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The Wildings #1
The Wildings
A small band of cats lives in the labyrinthine alleys and ruins of Nizamuddin, an old neighbourhood in Delhi. Miao, the clan elder, a wise, grave Siamese; Katar, a cat loved by his followers and feared by his enemies; Hulo, the great warrior tom; Beraal, the beautiful queen, swift and deadly when challenged; Southpaw, the kitten whose curiosity can always be counted on to get him into trouble… Unfettered and wild, these and the other members of the tribe fear no one, go where they will, and do as they please. Until, one day, a terrified orange-coloured kitten with monsoon green eyes and remarkable powers, lands in their midst—setting off a series of extraordinary events that will change their world forever.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published August 17, 2012
108 people are currently reading
2876 people want to read
About the author
Nilanjana Roy
12 books129 followersNilanjana Roy is the author of The Wildings, published by Aleph Book Company in 2012. This is her first novel and stars a clan of cats in Nizamuddin. A collection of literary journalism, How To Read In Indian, will be published by HarperCollins in 2013.
Her column on the reading life for the Business Standard has run for over 15 years; she has also written columns for the International Herald Tribune and the Kolkata Telegraph on gender issues in India. Over a decade-and-a-half in media and publishing, Nilanjana has been chief editor at Westland/ Tranquebar, edited and contributed to the Outlook Books page, Biblio and several other literary magazines/ periodicals, served on the jury for the Crossword Prize and the DSC Prize among others, and started India’s first literary blog–Kitabkhana, which ran for several years under the pseudonym of Hurree Babu. She has worked extensively on free speech and censorship issues in India.
Her fiction and journalism have appeared in several journals and anthologies, including Caravan, Civil Lines 6, the New York Times’ India blog, The Hindu and Biblio. Some of her stories for children have been published in Scholastic’s Spooky Stories, Science Fiction Stories and BeWitched. She is a champion eater, which much to her surprise, qualified her to be the editor of a 2005 anthology, A Matter of Taste: The Penguin Book of Indian Food Writing. Nilanjana lives in Delhi with two cats and her husband. She can be found at http://nilanjanaroy.com, or @twitter.com/nilanjanaroy, (and would very much like to be found @Belize, @Bhutan or @Barcelona one of these days, not that she’s hinting or anything).
Her column on the reading life for the Business Standard has run for over 15 years; she has also written columns for the International Herald Tribune and the Kolkata Telegraph on gender issues in India. Over a decade-and-a-half in media and publishing, Nilanjana has been chief editor at Westland/ Tranquebar, edited and contributed to the Outlook Books page, Biblio and several other literary magazines/ periodicals, served on the jury for the Crossword Prize and the DSC Prize among others, and started India’s first literary blog–Kitabkhana, which ran for several years under the pseudonym of Hurree Babu. She has worked extensively on free speech and censorship issues in India.
Her fiction and journalism have appeared in several journals and anthologies, including Caravan, Civil Lines 6, the New York Times’ India blog, The Hindu and Biblio. Some of her stories for children have been published in Scholastic’s Spooky Stories, Science Fiction Stories and BeWitched. She is a champion eater, which much to her surprise, qualified her to be the editor of a 2005 anthology, A Matter of Taste: The Penguin Book of Indian Food Writing. Nilanjana lives in Delhi with two cats and her husband. She can be found at http://nilanjanaroy.com, or @twitter.com/nilanjanaroy, (and would very much like to be found @Belize, @Bhutan or @Barcelona one of these days, not that she’s hinting or anything).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
November 1, 2012
The Wildings by Nilanjana Roy took me into the intriguing world of stray cats. But Ms.Roy didn’t just extrapolate the lives of the lovely felines in this book; she has a string of other interesting animals too - cheels, dogs, squirrels, rats, a monkey and even a tiger(living in the zoo)! The book is primarily about the colony of cats, living in the Nizamuddin area of Delhi, who get the news about the world by telepathic “linking.” The story takes an interesting turn when a powerful ‘Sender’ lands up in their midst and how their lives and the lives of other animals, in the neighbourhood, change after that. In this book, humans are referred to as Big Feet by the cats. I got so engrossed in the feline world of the book that each time a Big Foot appeared, it felt like a violation. :-)
Roy took the approach that the Indian writers rarely had - a debut novel with animals as characters. The author intelligently analyses the complex realities of different kinds of animals living together amidst Big Feet and the explosive capacity of a possible combustion when there are intruders. In some ways, The Wildings grapples with nuggets of wisdom like 'Live and let live' and other simple principles of life very subtly, but only if the reader wishes to look for them. Each character is so beautifully scripted that they will slowly paw their way into hearts in the way that only cats can and before you know it, voila, you are a cat person!
The writing is rich with good bouts of humor (the crows named Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni…clever, comical touch there!) and there are also a few poems here and there, that add value to the story and drive home the point. Kudos to Prabha Mallya for the brilliant illustrations, the Mara and Southpaw illustration coupled with Roy’s narration, had me spell-bound.
I recommend this book to everyone irrespective of their like/dislike for animals or cats.
