Mystery Books Store
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who...)
RRP: $4.99
Our Price: $4.99
You Save: $ ( % )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Jove
Author: Lilian Jackson Braun
Publisher: Jove
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $4.99
You Save: $ ( % )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Jove
Author: Lilian Jackson Braun
Publisher: Jove
Average Customer Rating:
Experimental feature: Order The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who...) from the UK, Canada, Germany or France by clicking an appropriate flag below.
Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.
Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who...) Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780515144086
ISBN: 0515144088
Label: Jove
Manufacturer: Jove
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2007-08-28
Publisher: Jove
Studio: Jove
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780515144086
ISBN: 0515144088
Label: Jove
Manufacturer: Jove
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2007-08-28
Publisher: Jove
Studio: Jove
Editorial Review of The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who...)
The world of modern art is a mystery to many. But for Jim Qwilleran, it turns into a mystery of another sort when his assignment to the art beat for The Daily Fluxion leads down the path to murder. A stabbing in an art gallery, vandalized paintings, a fatal fall from a scaffolding--this is not at all what Qwilleran expects when he turns his reportorial talents to art. But Qwilleran and his newly found partner, Koko the brilliant Siamese, are back in their element--sniffing out clues and confounding criminals intent on mayhem and murder.
Customer Reviews of The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who...)
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The book that started it all!
Review: 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.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Dialog of male characters is not realistic, story wanders, rather weak over all. Sorry.
Review: Being a cozy mystery lover - and a confirmed animal lover - I thought The Cat Who Could Read Backwards might be perfect for my tastes. Sadly, it was a slow, meandering read. My biggest complaint is about the dialog. The author doesn't write the dialog of her male characters in a way that SOUNDS like a real man speaking. For example, our main character was a long time journalist and war correspondent. He's no doubt been involved in grizzly events - and I doubt there is much that makes him flinch. Knowing this, when he reacts to the cat sniffing a dried blood stain by shrieking, "Koko! Don't be disgusting!" (and he whisks the cat away immediately) he sounded (and acted) more like a very big wimp. Point 2: The author seemed to have so much fun discussing modern art, that she forgot to keep the story going in the right direction at times. Point 3: Some red herrings made me feel as if I was cheated - in the end the "red herring" characters inclusion was never justified, their odd behaviors and activities were never explained. In fact, there were simply too many unimportant characters who didn't propel the story forward. Too many directions of interest. Untidy writing. Not very much fun to read. A major let down in the ending - like the ending was an after-thought -- as if the ending wasn't in mind when she was writing all the previous chapters. Lastly, our main character was too much of an idiot at times - especially when he'd ignore the cats clues only hours after he had been ranting about how brilliant this cat that reads is to his fellow journalists. I wish could get the time I spent reading this back again.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Not my type of mystery novel....
Review: When i first discovered the whole "cat mystery" genre, I became curious, so I decided to give this one a try, and listened to the audio version.
For a mystery novel, it's unusual in that the mystery doesn't start until about halfway into the book. The author first establishes the characters and we get to follow the main character, Jim Qwilleran as he starts working at his new job, making some new friends, etc. I suppose these parts were occasionally somewhat funny and the characters were interesting, but I would prefer to have the mystery start much earlier.
The writing was good but I personally didn't find the story very interesting, but I guess this isn't my type of mystery. It seems to be popular among readers of cozy mysteries, so I suppose I can recommended the book to those cozy mysteries fans who haven't already read it. Readers looking for suspense should look elsewhere.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards - the purrfect mystery!
Review: Lilian Jackson Braun is a great author, and this mystery was no exception. I highly recommend her books.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good beginning to a beloved series
Review: Jim Qwilleran is a former crime reporter with a checkered past who lands at a smallish town newspaper known as the Daily Fluxion. He is hired as an art columnist even though he knows nothing about the subject and proceeds to meet a variety of interesting characters in the community. Qwilleran rents a room from the paper's art critic and gets to know a very special Siamese cat named Kao K'o-Kung or "Koko" as Jim starts to call him. When a local art gallery proprietor is murdered, it begins a series of dark events that Jim tries to unravel with the help of a certain whiskered feline.
This is the first in a long series of "The Cat Who..." books that is currently up to something like 30 novels. Jim Qwilleran is a likeable detective even if he isn't exactly up there with Holmes or Poirot in the brains department. His greatest asset in solving crimes appears to be that his mustache twitches when he's onto a good lead. The cat, Koko, is apparently far more aware of what's really going on and his only frustration is in having to communicate with a human to get the truth out. It's a funny setup, especially if you love cats.
