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lozababe's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A very funny book, but now feels a little dated with some of the references and some of the language used isn’t appropriate in today’s society.
James Zoole is going through a rough period in his life: his best friend died a couple of months before, he has been robbed twice in a couple of months, his girlfriend is leaving him, he lost his job and then he finds a burglar under his bed attempting to rob him for the third time. What follows is a ridiculous set of circumstances that meant I just couldn’t stop reading to find out what more could possibly happen between James and his burglar, Vito.
The book is quite dated now, and you can tell it wasn’t written recently, but this doesn’t detract from how fun the story is. Worth a read if you can look past some of the language and references.
James Zoole is going through a rough period in his life: his best friend died a couple of months before, he has been robbed twice in a couple of months, his girlfriend is leaving him, he lost his job and then he finds a burglar under his bed attempting to rob him for the third time. What follows is a ridiculous set of circumstances that meant I just couldn’t stop reading to find out what more could possibly happen between James and his burglar, Vito.
The book is quite dated now, and you can tell it wasn’t written recently, but this doesn’t detract from how fun the story is. Worth a read if you can look past some of the language and references.
raymond_murphy's review
2.0
i enjoyed reading Kirkwood's account of life on the road with Mary Martin and Carol Channing.
But I didn't care much for this and stopped reading halfway.
But I didn't care much for this and stopped reading halfway.
dunnadam's review against another edition
3.0
Very much a product of it's time that hasn't aged well. It's very dated now, and not in a good way.
High marks for the pace which keeps you guessing and flipping pages waiting to find out what happens. Less marks for what actually happens and a lack of likable characters. I gather the main character was supposed to be uptight, he wasn't to me. I gather the robber is supposed to be likable. He isn't. So the payoff never really came. For a novelization of a play, something that has bothered quite a few reviewers, I thought that aspect was done very well with believable inner dialogue added that contributed to the story.
Overall I'm not upset I read it but after reading other Kirkwood I was expecting more.
High marks for the pace which keeps you guessing and flipping pages waiting to find out what happens. Less marks for what actually happens and a lack of likable characters. I gather the main character was supposed to be uptight, he wasn't to me. I gather the robber is supposed to be likable. He isn't. So the payoff never really came. For a novelization of a play, something that has bothered quite a few reviewers, I thought that aspect was done very well with believable inner dialogue added that contributed to the story.
Overall I'm not upset I read it but after reading other Kirkwood I was expecting more.
kuriztee's review
3.0
It takes a while but the story is fun and engaging and the characters are very memorable! I wouldn't say this was one of my favorite reads but it was good.
clownfrills's review
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
jordanpagel's review
1.0
Well that was odd. I really didn’t enjoy that at all. Kinda confused lol
I don’t even think I could write a longer review because it felt like a weird fever dream that I couldn’t wait for it to end.
I saw a lot of people loving it but it just wasn’t for me.
I don’t even think I could write a longer review because it felt like a weird fever dream that I couldn’t wait for it to end.
I saw a lot of people loving it but it just wasn’t for me.
hippymom's review
2.0
It's a great concept, but I kept waiting for it to be funny. Maybe, it's just too dated for me. I've been wanting to read it for a long time, and I'm glad I did, but I wouldn't say it's a hilarious novel.
ablotial's review against another edition
3.0
I added this book to my shelves years ago when a friend gave a review of it here on Goodreads. His review was interesting, and with a title like this I thought it would be hilarious. But I never went out of my way to get a copy. Recently, I joined paperback swap and I thought to myself that I should add books to my wishlist that have been on my TBR the longest. And this is one of them. I got the book and I began reading.
Interestingly, the longer I read, the more convinced I became that I have read this book before, though I have no memory of when this might have been. If I have read it, it was certainly before I started keeping track of things here on Goodreads. Maybe it was one I picked up from my hometown library years ago? If so, I guess it didn't make that much of an impression on me since I don't remember having read it before. Or maybe it just has one of those plots that seems familiar no matter what.
I'm skeptical of this last idea though. The plot of this story was ... well, completely random. And funny, for the most part, though because I'm me all the drug references and using made me uncomfortable-ish. The main character is an out of work actor who has been robbed multiple times recently. The night his girlfriend breaks up with him, he discovers that they had come home while another robbery was in progress -- the robber was hiding under the bed. Oh yeah, and his vet called to tell him his cat had died. So he captures the robber and ties him up and puts him on the counter. Hilarity ensues as they
To be honest, it seems like the kind of novel someone would write for NaNoWriMo -- totally random, ridiculous, whatever pops into the author's head at that moment gets written down. But of course, NaNoWriMo didn't exist when this book was written. Doesn't mean the author didn't write it that way anyway.
It was an amusing book, but not spectacular. And the ending was ... dumb. Probably more of a 2.5 star book, but it -was- funny so...
Interestingly, the longer I read, the more convinced I became that I have read this book before, though I have no memory of when this might have been. If I have read it, it was certainly before I started keeping track of things here on Goodreads. Maybe it was one I picked up from my hometown library years ago? If so, I guess it didn't make that much of an impression on me since I don't remember having read it before. Or maybe it just has one of those plots that seems familiar no matter what.
I'm skeptical of this last idea though. The plot of this story was ... well, completely random. And funny, for the most part, though because I'm me all the drug references and using made me uncomfortable-ish. The main character is an out of work actor who has been robbed multiple times recently. The night his girlfriend breaks up with him, he discovers that they had come home while another robbery was in progress -- the robber was hiding under the bed. Oh yeah, and his vet called to tell him his cat had died. So he captures the robber and ties him up and puts him on the counter. Hilarity ensues as they
Spoiler
chat the night away, the robber turns out to be gay, the robbers pants get cut off so he can urinate, they smoke marijuana and get high, the ex-girlfriend comes back to find this lovely scene...To be honest, it seems like the kind of novel someone would write for NaNoWriMo -- totally random, ridiculous, whatever pops into the author's head at that moment gets written down. But of course, NaNoWriMo didn't exist when this book was written. Doesn't mean the author didn't write it that way anyway.
It was an amusing book, but not spectacular. And the ending was ... dumb. Probably more of a 2.5 star book, but it -was- funny so...
piperashley21's review
4.0
“The greatest thing in life, almost as good as sex, but a helluva lot longer lasting—is friendship! Friendships—Jesus, what would we do without them?” Yes, and I thought: oh, the varying sizes, shapes, and qualities of them. Not always, but sometimes—they come along just when we need them.”
PS. Your Cat is Dead is a novel adapted from a play of the same name. The book is a snappy read that explores the darker parts of life (a breakup, a break in, losing a job and a pet) with levity and humor. It really is a book about a whole lot and a whole lotta nothing. It’s very Seinfeld-esque.
I would recommend this one to anyone who is curious enough to read it.
PS. Your Cat is Dead is a novel adapted from a play of the same name. The book is a snappy read that explores the darker parts of life (a breakup, a break in, losing a job and a pet) with levity and humor. It really is a book about a whole lot and a whole lotta nothing. It’s very Seinfeld-esque.
I would recommend this one to anyone who is curious enough to read it.