Review by PrachyaSky49 -- The Cat Man by Nick Bruechle

[PrachyaSky49]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cat Man" by Nick Bruechle.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Cat Man is essentially a story based on cat behaviours and their historical relationship to humans however, because of the author’s profound understanding of dog psychology, this book would appeal to dog lovers also. Beside the obvious cat versus dog story, the author skilfully addresses two major issues; religion and obsession. It is a critical though humorous observation of religious cults, and how they can form around a beautiful and charismatic character. The Cat Man, with his good looks and charming personality, captures an audience of wealthy and gullible devotees who become quite obsessed with him and his ‘Religion’, developing an astounding blind spot to the negative traits of their guru. Though the essence of the story is the worship of cats one is repeatedly reminded of the endearing qualities of the loyal and devoted dog.

The author, Nicke Bruechle, has an animated sense of humour which captured my interest from the first pages of the book. I found it very refreshing to encounter ingenious humour minus the sarcasm. I fell in love with the protagonist Rex, an honest, sensitive and humble character, yet clever and seriously astute. Like a loveable and devoted dog, Rex appealed to the reverent dog lover in me. I also enjoyed the easy going perspective of Rex, a ‘down to earth’ Australian carpenter, unique and uncomplicated. Perhaps being Australian myself made it easy for me to relate. It’s difficult to report any elements I didn’t like about the book because I found it so easy to read. It had me laughing out loud quite a lot and my interest was maintained throughout.

After considering whether to give the book 3 or 4 stars, I decided on 4 out of 4. The subtle humour, the character Rex, the vocabulary and refined art of storytelling were major deciding factors. The pace of the book kept me intrigued throughout, without any slump in the middle. Each chapter was serendipitous, holding my interest to the unanticipated, delightful end. The only readers who might find this book offensive are the seriously religious who may not be so enchanted by the author’s sense of humour and his occasional use of the ‘f’ word.

Surprisingly, I only found a few typos which contributed to my choice of a four star rating. I was also exceptionally impressed with the editing, it was a relief to find I did not need to subconsciously edit mistakes in order to understand what I was reading. It’s hugely distracting when there are too many typos and grammatical errors. My concentration literally goes out the window and I often refuse to finish a book. The Cat Man is a well crafted and entertaining piece of writing. Kudos to the author.

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The Cat Man
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