And if it is obvious yet already, yes I am a cat person. :-)
Roy took the approach that the Indian writers rarely had - a debut novel with animals as characters. The author intelligently analyses the complex realities of different kinds of animals living together amidst Big Feet and the explosive capacity of a possible combustion when there are intruders. In some ways, The Wildings grapples with nuggets of wisdom like 'Live and let live' and other simple principles of life very subtly, but only if the reader wishes to look for them. Each character is so beautifully scripted that they will slowly paw their way into hearts in the way that only cats can and before you know it, voila, you are a cat person!
The writing is rich with good bouts of humor (the crows named Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni…clever, comical touch there!) and there are also a few poems here and there, that add value to the story and drive home the point. Kudos to Prabha Mallya for the brilliant illustrations, the Mara and Southpaw illustration coupled with Roy’s narration, had me spell-bound.
I recommend this book to everyone irrespective of their like/dislike for animals or cats.
And if it is obvious yet already, yes I am a cat person. :-)
July 11, 2016
3.5 Stars
Magical and inventive, this novel explores the lives of a group of stray cats in the Nizamuddin district of Delhi. Roy has a distinctive voice, a clever touch with description, and a talent for giving each of the animals in her story a idiosyncratic personality that fits both their species and individual character. From kitten to cat, crow to tiger, Roy has imbued the creatures with such vitality that the Big Feet can hardly compare.
I very much enjoyed sharing this with my young nephew, but i'm sure it could be read by animal lovers of all ages. If anything, he took the 'reality' of their lives better than I did- it was upsetting to think about the inevitable dangers that stray cats face, such as kitten Mara's mother, who never returned to her. I'm quite pathetic about cats, I realise...
One last note to praise the illustrations, they were beautiful, and added that bit more delight to the story. A great addition!
Many thanks to Nilanjana Roy, Pushkin Press, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Magical and inventive, this novel explores the lives of a group of stray cats in the Nizamuddin district of Delhi. Roy has a distinctive voice, a clever touch with description, and a talent for giving each of the animals in her story a idiosyncratic personality that fits both their species and individual character. From kitten to cat, crow to tiger, Roy has imbued the creatures with such vitality that the Big Feet can hardly compare.
I very much enjoyed sharing this with my young nephew, but i'm sure it could be read by animal lovers of all ages. If anything, he took the 'reality' of their lives better than I did- it was upsetting to think about the inevitable dangers that stray cats face, such as kitten Mara's mother, who never returned to her. I'm quite pathetic about cats, I realise...
One last note to praise the illustrations, they were beautiful, and added that bit more delight to the story. A great addition!
Many thanks to Nilanjana Roy, Pushkin Press, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2024
3.5 stars! This book is a very pleasant read about the lives of stray cats in the Nizamuddin area in Delhi. The author has done an amazing job at giving each of these cats a distinct personality, manner of speaking and even suitable depiction.
The book is suitable for a younger audience but can also be read and loved by adults. If you are a cat lover, you will really enjoy meeting the strays of Nizamuddin.
The book is suitable for a younger audience but can also be read and loved by adults. If you are a cat lover, you will really enjoy meeting the strays of Nizamuddin.
January 17, 2016
I absolutely adored this book! Partly, I admit, this may be because I love cats, so a story about a group of stray cats in a Delhi neighbourhood is bound to spark my interest. Also partly because it reminded me so much of Ursula Le Guin's Catwings, which I loved as a kid. But mostly, it's because The Wildlings presents us with such a beautifully imaginative urban landscape, where animals have created their own community and systems of power, and humans are mere "Bigfeet" who are relegated to the background. Full review on my blog, to be published Jan 20, 2016.
March 17, 2017
Okay. So I finished this book waaaay back on the 7th of March (not actually that long ago but shh). It took me till now (16th) to get my head around my feelings and emotions and basically to recover from this book, and here I am, now thinking about what I want to say about it, and getting the urge to read it again.
That's how good this book was.
The premise is basically a cat lover's dream - cats on the streets of Old Delhi, who are part of a clan and can literally communicate telepathically/through their whiskers. Their relative calmness is interrupted by the arrival of a kitten, who is what's called a Sender, meaning this kitten can essentially send out messages and pictures etc to every animal within a certain radius - but our little kitty doesn't really get it. Then we have lots of drama with other cats and other animals, and some of my favourite non-cat animals are the tigers in the local zoo, and Kirri the mongoose.
So it sounds pretty weird and niche, right?
WRONG. So wrong. In fact, this book could definitely be enjoyed by anyone. It's just so bloody beautiful and moving, you totally forget about the subject. It's basically the equivalent of watching that relaxing and beautiful outdoorsy music on Youtube, it's super inspiring and just...lovely. It's extremely well written and I think every reader would get something different out of it. All of the characters are well-developed and interesting to hear about, and the book shifts from different perspectives so as to ensure the reader doesn't get bored (not that you could in this world). It also makes you wonder about how animals communicate in the real world, which has led to some fun daydreams for me.
Also. It has chapter titles. Probably not a big deal to most of you, but I for one remember when every book was basically required to have them - now it's all just 1, 2, 3, or Roman numerals if you're super fancy (or pretentious). But Roy has actually put work into thinking up creative chapter titles. I don't know, I dig that sort of stuff. It shows the author has really poured their heart and soul into what they've written.
Anyway...tldr; this book was fucking amazing and you should go buy it right now. Thank me later.
That's how good this book was.
