the element of graphic violence brutality gave the book more weight, but many found it gratuitous or offensive.
In short, this book is a fantastic read if you can keep an open mind and enjoy it for the writing and particularly the fantastic characters, but if any of the above comments have made you think twice, trust you SECOND instinct and pass it by. It is certainly not a book for everyone.

The Wild Road is a terrific fantasy starring a cat named Tag, and a wonderfully colorful cast of characters including a fox called "Loves A Dustbin" and a bird dubbed "One For Sorrow"

The Wild Road is a little long and hard to understand for younger readers, and you may want to set it down a few times before you finish. It tells the sotry of mythical highways called 'The Wild Roads', and a never-ending battle between a cat and an Alchemist. I dropped one star because of the confusing plotline, which makes the book hard to understand, but it all adds up in the end. I definately recommend thsi book to kids and adults alike.

I read "The Golden Cat" BEFORE I read "The Wild Road" and even though reading "Wild Road" cleared up all my questions from the second book, "Golden Cat" was the better-written of the two novels. It's as if King found his balance in the second book.

However, I must say that the concepts raised are disturbing, and the symbolism of the "green fire" mentioned in various parts is vague. The book is often very sad, with the images of animal experimentation, and it would be nice to balance the story by having some decent humans in it. The Magicou has selected Tag, and although Magicou is impatient with the young cat not "catching on" to what he is teaching him, I can relate to Tag's bewilderment because the teaching's aren't at all well-presented. Cy is a great character, as well as Mousebreath, and Sealink definitely comes into her own in the second volume. Good, strong characters and dialogue carry the story in spite of the obtuse plot of what the Alchemist hopes to achieve.

The Wild Road is an enchanting adventure that will make you laugh out loud, cry tears of joy and sorrow, and mourn the loss of some loved characters along the way. It is also a tale that reminds us of the horrible conditions that cats around the world must endure at the hands of uncaring and selfish human beings.

Throughout the tale, you grow to know Tag very well, the kitten who is chosen by the great Majicou to complete the grand task of bringing the King and Queen of cats to Tintagel. There is much adventure and suspense along the way, wondering if Tag is really up for the job at times, which of his friends will make it through to the end, and what exactly will happen if they do make it to this mysterious place called Tintagel. There are some sad goodbyes, but also some wonderful surprises along the way for all characters involved. The scenery described by the author is amazing and really helps to draw readers into the story, making it that much more enjoyable. Character development is very skillful, and with a range of personalities - Tag, unsure but determined and truely caring of all of his friends, the hysterical mocking Magpie, One for Sorrow, who constantly made me laugh, the loyal fox and friend, Loves a Dustbin, the well travelled and spirited Sealink, and who can forget Ragnar and Pertelot who grow from helpless, scared cats into strong, proud leaders.

I literally could not put this book down and will be eagerly awaiting the sequel. This book is a MUST read for cat lovers everywhere!

First: this is less fun than reading cats as imagined by Paul Gallico and Robert Westall. Where those two authors' cats always stand firmly in relation to the human world, the people in this world are shadowy figures, either "dulls" (kitten Tag's name for his owners) or menacing. Oh, there are a few decent people who appear from time to time, but this story is a hero-quest in which animals and people coexist but are not really codependent.

Second: you'll never look at your cats quite the same way again. While I have not been tempted to reread THE WILD ROAD yet, and it's been a year, it's extraordinary how many of Tag's observations and impressions occur to me on a regular basis.

Result? Nobody who loves cats should miss this book.

Warning: some of the book is a little hard to take-- one of the things Tag is called upon to do, by the magic cat Majicou, is rescue cats who are being captured for experimentation, and there are some pitiful animals who've been through some of it already. Also, it's very hard to resist constantly "translating" the myth into human terms. (minor spoiler: it turns out there IS a rather famous alchemist/scientist who is the villain-- with a touch of real tragedy much of his animal-abuse stems from his fascination with his pet and desire to follow the "wild road" that only cats traveln on-- but, even when this scientist acquires his famous name-- hint-- gravity-- it doesn't really illuminate very much).

Resist the urge to translate, if you can. Situating the events with times and places is interesting, but not as interesting as all that.

There are lots of in-jokes for cat lovers and breeders. I've never had a purebred, but I realized when I began investigating them that Tag and his companions all have logical purebred names. Loved the joke of the white cat saying "speak up, lovey, I'm as deaf as a post" (white cats genetically are often deaf).
And the image of the noble, dumb Norwegian forest cat ineptly trying to care for his lady love (until Tag arrives and scolds him that it's food, not a pillow, she needs). And later seeing the Norwegian Forest cat zig zag down a tree (one of their talents!) It turns out this pair of illicit lovers (escaped from their breeders to be together) are the king and queen of cats whose rescue is Tag's task.

The poetic language and vivid description make this a book of substance. Think of it as a sort of Arthurian quest with a feline hero (in fact, Tag is called on to bring the cats to Tintagel, which is an Arthurian site, of course) and the occasional vagueness or darkness shouldn't be too troubling. This is a fairy tale for adults.

I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone who loves animals and/or is interested in history and mythology. It is an original fantasy story with a cast of adorable feline characters who, I'm warning you now, you will become very attached to. Young Tag's quest is gripping, exciting, scary and at times heartbreaking. The author clearly knows a lot about cats, both on a practical level (good descriptions of how they see, smell etc) and about their role in history. There are some lovely descriptions which are brilliantly imagined from a cat's viewpoint, and the characters are wonderfully portrayed. (By the time I had finished it, I wanted to take Sealink home!). As I mentioned earlier, you can't help but feel for the characters. Maybe this isn't the book for the more faint-hearted animal lovers as some of the descriptions might prove to be a bit upsetting. But overall, The Wild Road is a beautifully written, involving book which you won't forget. Also, it will change the way you look at the relationship between cats and humans. Quite simply the best book I've ever read!

This is probably my favorite book so far! My favorite characters are Tag (especially), Cy (nickname for Cypher)the tabby she-cat, Sealink the calico she-cat, and Loves a Dustbin the fox.
This is a quick note for another interveiwer called Mean Crictic- I'm sorry you made a bad mistake by putting this book down and missing out on a lot. Let me answer your problem. Majicou NEEDS Tag because he was on his LAST LIFE. Let me ask you this (though I know the answer, I read the book and loved it), if Majicou dies of by, like, old age or something, WHO IS GOING TO REPLACE HIM AND KEEP THE WILD ROADS SAFE??!! Now let me answer you, my favorite character, Tag!
Now back to other readers...
If you like the Warriors series with Fireheart (by Erin Hunter), you're a cat lover, your parents say it's okay to read books with a bit of expletives (AKA: curse words), and you like fantasy and challenging books then PLEASE READ THIS FANTASTIC BOOK!!!

Very good book! Starts off a little slow, but quickly builds in action. Meet Tag, the star of the book and the little kitten chosen to protect the Queen of Cats. His job is to make sure the evil Alchemist doesn't get her or her kittens to carry out his plan to rule the world. This book is filled w/adventure, romance, and laughter. Enter Tag's world, meet new and interesting friends, adventure on the quest for the Golden Cat, and see why Tag is the 'Chosen One.' A 'Watership Down' for cats, this book is not to be beat!