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The Autobiography of Foudini M. Cat
Grace the Cat is not at all like me, as she is forever bent on mischief. But because I am an older and wiser cat, she looks to me for counsel, and so I have allowed Grace to prevail upon me to set down the story of my life as a housecat in the human world. . . .
As the irrepressible Foudini M. Cat regales us with his adventures, an exciting story unfolds. After his valiant ...more
As the irrepressible Foudini M. Cat regales us with his adventures, an exciting story unfolds. After his valiant ...more
Paperback
,
176 pages
Published
September 29th 1998
by Ballantine Books
(first published September 2nd 1997)
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Community Reviews
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444)
Next month, my brown bag lunch at work will cover the topic "Peck-N-Paws", books about animals. One of the Readers' Advisors recommended The Autobiography of Foudini M. Cat by Susann Fromberg Schaeffer, saying it was her favor cat book. Foudini does for cats what Chet does for dogs in Spencer Quinn's books. Foudini narrates the story of his own life. It's a charming story for all cat lovers. (And, remember this is an "autobiography" so Foudini lives. But, no promises about other beloved animals.
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Stumbled upon this randomly at the library and I seen that Susan Fromberg Schaeffer (author of one of my favorites 'Snow Fox') was the author! ANNNNNNNNNNND it's in the POV of a cat. C'mon? Did you really think I could resist this? haha
Oooooh this was such a great read. It is short and simple and sweet, but there are so much you get out of this. So many life lessons and so much cuteness. I simply love Mr. Foudini! It really made me miss having a cat (since mine passed a year ago) and really made ...more
Oooooh this was such a great read. It is short and simple and sweet, but there are so much you get out of this. So many life lessons and so much cuteness. I simply love Mr. Foudini! It really made me miss having a cat (since mine passed a year ago) and really made ...more
A quick read in a tiny little book. Schaeffer really captured how cats must think. The story is touching at times and a lot of fun. I'd read it to my cats, but I'm not sure which language to use.
I just finished this novel. I cried very much. It is an honest, poignant, humble story - a story of everything and all of time, and of one cat's experience in their own time and place, with their own people and the dog and cat they have loved, and even lost. It is surprisingly easy to connect to the narrator as he tells his life story. I liken this to another of my favorite novels, The Art of Racing in the Rain (told from a dogs point of view) in that the animal narrators have much to say on hum
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This book is the reason I tell my cat I'm going to make kitten stew out of her. Read it more than once, like ten times at least.
This is the fairy-tale novella, clever and well written, of the life of a very special cat told from that cat's perspective. Born feral, Foudini M. Cat was orphaned too young as a kitten, but rescued and named by Warm. He learns to trust Warm, accept her husband Pest, care for their son, and overcome his mother’s dire warnings about dogs to learn accept Sam and yet annoy him, trust Sam and yet defy him, but Foudini does ultimately reach a point where he developd and can acknowledge his complete
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This was a good book for me because I'm currently house sitting for a family with a big dog and a kitten. The relationship they have helped me to understand Foudini's reciprocated love for his Dog and later for the kitten Grace, who was Dog's replacement. Foudini's early life was difficult and it took a long time for him to learn to trust. The human characters, whom Foudini called Warm and Pest, play very secondary roles to the main story.
I absolutely loved this book. the cat is the narrator and his view of the world is hilarious. It made me a laugh out loud, a lot. it also has a few sad parts that had my crying. and I mean and hard ugly cry not just a few tears dripping down my face.
I loaned this book out to everyone. So much that I don't have it anymore. However, I will be buying again because it is a keeper. If you are am animal lover you MUST READ.
I loaned this book out to everyone. So much that I don't have it anymore. However, I will be buying again because it is a keeper. If you are am animal lover you MUST READ.
A short, simple, and utterly adorable tale, told in the voice of Foudini,
his
dog, and Grace the cat. This book starts out sounding almost like a children's book, but it does have some interesting and unique aspects that make it appealing to adult readers. The charm of this book lies in looking at the world from the perspective of the pets of the household, and reinterpreting the human world their eyes. The bond between the pets and the love the have for each other and their "assigned people" wi
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This book was cute, and I liked the writing style a lot. It felt authentically cattish. The ending was kind of weird and the age of Foudini is kind of hard to make out since he apparently watched a child grow from a baby to adulthood? Fathering Grace's kittens was sorta awkward given that they are radically apart in age, and sure the animal world works like that but still weird feeling for anthropomorphized animals, especially given the difference in maturity between them written throughout the
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I loved this book! Written from the cat's perspective, the story ranges from hilarious to sad to beautiful.
