“An instantly bestselling memoir that, beside its heartwarming tale of their friendship, offers an insight into the injustice of life on the streets.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
I remember all the fuss about Street Cat Bob when the story was first published but although I’d added it to my mental TBR, I had never got around to reading it. With news of the movie release last year I thought I better finally get it read. It wasn’t much of an effort, it’s very simply written yet readable and I’d read it through in half a day and what a lovely tale it is.
A Street Cat Named Bob would appeal to all ages I think, it’s written in very simple language, there’s no clever prose, it’s just a nice story about a man and his cat. James was a homeless busker and recovering addict when Bob came into his life, this is their story.
The story itself is light, breezy and an ultimate feelgood tale, but it does feel heavily censored. While I can see why Bowen wanted to appeal to a large audience, I doubt very much anyone goes through what he has without some gritty tales in the mix, and I’d have loved to hear them. I totally understand why James concentrates on Bob’s story, skimming over the harsher parts of street life (and even censoring out any swear words), but I’d love to hear James’ tale, warts and all if I’m honest.
That said, this isn’t a critical review. A Street Cat Named Bob is a lovely story about how an errant tom cat and a homeless recovering addict saved each other and you’ll finish it with a smile!
Reviewed by:
Kath Cross
Added 29th January 2017