The premise is basically a cat lover's dream - cats on the streets of Old Delhi, who are part of a clan and can literally communicate telepathically/through their whiskers. Their relative calmness is interrupted by the arrival of a kitten, who is what's called a Sender, meaning this kitten can essentially send out messages and pictures etc to every animal within a certain radius - but our little kitty doesn't really get it. Then we have lots of drama with other cats and other animals, and some of my favourite non-cat animals are the tigers in the local zoo, and Kirri the mongoose.
So it sounds pretty weird and niche, right?
WRONG. So wrong. In fact, this book could definitely be enjoyed by anyone. It's just so bloody beautiful and moving, you totally forget about the subject. It's basically the equivalent of watching that relaxing and beautiful outdoorsy music on Youtube, it's super inspiring and just...lovely. It's extremely well written and I think every reader would get something different out of it. All of the characters are well-developed and interesting to hear about, and the book shifts from different perspectives so as to ensure the reader doesn't get bored (not that you could in this world). It also makes you wonder about how animals communicate in the real world, which has led to some fun daydreams for me.
Also. It has chapter titles. Probably not a big deal to most of you, but I for one remember when every book was basically required to have them - now it's all just 1, 2, 3, or Roman numerals if you're super fancy (or pretentious). But Roy has actually put work into thinking up creative chapter titles. I don't know, I dig that sort of stuff. It shows the author has really poured their heart and soul into what they've written.
Anyway...tldr; this book was fucking amazing and you should go buy it right now. Thank me later.
Read
April 9, 2017The Wildings is an engaging tale of a group of “wildings”, stray cats living in Nizamuddin in Delhi, and of a little orange kitten with extraordinary powers, a “sender”, Mara, who suddenly comes into their midst (even though she is an “inside” cat). We are taken into their world, free and happy, yet fraught with danger as they explore, go on hunts, train the newer members of their clan, and face their enemies—predators and their own kind gone rogue. The cats hunt for their food as is their nature but live by a code that respects all life around them—their own kind and others. But when dark shadows are cast on their lives and a grave threat to their safety and that of others arises, something most have never yet seen, they have to prepare for battle, seeking alliances with all the various creatures that live in Nizamuddin. But can Mara do anything to help, for she has never stepped out of her house only travelling and interacting with others through her telepathic powers...
I really enjoyed the writing and the wonderful illustrations that not only accompany the text but at places merge into it. The author quite clearly knows her cats and creates a whole bunch of unique and very loveable characters—the felines Miao, Beraal, Hulo, Katar, Southpaw, and Mara (and others like the Supreme Court cats), the magnificent cheel Tooth, squirrels Aao and Jao, tigers Ozzy, Rani, and Rudra, Kirri, the mongoose, and even the mouse Jethro. The “villains” of the piece are well carved out sending shivers down the readers’ spine. She keeps her cats and their adventures very real but at times, they are too real and that can be heartbreaking leaving you wishing that things had been just a little storybook-like instead.
Longer review at: https://potpourri2015.wordpress.com/2...
I really enjoyed the writing and the wonderful illustrations that not only accompany the text but at places merge into it. The author quite clearly knows her cats and creates a whole bunch of unique and very loveable characters—the felines Miao, Beraal, Hulo, Katar, Southpaw, and Mara (and others like the Supreme Court cats), the magnificent cheel Tooth, squirrels Aao and Jao, tigers Ozzy, Rani, and Rudra, Kirri, the mongoose, and even the mouse Jethro. The “villains” of the piece are well carved out sending shivers down the readers’ spine. She keeps her cats and their adventures very real but at times, they are too real and that can be heartbreaking leaving you wishing that things had been just a little storybook-like instead.
Longer review at: https://potpourri2015.wordpress.com/2...
April 1, 2022
The Wildings is a story of stray cats in Nizamuddin. It has a colourful cast of characters which are brought to life by Nilanjana Roy's soothing words. Reading this book was like looking at a lemon tree in the rain; the tiny water crystals shimmering on the yellow spheres before dropping down on the soft green leaves. Calming. Peaceful.
The story does have moments of action, particularly near the end but those were my least favourite parts. I enjoyed the slice-of-life moments with all the cats the most. Everything paired together warrants a 4 star rating for this book, but I'm adding in a star just for the illustrations. Those were beautiful!
If I had read this book on my Kindle, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. But the paperback with its pretty pages made the entire experience quite special. The book in general has some sections which drag on. The story too is predictable for the most part. But given my love of cats, I really enjoyed reading it. I'm getting the sequel as soon as I can and I would wholeheartedly recommend The Wildings to all cats who are fond of reading and all humans who are fond of cats.
The story does have moments of action, particularly near the end but those were my least favourite parts. I enjoyed the slice-of-life moments with all the cats the most. Everything paired together warrants a 4 star rating for this book, but I'm adding in a star just for the illustrations. Those were beautiful!
If I had read this book on my Kindle, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. But the paperback with its pretty pages made the entire experience quite special. The book in general has some sections which drag on. The story too is predictable for the most part. But given my love of cats, I really enjoyed reading it. I'm getting the sequel as soon as I can and I would wholeheartedly recommend The Wildings to all cats who are fond of reading and all humans who are fond of cats.
