the cats in our lives [Hardcover]

pamela kellino (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 197 pages
• Publisher: Current; First Edition edition (1949)
• ASIN: B000PHVGH4
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,195,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 'Must Read' for any True Blue James Mason fan, April 11, 2010

By 

Ann Albin "Ann Albin" (Bethesda, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

It's been a while since I've read this charming book, so a lot of the details escape me, but I loved it when I read it. James was at the height of his success in Britain when he, his wife, Pamela, and their menagerie of animals (5 cats and a dog) arrived in the US. Because of an unfortunate legal situation, James was not able to make any films for about a year while he was waiting for a hearing and the judge's decision regarding a contract. In this time, when he was resting on his laurels, he and Pam decided to write a book about their cats. (The Masons were assumed to be quite eccentric because of their cat collection. They were constantly answering press and fan inquiries about the animals.) In addition, James provided all of the cat illustrations for the book. (I was incredibly lucky to acquire a few of them.)

In some ways, James was more revealing of his personality and character in this book than in the autobiography he wrote many years later. He and Pamela take turns writing the various chapters and you soon get a great insight as to what life was like during WWII in England and how very differently cats were treated in those days. They also wrote about non-cat topics. James discussion of raising chickens during the war in order to provide eggs for himself and his neighbors is very charming and down to earth.