Last Thursday, I mentioned I had slowed down while reading Alex Howard’s The Ghost Cat. Even when I finished, my opinion didn’t change. While I enjoyed the early years of Grimalkin, the cat from Edinburgh, I didn’t enjoy the second half of Grimalkin’s lives.
By 1902, Grimalkin was a fifteen-year-old aging cat in Edinburgh. As a kitten, he had been found by Eilidh, a young girl who always loved him even as she grew to be the charlady at 7/7 Marchmont Crescent. And, when he curled up by the fireside there for the last time, she was nearby.
But, that wasn’t supposed to be the end of Grimalkin’s life. The Cat-sith, the cat god hadn’t been watching so he wasn’t able to save Grimalkin. But, he could offer Grimalkin the chance to live for more lives, “For three he plays, for three he strays and for the last three he stays.” Grimalkin’s lives were a little reversed. He stayed first, and played for his last three.
Grimalkin’s lives extended over 120 years. He came back every twenty-some years. Sometimes, he ran into historic personages or events. In 1909, he witnessed J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. In 1935, he witnessed Abigail Rockefeller lose a ring, and agree to fund Alexander Fleming and his experiments with penicillin. And, his list of observations about his life in those years is always interesting. In 1942, Grimalkin was able to stray, to leave the house, so he was able to observe people in a bomb shelter during the war.
My favorite year, although it brought tears, was 1953 when the community celebrated the coronation of Elizabeth II. And, Grimalkin was able to see Eiledh again.
But, I didn’t really care for the people from 1969 on. The hippies, the drunks, some of the people were not kind. And, I found some of the events boring. And, after 1953, Grimalkin was lonely. No one could see him. He realized he only felt comfort when he was around inanimate objects that had been around as long as he had. And, as a cat lover, I hated to see a lonely Grimalkin.
As I said, I liked the first half of The Ghost Cat, but I felt as if the second half let me down, and disappointed Grimalkin as well.
Alex Howard’s website is https://alexhoward.org/.
The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard. Hanover Square Press, 2024. ISBN 9781335012333 (hardcover), 265p.
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