February 20, 2021
Il mondo dei Selvatici di Nizamuddin, un quartiere periferico di Delhi, è davvero affascinante, anche per noi Piedoni, che non capiamo questi gattacci randagi, ma che, se potessimo sentire i loro discorsi, saremmo sicuramente dalla loro parte, soprattutto contro i terribili Ferini della Catapecchia. Bellissime le figure di alcuni dei Selvatici a cui si aggiunge quella della piccola Mara, una nuova arrivata nel quartiere, che è un'Emittente, ovvero una gatta telepatica, che potrebbe essere di grande utilità per i Selvatici di Nizamuddin, ma che in un primo momento viene considerata fastidiosa e condannata a morte. Per fortuna, Beraal non riesce a portare a termine il suo compito e fa capire ai suoi compagni che Mara potrebbe essere molto utile con le sue grandi doti.
Mara non ama uscire dall'appartamento dei suoi Piedoni (è una sorta di hikikomori felino), ma riesce a teletrasportarsi fuori, e spesso va allo zoo a trovare Rani, un cucciolo di tigre del Bengala nato in cattività e molto solo.
A volte, c'è Mancino che va a trovare la nuova Emittente, un micino coetaneo di Mara, che viene iniziato da Miu-Miu e Katar e anche dagli altri Selvatici alla spietata legge del mondo, in cui solo i più duri riescono a sopravvivere.
Un romanzo tenero, divertente, ma anche pieno di insegnamenti sull'accettazione della diversità e sul far fronte comune contro i nemici più spietati (anche quando, generalmente, non si va d'accordo), ma anche - sempre - sul ciclo della vita e sulle dure leggi della natura.
Mara non ama uscire dall'appartamento dei suoi Piedoni (è una sorta di hikikomori felino), ma riesce a teletrasportarsi fuori, e spesso va allo zoo a trovare Rani, un cucciolo di tigre del Bengala nato in cattività e molto solo.
A volte, c'è Mancino che va a trovare la nuova Emittente, un micino coetaneo di Mara, che viene iniziato da Miu-Miu e Katar e anche dagli altri Selvatici alla spietata legge del mondo, in cui solo i più duri riescono a sopravvivere.
Un romanzo tenero, divertente, ma anche pieno di insegnamenti sull'accettazione della diversità e sul far fronte comune contro i nemici più spietati (anche quando, generalmente, non si va d'accordo), ma anche - sempre - sul ciclo della vita e sulle dure leggi della natura.
September 22, 2020
3.5 stars for this one. The first ~half was setting the mood and story, and I found it would get a bit tedious at times. The second half was much more engaging and interesting. I liked all the main characters - they were distinct enough, each with a characteristic personality, agenda and motivations. The descriptions of their little mannerisms were so cute to read! I was so sad with , but every battle has its sacrifices unfortunately :(
My only quibble with this book was the frequent mentions about cats enjoying drinking milk (usually given to them as a treat by the bigfeet). Cats cannot digest lactose and they should generally stay away from dairy! This was a public service announcement.
My only quibble with this book was the frequent mentions about cats enjoying drinking milk (usually given to them as a treat by the bigfeet). Cats cannot digest lactose and they should generally stay away from dairy! This was a public service announcement.
October 15, 2022
As a cat person, I found this to be inventive and sweet, though one that I had to pay attention to carefully. There are definite woo-woo plot elements (Dh tells me that is what makes it a comp to Watership Down, which I have never managed to slog through,) and there is a clash of rivals and the cycles of animal life that one skimmed, I enjoyed and will look for the sequel.
February 10, 2017
Lovely book, may have been written for children (I don't know) but certainly entertaining for us old folks. It's about cats, and they act like cats. There's an exciting battle, the good guys win (I don't think that's really much of a spoiler) with poignant moments. Highly recommended for children, or if childlike you've never outgrown the love of a good yarn.
August 19, 2020
What a joy to read! The author really captures the wildling life through complex and interesting characters. Looking forward to reading part 2!
January 27, 2014
A really lovely book. It is the winner of the Shakti Bhatt prize for 2013, and most deservedly so. It is a story of cats, stray cats, feral cats, the Big Cats, and all the flora and fauna of Nizamuddin, Old Delhi. But it isn't just a story of animals, it can be translated into the more complex world of humans, of love and hatred, territory and war, compassion and humanity, and the rules that govern each living creature. One must live according to the laws of nature, the sacred code of conduct between the hunter and the hunted.
I loved the parts where Mara, the protagonist, visits the zoo, and befriends the tigers there. What a magical world. Nilanjana's portrayal of the characters and the settings is flawless, her language beautiful and full of humour. Loved the names of the characters. Petuk the vulture. Jetrho Tail, the mouse. Ozzy the tiger, to name a few!
If there was any book to begin 2014 with, I'm glad it is this one. Now waiting to read the sequel.
I loved the parts where Mara, the protagonist, visits the zoo, and befriends the tigers there. What a magical world. Nilanjana's portrayal of the characters and the settings is flawless, her language beautiful and full of humour. Loved the names of the characters. Petuk the vulture. Jetrho Tail, the mouse. Ozzy the tiger, to name a few!
If there was any book to begin 2014 with, I'm glad it is this one. Now waiting to read the sequel.
December 30, 2024
Un romanzo dai toni fiabeschi. Il punteggio l’ho dato pensando al libro come un romanzo per una fascia di età più bassa, ad esempio per ragazzi e ragazze tra gli 11-14 anni potrebbe rivelarsi un vero successo e divertire molto i suoi piccoli lettori. Il libro ha un finale aperto, non so se sia una serie o se sia stato tradotto solo il primo volume visto che mi è stato regalato.