The story meanders amiably even after the murders have started. Some mysteries are a roller coaster of suspense and thrills. This is more of a relaxing drive through rolling hills. But it's always interesting and often amusing. The mystery is interesting enough but the solution was a bit out of left field and I was mildly disappointed by that.
I find myself wanting to use words like "charming" when describing this book even if it sounds archaic. This was a good book and a good beginning to the series. I'd recommend it to anyone as long as they are willing to accept the understated nature of the writing and accept it for what it is.
Review Summary: The book that started it all!
Review: 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.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Dialog of male characters is not realistic, story wanders, rather weak over all. Sorry.
Review: Being a cozy mystery lover - and a confirmed animal lover - I thought The Cat Who Could Read Backwards might be perfect for my tastes. Sadly, it was a slow, meandering read. My biggest complaint is about the dialog. The author doesn't write the dialog of her male characters in a way that SOUNDS like a real man speaking. For example, our main character was a long time journalist and war correspondent. He's no doubt been involved in grizzly events - and I doubt there is much that makes him flinch. Knowing this, when he reacts to the cat sniffing a dried blood stain by shrieking, "Koko! Don't be disgusting!" (and he whisks the cat away immediately) he sounded (and acted) more like a very big wimp. Point 2: The author seemed to have so much fun discussing modern art, that she forgot to keep the story going in the right direction at times. Point 3: Some red herrings made me feel as if I was cheated - in the end the "red herring" characters inclusion was never justified, their odd behaviors and activities were never explained. In fact, there were simply too many unimportant characters who didn't propel the story forward. Too many directions of interest. Untidy writing. Not very much fun to read. A major let down in the ending - like the ending was an after-thought -- as if the ending wasn't in mind when she was writing all the previous chapters. Lastly, our main character was too much of an idiot at times - especially when he'd ignore the cats clues only hours after he had been ranting about how brilliant this cat that reads is to his fellow journalists. I wish could get the time I spent reading this back again.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Not my type of mystery novel....
Review: When i first discovered the whole "cat mystery" genre, I became curious, so I decided to give this one a try, and listened to the audio version.
For a mystery novel, it's unusual in that the mystery doesn't start until about halfway into the book. The author first establishes the characters and we get to follow the main character, Jim Qwilleran as he starts working at his new job, making some new friends, etc. I suppose these parts were occasionally somewhat funny and the characters were interesting, but I would prefer to have the mystery start much earlier.
The writing was good but I personally didn't find the story very interesting, but I guess this isn't my type of mystery. It seems to be popular among readers of cozy mysteries, so I suppose I can recommended the book to those cozy mysteries fans who haven't already read it. Readers looking for suspense should look elsewhere.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards - the purrfect mystery!
Review: Lilian Jackson Braun is a great author, and this mystery was no exception. I highly recommend her books.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good beginning to a beloved series
Review: Jim Qwilleran is a former crime reporter with a checkered past who lands at a smallish town newspaper known as the Daily Fluxion. He is hired as an art columnist even though he knows nothing about the subject and proceeds to meet a variety of interesting characters in the community. Qwilleran rents a room from the paper's art critic and gets to know a very special Siamese cat named Kao K'o-Kung or "Koko" as Jim starts to call him. When a local art gallery proprietor is murdered, it begins a series of dark events that Jim tries to unravel with the help of a certain whiskered feline.
This is the first in a long series of "The Cat Who..." books that is currently up to something like 30 novels. Jim Qwilleran is a likeable detective even if he isn't exactly up there with Holmes or Poirot in the brains department. His greatest asset in solving crimes appears to be that his mustache twitches when he's onto a good lead. The cat, Koko, is apparently far more aware of what's really going on and his only frustration is in having to communicate with a human to get the truth out. It's a funny setup, especially if you love cats.
The story meanders amiably even after the murders have started. Some mysteries are a roller coaster of suspense and thrills. This is more of a relaxing drive through rolling hills. But it's always interesting and often amusing. The mystery is interesting enough but the solution was a bit out of left field and I was mildly disappointed by that.
I find myself wanting to use words like "charming" when describing this book even if it sounds archaic. This was a good book and a good beginning to the series. I'd recommend it to anyone as long as they are willing to accept the understated nature of the writing and accept it for what it is.