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When a sleek and beautiful country
cat named Grace enters Foudini's life, he takes it upon himself to impart
his wisdom to her, and to recount the story of his life as a house cat in
the human world. "Grace only sees clearly when something is far away, and
so she often jumps up onto low tables or kitchen counters and finds herself
dangling by her claws. Grace is no judge of distance. It is because she has
so little judgement that I am writing this book." As Foudini sees it, Grace
is desperately in need of his guidance.
Orphaned as a kitten and rescued from a damp city basement, Foudini is lured
into the lives of the people he eventually calls "Warm" and "Pest." "Warm"
for the woman for obvious reasons and "Pest" for the man for saying things
like "Do you think the cat has fleas? I've been itching lately." It is the
story of how he went from being a "wild and vicious" kitten to a loving (and
almost crotchety) housecat; from the leery then loving relationship with
"his" dog Sam, who imparts as much wisdom to Foudini as he later does to
Grace; and of his adventures at Cold House in the city and Mouse House in
the country. He is visited in his dreams by the ghost cats of Snow White,
Cleopatra, and Sigmund Freud, each of them providing answers to the mysteries
of cats and their place in the world. The Autobiography of Foudini M.
Cat is a must read for animal lovers everywhere, cats and dogs
alike. |
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THE
AUDIOTAPE OF FOUDINI
WAS CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST
AUDIOTAPES BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.
IT IS READ BY David Hyde Pierce,
"Niles" OF "FRASIER."
"Indeed, the most determined cat avoiders will recognize themselves in Foudini's
observations of a man he calls Pest, who, irritated at finding the cat on
his side of the bed, "would put his large hand beneath me and move me over
as if he were a spatula and I were an egg in a frying pan." ... Whether
recounting his own varied lives or pondering the peculiarities of human behavior,
Foudini is a treat."
The New York Times Book Review
"Charming and witty, Foudini tells his story with dazzling feline flair.
He would make an excellent travelling companion."
NORTON, The Cat Who Went to Paris
"Delightful...Foudini's story is poignant...Schaeffer's book charms with
its richly imagined details...A surprising change of pace."
San Francisco Chronicle
"Bittersweet...Schaeffer is not the first serious writer to go cooing after
her kitties: T.S. Eliot comes to mind, as does May Sarton. Yet Foudini soon
emerges as an interesting creature in his own right...This book simply outwitted
my expectations. What develops between the pets (Foudini the Cat and Sam
the Dog) is an interspecies friendship unrivaled since
The Incredible Journey.
Washington City Paper
"Schaeffer has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of felinity;
if cats could talk, they'd sound like Foudini....Schaeffer has made Foudini
so believable that your friendly reviewer actually found himself idly wondering
for a brief moment: 'I wonder what Foudini will think of this review.'"
Authors Review of Books (on line)
"A wonderful story...Endowed with much love, wisdom and joy...This is one
of those delightful books that one treasures, one gives to loved ones, and
one reads to children and friends...Warm, witty, endearing."
The Ellenville Press
"Touching...Foudini narrates his own tale matter-of-factly and with nice
catty irony. This cat is no fool, and he offers an unsentimental perspective
on the people with whom he lives."
Library Journal
"Whimsical...Magnificent fiction...Every page is pure enjoyment...Schaeffer
captures the wonder, intelligence, and dignity of cats."
Utica, Shelby Source (MI)
"At times cautionary, occasionally whimsical, his story will amuse the cat
lover immensely and provide pearls of wisdom for the kittens of the world."
Weekly Alibi
"If you are enchanted by slowly twitching tales, unblinking eyes, and the
unique brand of arrogant independence that only a house cat can exude, read
on."
Rocky Mountain News |