Carino anche il personaggio di Mara che grazie ai suoi poteri ricorda una piccola hikkikomori in versione gatto domestico. Motivo in più che avrebbe dovuto portare l’editore ad indirizzare il libro ad un pubblico meno adulto visto che gli accenni di sottotrame della storia possono risuonare con ragazzi preadolescenti o adolescenti più che con un pubblico adulto.
Se vi piacciono i gatti può rivelarsi una divertente lettura, sicuramente non si tratta di un libro impegnato o che vi cambierà la vita se avete superato i 18 anni.
Carino anche il personaggio di Mara che grazie ai suoi poteri ricorda una piccola hikkikomori in versione gatto domestico. Motivo in più che avrebbe dovuto portare l’editore ad indirizzare il libro ad un pubblico meno adulto visto che gli accenni di sottotrame della storia possono risuonare con ragazzi preadolescenti o adolescenti più che con un pubblico adulto.
Se vi piacciono i gatti può rivelarsi una divertente lettura, sicuramente non si tratta di un libro impegnato o che vi cambierà la vita se avete superato i 18 anni.
March 30, 2019
Here's some free advice for any writer wanting to do something similar to Watership Down -- don't. You'll just wind up with a mess, such as Nilanjana Joy's snoozer, The Wildings. And if you're going to write a book about telepathic cats, for CAT'S sake, learn SOMETHING about cats. Here we have a human tribal-like society of feral cats. They are at times altrusistic and worry about each other.
Excuse me? Isn't this just what the average stray cat DOESN'T do? Isn't that why we admire cats in the first place? Their "Worship me 'cause I don't give a shit about you," cattitude? As Rudyard Kipling noted, the cat is the animal that walks by itself.
And if you're going to hire an artist to illustrate your book, could you at least make sure the artist has read AT LEAST SOME of the book? Enough to get the gist of it? For a book on cats, the most illustrations were of
songbirds.
Hulo, the black cat on the cover is a secondary player. The main protagonist cat, Mara, (a ginger tabby) gets one drawing. ONE. Meanwhile, the birdies get all the chapter headings.
I also did not like the author's implication that cats kept indoors turn into feline Hannibal Lecters. In many countries, letting a cat roam does not only spell death for the cat but is also illegal. In America, for example, you've got not only death by traffic or by getting into fights with other cats, but you also have plenty of sick, evil freaks that get their rocks off by torturing cats to death OR selling them for medical research.
Yeah -- let your cat out for its mental health. What a load of bollocks!
WARNING: There's an awful lot of animal death and cruelty described here. Some of it is rather gratuitous. It makes me wonder if this was originally intended for an adult audience and not a YOUNG adult audience. Or do you have to torture and kill in all young adult fiction books in order to get them published now?
Excuse me? Isn't this just what the average stray cat DOESN'T do? Isn't that why we admire cats in the first place? Their "Worship me 'cause I don't give a shit about you," cattitude? As Rudyard Kipling noted, the cat is the animal that walks by itself.
And if you're going to hire an artist to illustrate your book, could you at least make sure the artist has read AT LEAST SOME of the book? Enough to get the gist of it? For a book on cats, the most illustrations were of
songbirds.
Hulo, the black cat on the cover is a secondary player. The main protagonist cat, Mara, (a ginger tabby) gets one drawing. ONE. Meanwhile, the birdies get all the chapter headings.
I also did not like the author's implication that cats kept indoors turn into feline Hannibal Lecters. In many countries, letting a cat roam does not only spell death for the cat but is also illegal. In America, for example, you've got not only death by traffic or by getting into fights with other cats, but you also have plenty of sick, evil freaks that get their rocks off by torturing cats to death OR selling them for medical research.
Yeah -- let your cat out for its mental health. What a load of bollocks!
WARNING: There's an awful lot of animal death and cruelty described here. Some of it is rather gratuitous. It makes me wonder if this was originally intended for an adult audience and not a YOUNG adult audience. Or do you have to torture and kill in all young adult fiction books in order to get them published now?
August 17, 2019
The Wildings or The Stray Cats of Nizamuddin is a tale of the animals of Old Delhi who have an ability to 'link' to a centralized telepathic internet of sorts that is out of access to humans.
With this fantastic premise, the author introduces Mara, a house-kitten with extrordinary linking abilities. On one track is Mara's struggle to learn and adapt to the world while learning about and controlling her supernatural gift.
The politics of the strays, house-cats, dargah cats, dogs, kites are all delightful. My favourite parts are the personalities of the cats and the author develops and maintains these characters to perfection. Hulo, Katar, Beraal, Tooth and Miao, to name a few. And the names are so creative! (Neferkitty and Southpaw the cats, Ao and Jao the squirrels, Ozymandias the Tiger)
Engaging and entertaining.
With this fantastic premise, the author introduces Mara, a house-kitten with extrordinary linking abilities. On one track is Mara's struggle to learn and adapt to the world while learning about and controlling her supernatural gift.
