The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
by Lilian Jackson Braun
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Book Summary Information
Author: Lilian Jackson BraunEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-08-28
ISBN: 0515144088
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Jove
Book Reviews of The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
Book Review: The book that started it all!
Summary: 5 Stars
I realized recently that as much as I love these books, I've read relatively few in the series given how many there actually are (30 to date, if you include the one collection of short stories). Usually laughed off by the masses as kitschy `old-lady' books, those who read them know they're quite the opposite and are actually some of the cleverest bits of reading around. Braun, a former journalist whose advanced age has no doubt contributed to the mistaken notion that these books are about old ladies and their cats, has a wit so sharp and a perception so keen that you almost never see her coming at you until it's too late and it's zoomed right past you. Her fondness for the mysterious and almost mystical Siamese cat is no different than Dean Koontz's love affair with Golden Retrievers, and far less sappy and sentimental. Her human hero, Jim Qwilleran, remains one of the most enigmatic, fascinating literary characters I've ever encountered.
This is the very first book in the series, written in 1966 and not, I believe, initially intended by Braun for serial-dom. The title was simply a wordplay on the central plot in which the owner of an elegant and mouthy Siamese cat is murdered, and I wonder if Braun ever imagined that the quirky title would explode into the near-phenomenon known as "The Cat Who..." books! I especially enjoyed reading this first one and being `introduced' to Qwill from the beginning, because his situation changes so drastically in the later books that I'm more familiar with. Here, we find him in his big city setting (unlike the far-flung country setting of later books), having just accepted a new job as a feature writer on the Daily Fluxion. His first assignment is writing up the local art scene, which Qwill is not entirely happy about given that he's accustomed to the more serious crime and political beats, but his position is precarious at the moment and complaining is not an option. At least things get a bit more interesting when the paper's deeply despised art critic - and also Qwill's temporary landlord - as well as a local art dealer are both murdered.
As is par for the course in all the books, Qwill's past is something of a mystery, glimpsed in bits from time to time via the vague occasional comment alluding to an ex-wife, alcoholism and lost jobs, but never fully explained. Qwill himself is a guarded person, even to the reader, so he's like that guy at work you want to know more about but is too prickly and private to draw out very easily.
I'm really looking forward to reading this series in order. As I understand it, the first three books were written in relatively quick succession, before a long and unexplained hiatus. After this first book, which was popular enough to generate a second and third (published in 1967 and 1968), Braun didn't return to the story until almost twenty years later, in 1986. It was at that point the series really picked up and became - and remains - one of the most popular mystery series' of all time. I can't wait to keep going and watch the development of Qwill and the other recurring characters.
Summary of The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. The first installment of the author's popular series features the unusual detective team of award-winning reporter Jim Qwilleran and Koko, his brilliant Siamese cat, who penetrate the world of modern art to solve a mystery.Literature & Fiction Books
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