Kaspar the Titanic Cat

by Michael Morpurgo, Michael Foreman (Illustrator)

When kaspar the cat first arrived at London's Savoy Hotel, it was Johnny Trott who carried him in. After all, Johnny was a bellboy and was responsible for all of Countess Kandinsky's things- including Kaspar. But when tragedy befalls the Countess during her stay, Kaspar becomes more than Johnny's Kaspar is Johnny's new cat, and his new best friend.

And when Kaspar and Johnny meet Lizziebeth, a spirited young heiress, they find themselves journeying across the Atlantic with Lizziebeth's family on England's newest and most magnificent ship, the Titanic. Because there is always adventure in the air with a cat like Kaspar around. After all, he's Kaspar Kandinsky, Prince of Cats, a Londoner and a New Yorker and, as far as anyone knows, the only cat to survive the sinking of the Titanic. . . .

208 pages, Hardcover

Published March 13, 2012

About the author

Sir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.

Reviews

[Mason Eloph · Rating 5 out of 5]

14 years ago, I was amidst a pivotal changing point in life when one goes from childhood to teenage times. I was in search of a newer hobby, or a comfortable change that i could understand. Being 9 going on 10, i had recently lost my childhood cat named Sly who was there the day i came home from the hospital. Sly was a swell guy, and I was missing him very much. This was one of my first run ins with death, and for a 9 year old, losing a friend as near and dear as the cat who I grew up with hurt me tremendously. I remember being in school, and asking for a book that deals with cats to my sweet librarian. She said she had just the book, and pointed me out to this one. I went and sat down, and for the entire elotted library time i read, and read, and read that book. I checked it out obviously and from then on i was hooked! After that school year ended and the summer passed on, around late August of 2012, new school year, my parents gifted me a little dark kitty, with bright green eyes, who I had just the name for, Kaspar :)

This book is a wonderfully written story about an orphan bellboy working at a grandiose hotel in London (circa 1912) named the Savoy. One day, an exquisite, ostrich feathered lady came in, with a cat, he later learned this cats name was Prince Kaspar Kadinsky. Our main character Johnny Trott took an immediate liking to this pair, and made it his mission to get to know them. As time passed, and friendships sparked with both the old lady, and the young cat, a true bond was formed in the three.

Tragedy strikes though, as it usually does in these happy moments of life, and our main character comes to be the sole owner of this handsome cat Kaspar.

Another character enters the story at this point, dear little Lizziebeth from America. Her family had been visiting London, wealthy to be in the best rooms of the Savoy, and were awaiting their boarding in the near future to the renowned Titanic.

Our narrator Johnny Trott gets to know Lizziebeth, and her family, and he realizes that he ever so wished to have a family such as this, one he always dreamt of.

So when the time came for Lizziebeth to leave for the Titanic, he had no choice but to stowaway, as he knew anything that happened after this moment couldn’t be worse than the life he had at the Savoy.

I think you can infer where the story may go from this point on, and no, it’s not a tragedy, it’s beautiful.

The author Michael Morpurgo was a crafty writer to make this book play out accordingly and keep a believable ebb and flow. I think he purposely sequenced this book to line up with the film I think, the little nods within the story hearken to the film. There’s even an illustration near the end that looks strikingly similar to Rose and Jack.

This was my second read through since all those years ago, and i still pickup little tidbits of imagery and literary devices that would be unseen by a 9 year old. It has very adult themes obviously, but is easily read as children’s book as well. I think this duality is what drew me back again to it all these years later. I knew there had to be things I missed or forgot, and there certainly was.

My kaspar is sitting right next to me while i wrote this, and we watched the film together like the ole pals we have always been. Will forever love this book, and the namesake for one of my bestfriends in the world 💚

(I wanted to add pictures here of my Kaspar but i can’t seem to figure out how to do so, i may try that in the future)


~ Read More Books, from Mason & Kaspar