The politics of the strays, house-cats, dargah cats, dogs, kites are all delightful. My favourite parts are the personalities of the cats and the author develops and maintains these characters to perfection. Hulo, Katar, Beraal, Tooth and Miao, to name a few. And the names are so creative! (Neferkitty and Southpaw the cats, Ao and Jao the squirrels, Ozymandias the Tiger)
Engaging and entertaining.
October 18, 2018
A thoroughly engaging book, The Wildings is the story of a band of cats living in an old neighborhood of Delhi. It's a cross between every slightly surreal Neil Gaiman story and a sort of Watership Down for cats. I've waited a long time to read this book and it was really worth the wait!
February 9, 2019
Disfruté muchísimo su lectura, realmente la imaginación de la autora es increíble. Espero leer algo más de ella pronto. ¡Muy recomendado! 😊
December 24, 2020
A kitten who can astral project is honestly the best premise I have read for a book, but the execution was a little weak. Fun and endearing though!
June 5, 2017
This book was so interesting, reading from the POV of cats and few other animals, learning their culture.
May 15, 2021
The Wildings was part of a project I'm working on in 2021 to read a book off my shelves that is looonng unread. Books that I have wanted to read but haven't gotten around to picking up for at least a few years. I'm glad I finally read this because I enjoyed the story, and it satisfied the craving for anthropomorphized animal books that I've been on lately.
It was nothing groundbreaking, but it did have a lot of exciting scenes. I was a big (read: huge) fan of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter when I was younger (read: forever). This reminded me a bit of that, but it was less like those books that I'd expected. This is about one group of characters, not different factions/clans.
I loved the setting. I could really picture the labyrinthine alleys they were moving through and the different locations on the map. It had just the right amount of information about the area to make a colourful backdrop for the characters without distracting from them and the story at hand. The Nizamuddin district of Delhi is unlike where I live but I felt at home with the cats in their space. It didn't fall over the edge of exoticizing the location or people (probably because it's Own Voices).
The story itself got a bit off the rails when it went more magical for me (nothing wrong with it, just not what I was expecting or craving at the time). If looking to read it, prepare for some telepathic magical abilities and that sort of thing. I just didn't enjoy that the whole ending sort of hinged on this magic. I'd have preferred a cleaner, more down-to-earth conclusion.
I don't know if I'll ever read the sequel since reviewers have said it's slower and I already found this one a bit too slow and tedious in sections. But this was enjoyable and its beautiful cover will sit on my shelves for a while to come.
content warnings for: violence, death, animals suffering, animals in cages.
It was nothing groundbreaking, but it did have a lot of exciting scenes. I was a big (read: huge) fan of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter when I was younger (read: forever). This reminded me a bit of that, but it was less like those books that I'd expected. This is about one group of characters, not different factions/clans.
I loved the setting. I could really picture the labyrinthine alleys they were moving through and the different locations on the map. It had just the right amount of information about the area to make a colourful backdrop for the characters without distracting from them and the story at hand. The Nizamuddin district of Delhi is unlike where I live but I felt at home with the cats in their space. It didn't fall over the edge of exoticizing the location or people (probably because it's Own Voices).
The story itself got a bit off the rails when it went more magical for me (nothing wrong with it, just not what I was expecting or craving at the time). If looking to read it, prepare for some telepathic magical abilities and that sort of thing. I just didn't enjoy that the whole ending sort of hinged on this magic. I'd have preferred a cleaner, more down-to-earth conclusion.
I don't know if I'll ever read the sequel since reviewers have said it's slower and I already found this one a bit too slow and tedious in sections. But this was enjoyable and its beautiful cover will sit on my shelves for a while to come.
content warnings for: violence, death, animals suffering, animals in cages.
June 18, 2015
I picked up this book solely because of the author - I've read her journalistic work and found them engaging and good. And I also had just finished another book by a journalist (Jerry Pinto) and was completely wow'ed by it. But the similarity between 'Em and the Big Hoom' and 'The Wildings' ends right there. While the former is a prose-lover's paradise, the latter comes off as young-adult popular fiction and not really a great novel. Nothing wrong with being YA or popular fic - just that it wasn't what I had in mind when I picked it up.
The idea of a cat world, where humans are just the props in the narrative, is genius. I read the blurb and I instantly bought and started reading it. I liked the attention to detail in terms of the 'lifestyle' and habits of all the animals involved in the plot - it was well researched (I can iamgine the author stalking cats to figure out how they lived and it's not easy!) and well thought-out. The characters were good, too - cats, cheels, birds, people - all of them. But...but.. :-)
...just a few pages into the book, I realized that I wasn't enjoying the book as much as I expected to because the words were merely words - there was no vivid imagery, no playful hide and seek between the author and reader, nothing that made me stop and imagine for a second what the words were hinting at. If I wanted to read a tree being described as just a tree, I wouldn't read fiction; I'd read an encyclopaedia, no? So that was my problem (because I'm a sucker for good prose, to the extent I can put up with a lousy story if the underlying prose is like poetry!) and it was more pronounced in the first half where the story was meandering around to the big set up and the wild, albeit expected, climax.
I also had to contend with Roy's style of changing PoV midway in a paragraph. One line we're seeing through Beraal's eyes and a fullstop later, it's through Mara. I found that a bit distracting because it doesn't let us get comfortable enough with a character, to empathize more. It's not bad writing, it's just a very jumbled way of going through feelings and somehow it didn't sit well with me.
