Reviews

Cat of the Century by Rita Mae Brown

booksbecreads's review against another edition

2.0

I was expecting more from Rita Mae Brown, one of the prominant feminists of the 1960s, perhaps I should have read [b:Rubyfruit Jungle|165395|Rubyfruit Jungle|Rita Mae Brown|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172341177s/165395.jpg|3017660] instead. This book instead was a thinly veiled "mystery" where the characters winged about the US government and society in general. I won't be reading anymore in the series.

sbunyan's review against another edition

2.0

I always enjoy a Rita Mae Bron mystery. I like the characters and I especially like the animals. Brown always adds a lot of philosophical views of like coming from the characters and the animals which sometimes is overkill for me. But the plots are good and I'm always intrigued. This book has a good plot, great characters and, as usual, the wonderful animals. However, this time Brown goes way overboard in the her lectures on human behavior and particularly politics. The anti tax rants get in the way of a good story. I stuck it out until the end but hope she chills out in her next novel.

arkansas_equestrian's review against another edition

2.0

I have seen Brown's books online and at the local bookstore. At my own devices, I would have never read the book. The fact that its centered around my Alma mater and professor Gayle Lampe has piqued my interest. Up front, keeping track of all the character names was a bit tedious. So far, I'm enjoying the story and look forward to "solving the mystery".

murkymaster's review against another edition

5.0

All I got to say is, by the last few chapters, Aunt Tally will have you ROLLING!

amylee218's review against another edition

3.0

I haven't read many of these books (one, maybe?) so i wasn't as invested going into it as some of the other reviewers. I did find it a bit political, as if the author was looking for a chance to get her views (on taxes, the government, drugs, the environment) out there front and center. It didn't bother me too much, although I agree there was quite a bit of that type of writing. I thought the animals were cute, and wish that there was more of their antics and musings in the story. I also liked Inez and Aunt Tally. A story that has two tough old ladies and a bunch of animals should have felt fun and sassy, but much of this book was too serious. It was pretty easy to figure out the killer early on. The illustrations are charming, and the animals were drawn really well. Kudos to the illustrator.

calabrag's review against another edition

3.0

I have been reading this series since about 1999, so I wasn't about to pass on the latest installment. The last several books, however, show some new differences in writing style that I find very annoying. When her characters refer to things in conversation, she'll add a sentence like, "Harry mentioned a beautiful insect-eating bird..." or "Terri cited the department store..." to explain what the characters are referring to. This strikes me as both clumsy and a little insulting, as if we couldn't figure it out from the context. The characters also speak about contemporary issues like the environment and the economic situation in ways that are unnatural and somewhat preachy. If you're a longtime fan of the series, you'll be disappointed to find that many of the recurring Crozet community members make only brief appearances, if at all-- both Susan and Miranda are conveniently out of state, caring for ailing relatives.

Still, I enjoyed the story and it didn't adhere too closely to the formula that many mystery series adopt. Also, the animal characters (which have always been the best part) were as excellent as ever.

bichito_feo's review against another edition

1.0

Okay, I used to find these books silly but still fun--but I cannot handle her rants about taxes anymore. Especially now that the talking, mystery solving animals are ALSO bitching about taxes. Cannot. Handle. (Shamefully, I'm probably going to read the next book anyway...)

pendragyn's review against another edition

1.0

Used to love her work but now - the characters seem to only spout talking points from talking heads about "the Nanny State" and "Technology is giving us cancer". Harry is hardly in the book, the focus being primarily on Aunt Tally, who drinks like a fish and Inez who has gotten very creaky in her very old age.

thisgrrlreads's review against another edition

1.0

Oh Rita, I hate to say this but I think your cat mysteries have finally jumped the shark. This was one was so bogged down in diatribes against taxes and government and technology and drugs I nearly lost the story. The mystery takes a back seat, as do Harry and her animals. I might try your new dog mysteries and hope that they have a real story to follow.

chessakat's review against another edition

I am abandoning this book, this series, and mostly likely any further books by this author. I am so disappointed that Rita Mae Brown's works of fiction have become nothing more than a vehicle for her disjointed libertarian rants that have NOTHING to do with any story's plot. Just the absolute worst.