- Hardcover: 292 pages
- Publisher: Villard (Jan 26 1993)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 067942069X
- ISBN-13: 978-0679420699
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 15.2 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 635 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,383,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
A clever, offbeat thriller in which the sleuth and most of the other main characters are cats, this first novel by Turkish-born Pirincci, who lives in Bonn, won Germany's prize for best crime novel of the year in 1990. As an allegory on Germany's Nazi past, it is facile and ambivalent. The detective/narrator, Francis, an irrepressibly curious house cat, deduces that whoever is murdering the neighborhood tabbys has a warped mind and is attempting to breed a "super race" of felines. After discovering a fanatical cult of self-flagellating felines who worship a martyred cat, Claudandus, Francis is aided by Pascal, a cat who uses a computer, in unearthing another clue--the journal of a half-mad professor who performed sadistic laboratory experiments on cats. The corpses of countless feline victims are thrown into a catacomb guarded by the Persian cat Jesaja, a pathetic dupe who prays both to Yahweh (god of the Hebrews) and to "our blessed Prophet," the murderer, believing that he is doing the Lord's will. Is Pirincci satirizing monotheistic religion, or the alleged passivity of Jews who believed that Hitler would spare them? Such troubling questions are left unanswered. This fable is most effective as an acerbic commentary on humanity's follies, obtuseness and knack for evil.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
An award-winning crime novel in Germany, this "cat" mystery should appeal to readers of Lilian Braun, Rita Mae Brown, et al. The literate narrator and main character here is one highly intelligent, fascinating, and capable cat. A new resident in an area of refurbished old mansions, Francis discovers the first in a gruesome series of murder victims and, curiosity aroused, determines to trap the murderer. The unaccustomed feline outlook, cat lore, and learned approach result in an absorbing first effort. Recommended.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Bestselling Novel Of Cats And Murder!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Felidae (Hardcover)
I purchased this book in an England Secondhand store. For 60 Pence. It was, I found, One of the best books I have ever read!This book is for anyone at all. You don't even have to like cats. I wish my cat could read it!!! :-)
4.0 out of 5 stars
You'll never look at Tiddles the same way again,
By Cartimand (Hampshire, UK.) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Felidae (Hardcover)
This book was a real surprise. I started it on a whim, expecting a fairly lightweight fable in a similar vein to Watership Down or House of Tribes. How wrong I was! I was soon drawn into this sometimes extremely dark and gothic tale of murder, torture, religious fundamentalism and eugenics! There are obvious parallels with the state of humankind herein and I often wondered to what extent Pirincci intended his work to be allegorical. It certainly contains some moments of quite profound wisdom and made me think long and hard about how we treat our fellow inhabitants of planet Earth. If the reader would prefer not to get hung up on the philosophising then, no problem! Felidae is also a rattling good whodunnit, with twists and turns aplenty and a very dramatic and shocking denouement. Our hero Francis is an extremely likeable character, as is his battered and uncouth sidekick Bluebeard. The footnotes even provide plenty of fascinating information about feline habits and I guarantee that next time you pat puss on the head, you'll wonder how much they really appreciate your care or do they just think of you as an idiot "tin-opener" certainly inferior to their own supreme intellect. Felidae may be a little whimsical for some readers, but if you set your disbelief to one side and just sit back and enjoy this unique novel (preferably with a cat curled up on your lap), you will not be disappointed.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely wonderful and unique,
By Lois A. Lew (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Felidae (Hardcover)
This book is terrific! It is far more gripping and entertaining that one would think with just a brief synopsis of the plot. The author's talent makes what could be a child's animal tale into a gripping adult mystery. It is amazing!
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