After a point, I gave up on the prose and just read for the sake of the story - not my most favorite thing to do, but it was all I could because I didn't want to give up on the story, per se. And I quite enjoyed the plot, mind you. So, by the time I finished, I guess I was generally ok with the book.
Am I nitpicking? Maybe. Because it's such a letdown. It could have been so much more because the underlying seed of the story is a great one. But, alas, the curse of lackluster prose.
By the way, if you are a cat person, you should definitely pick this up!
P.S: For some reason, this book reminded me a lot about Harry Potter :-D. Similar circumstances, similar good-cat, bad-cat, teacher-cat thing going on and the big 'war' at the end, with the good-cats almost losing and then, thanks to the 'hero', winning. But that's ok, I guess. Harry Potter is a great story! :-)
The idea of a cat world, where humans are just the props in the narrative, is genius. I read the blurb and I instantly bought and started reading it. I liked the attention to detail in terms of the 'lifestyle' and habits of all the animals involved in the plot - it was well researched (I can iamgine the author stalking cats to figure out how they lived and it's not easy!) and well thought-out. The characters were good, too - cats, cheels, birds, people - all of them. But...but.. :-)
...just a few pages into the book, I realized that I wasn't enjoying the book as much as I expected to because the words were merely words - there was no vivid imagery, no playful hide and seek between the author and reader, nothing that made me stop and imagine for a second what the words were hinting at. If I wanted to read a tree being described as just a tree, I wouldn't read fiction; I'd read an encyclopaedia, no? So that was my problem (because I'm a sucker for good prose, to the extent I can put up with a lousy story if the underlying prose is like poetry!) and it was more pronounced in the first half where the story was meandering around to the big set up and the wild, albeit expected, climax.
I also had to contend with Roy's style of changing PoV midway in a paragraph. One line we're seeing through Beraal's eyes and a fullstop later, it's through Mara. I found that a bit distracting because it doesn't let us get comfortable enough with a character, to empathize more. It's not bad writing, it's just a very jumbled way of going through feelings and somehow it didn't sit well with me.
After a point, I gave up on the prose and just read for the sake of the story - not my most favorite thing to do, but it was all I could because I didn't want to give up on the story, per se. And I quite enjoyed the plot, mind you. So, by the time I finished, I guess I was generally ok with the book.
Am I nitpicking? Maybe. Because it's such a letdown. It could have been so much more because the underlying seed of the story is a great one. But, alas, the curse of lackluster prose.
By the way, if you are a cat person, you should definitely pick this up!
P.S: For some reason, this book reminded me a lot about Harry Potter :-D. Similar circumstances, similar good-cat, bad-cat, teacher-cat thing going on and the big 'war' at the end, with the good-cats almost losing and then, thanks to the 'hero', winning. But that's ok, I guess. Harry Potter is a great story! :-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2016
This just may be my favorite book ever! It completely blew me away! I laughed, I ugly cried, I hugged my cats, I was destroyed and put back together. This beautiful story is full of touching moments and nail-biting suspense. It takes place in Delhi, India and with the descriptions I really felt like I was there. It was obviously written by someone who knows and loves cats because the descriptions of cat behaviour were spot on! I laughed out loud at the antics of little Mara the kitten. The author wrote exactly what I imagine a kitten thinks and it was totally adorable. I recognized my own cats so much in these fictional ones that I couldn't help becoming completely attached to them. I stopped to hug my cats so many times while reading. I'm so grateful that they don't have to face the perils and danger that the Nizamuddin cats face in this story. There were many moments where I was really worried for them and be warned fellow softies the dangers they face sometimes result in death. Near the end I totally lost it and went through so many tissues when a certain event happened. It was utter cat lady devastation and I'm tearing up just thinking about it!
As a cat lady and lover of animals in general I cannot recommend this strongly enough. I've always believed that animals have souls just like people and I love the idea that they all communicate with each other and work together when needed to defend the neighbourhood. It's a nice message about putting aside differences to protect a shared territory and way of life. These animals have a moral code and rules that they follow to allow their society to run smoothly and for all the different species to live together. Each species has their own language but they also have one common language which allows all of the animals to communicate. The cat's language involves a kind of telepathy through their whiskers which is a really interesting idea. If my cat's perk up their whiskers I'm now going to wonder who they are talking to! I'm not so sure that I agree with the idea that indoor cats become crazy because they can't express their natural instincts but this is fantasy after all and not reality. Maybe. ;) This story gave me so much to think about and drew so many emotions that I think it deserves a place on my favorites shelf!
I received this book for free through a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway but this has not influenced my review in any way. I absolutely would have paid for this book and will be buying copies for all my cat loving friends!
As a cat lady and lover of animals in general I cannot recommend this strongly enough. I've always believed that animals have souls just like people and I love the idea that they all communicate with each other and work together when needed to defend the neighbourhood. It's a nice message about putting aside differences to protect a shared territory and way of life. These animals have a moral code and rules that they follow to allow their society to run smoothly and for all the different species to live together. Each species has their own language but they also have one common language which allows all of the animals to communicate. The cat's language involves a kind of telepathy through their whiskers which is a really interesting idea. If my cat's perk up their whiskers I'm now going to wonder who they are talking to! I'm not so sure that I agree with the idea that indoor cats become crazy because they can't express their natural instincts but this is fantasy after all and not reality. Maybe. ;) This story gave me so much to think about and drew so many emotions that I think it deserves a place on my favorites shelf!