I have read this book at least twice before this re-reading. It's been a while since my last re-read and after telling a friend about it, I was inspired to read it again because it's one of my all time favorite books and a book I love to give away. Foudini's tale will make you laugh, cry and look at your pets in new ways. As soon as I read the last word, I wanted to pick it up again so I could savor my favorite bits all over again. The story will warm your heart and soul. Get a copy, read it, gi
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What a great little book for anyone who loves cats and dogs - the author is totally convincing writing in the voice of Foudini the cat, and the book is charming (but not overly saccharine), poignant (but not overly heartbreaking), and full of wholly believable insights into the way a cat thinks. A compelling plot, too - I loved it.
I really enjoyed this book. Loved the viewpoint of Foudini and the dog both. It was a quick, funny and touching read.
Was afraid it was going to be cutesy. Pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be witty and touching. Thoroughly enjoyable read.
Another weeding choice. It’s a beautifully written story of friendship and love, with some truly heart wrenching moments. I spent the entire second half of the book with tears running down my face, sniffling like a little kid because I didn't want to stop reading long enough to get a tissue. Don’t let that stop you though. It is an uplifting, reassuring book, but damn is it sad in spots!
Nov 11, 2007
Marigold
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
animals
,
fun-and-sweet
This is the coolest cat book ever! Perfect for a rainy day, short and sweet. I could totally see my cat thinking these things that Foudini thinks. Kinda makes me want to get a dog or kitten for my 17 yr old cat...but then again, not! I am going to say "back soon" every time I leave the house now! I wonder what my secret name is, that my cat has given me!
Being a cat lover, the "thoughts" and "feelings" of Foudini made me think about and love my cats, Frank and Ernest, even more. My husband read passages aloud each night and his reading style was special and I could hear Foudini's "voice" and visualize his actions. Sweet, insightful story for animal lovers.
Nov 02, 2010
Courtney
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Courtney by:
Tracy
I thought this was a good little story. I have a cat at home and now I am constantly wondering what he is thinking about! This was the first time that I have read a book where it is told from the point of view of a cat. It's a quick and heart-warming read that I think many cat lovers will enjoy.
A surprisingly enjoyable book "written" by a cat! The friendship between Foudini and his family and "his" dog was quite believable, funny and sad. The bond with the family dog was the most important thing in Foudini's life and matched my experience with one of my cats and "her" dog.
one of the best cat books ever! Foudini is a wonderful black and white cat with a very full life - a grey girlfriend named Grace and a galoot of a Great Dane pal as well! Saddest thing about this: it is on cassette tape! I'm gonna have to convert it to cd or mp3 one of these days!
my dad saw an article in this newspaper on the author and thought i would be interested in this book as a) she wrote her phd on nabokov, b) cats!
i was unconvinced at first but it was surprisingly funny & touching! a good read for both lovers of cats & dogs.
i was unconvinced at first but it was surprisingly funny & touching! a good read for both lovers of cats & dogs.
Thanks to a ninja gift, I got to read this wonderfully sweet book told from the point of view of a housecat. Its more interesting than it sounds but I don't want to give away any gems from the story. Its like a bedtime story from grown-ups. Recommended.
I loved this book. Foundini was smart, tough and thoroughly loveable. I found myself watching my own cat closely while reading this one and I think she'd write a similar book if she could. I cried with this book and that's rare for me.
Thought experiment on how to
be
the cat. As a cat and dog owner, I found the relationship between the cat Foudini and the dog refreshingly not too sticky-sweet.
Okay, break's over, back to work..
Okay, break's over, back to work..
I read the first half of this book at Powells on April 12, 2009. It was hilarious and I quite enjoyed it, but I'm too poor to buy it. Who knows if I'll ever finish it, but it was a nice light read :)
This book was ok, worth the time spent since it is less than 200 pages. I think it would been better as a shorter story. I liked the idea but reading the idea expounded on was tiresome.
Het was niet slecht, maar ook zeker niet goed. Ik had er meer van verwacht. Het is een prima boek om ergens neer te leggen en tussendoor te lezen, maar verder viel het tegen
One of my all time favorites. It is a quick read, but the story will stick with you much longer. Anyone who has shared their life with a feline will appreciate Foudini's tale.
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