I received this book for free through a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway but this has not influenced my review in any way. I absolutely would have paid for this book and will be buying copies for all my cat loving friends!
February 23, 2025
Il clan di Nizamuddin è un gruppo di gatti selvatici. Essi risiedono in un quartiere indiano di Delhi in piena libertà. Si accoppiano, mettono al mondo gattini per la continuazione della specie, si procurano il cibo con la caccia, si sfidano a duello quando devono risolvere delle controversie e si aiutano reciprocamente. Diffidano dei gatti domestici poiché fedeli ai Piedoni, esseri umani non sempre gentili con i gatti.
Beraal è una bella gatta dall’aspetto regale, agile e coraggiosa. È un’abile guerriera assai temuta e rispettata. Katar, invece, è una sorta leader per il suo carattere forte e autorevole, sa essere giusto quanto severo. Miu-Miu è una gatta siamese ormai anziana, ma assai saggia, i suoi consigli e la sua esperienza di vita sono di grande insegnamento per i componenti del gruppo. Il piccolo Mancino è un gattino curioso e ardito, questo lo porta a cacciarsi spesso nei guai, è seguito e addestrato dai membri più anziani del clan. È bene che si tenga lontano dai pericolosi Stricnina e Stramonio, gli spietati e crudeli Ferini che risiedono nella Catapecchia, una casa fatiscente lungo il fiume. Essi sono gatti violenti, pericolosi e attaccabrighe.
Infine c’è Mara, una bella gattina dal pelo rosso: è l'Emittente più potente che il clan abbia mai conosciuto. Grazie a lei, le sorti della terribile battaglia tra i Selvatici e i Ferini stanno per cambiare..
Fiabesco, scritto benissimo e per amanti dei gatti.
Beraal è una bella gatta dall’aspetto regale, agile e coraggiosa. È un’abile guerriera assai temuta e rispettata. Katar, invece, è una sorta leader per il suo carattere forte e autorevole, sa essere giusto quanto severo. Miu-Miu è una gatta siamese ormai anziana, ma assai saggia, i suoi consigli e la sua esperienza di vita sono di grande insegnamento per i componenti del gruppo. Il piccolo Mancino è un gattino curioso e ardito, questo lo porta a cacciarsi spesso nei guai, è seguito e addestrato dai membri più anziani del clan. È bene che si tenga lontano dai pericolosi Stricnina e Stramonio, gli spietati e crudeli Ferini che risiedono nella Catapecchia, una casa fatiscente lungo il fiume. Essi sono gatti violenti, pericolosi e attaccabrighe.
Infine c’è Mara, una bella gattina dal pelo rosso: è l'Emittente più potente che il clan abbia mai conosciuto. Grazie a lei, le sorti della terribile battaglia tra i Selvatici e i Ferini stanno per cambiare..
Fiabesco, scritto benissimo e per amanti dei gatti.
July 21, 2025
Per la prima volta mi sono confrontata con la letteratura indiana e devo dire che questo viaggio orientale mi è piaciuto. Il libro mi ha saputo trasportare nel quartiere di Nuova Dehli tra colori, odori e soprattutto gatti.
Sono loro, come si capisce dalla copertina, i protagonisti indiscussi della storia. Un clan di gatti randagi viene improvvisamente disturbato da strane emissioni da parte di una micina ignota. La soluzione è molto semplice: ucciderla. Ma la gatta che viene incaricata del compito non porta a termine la missione e vede anzi nella micina rossa un qualcosa di speciale. E si potrebbe dire a ben ragione, considerando poi lo sviluppo della storia.
Il tipo di narrazione è distante da quello occidentale: è rilassato e saggio, con parole estremamente misurate e ponderate. Gli animali si scervellano in quesiti etici e morali che difficilmente si trovano nelle pagine dei libri.
Direi in generale che il libro mi è piaciuto molto e sicuramente ritenterò, in futuro, un nuovo viaggio in India. Forse l'unica pecca è il finale che lascia troppi quesiti irrisolti, ma forse era proprio questo lo scopo: non dare al lettore le risposte ma chiavi di interpretazione.
Sono loro, come si capisce dalla copertina, i protagonisti indiscussi della storia. Un clan di gatti randagi viene improvvisamente disturbato da strane emissioni da parte di una micina ignota. La soluzione è molto semplice: ucciderla. Ma la gatta che viene incaricata del compito non porta a termine la missione e vede anzi nella micina rossa un qualcosa di speciale. E si potrebbe dire a ben ragione, considerando poi lo sviluppo della storia.
Il tipo di narrazione è distante da quello occidentale: è rilassato e saggio, con parole estremamente misurate e ponderate. Gli animali si scervellano in quesiti etici e morali che difficilmente si trovano nelle pagine dei libri.
Direi in generale che il libro mi è piaciuto molto e sicuramente ritenterò, in futuro, un nuovo viaggio in India. Forse l'unica pecca è il finale che lascia troppi quesiti irrisolti, ma forse era proprio questo lo scopo: non dare al lettore le risposte ma chiavi di interpretazione.
October 20, 2017
OMG, THIS WAS SO GOOD, FRIENDS. It was described to me as "Watership Down but with cats," which was a very apt description. But also, there are so many more lady characters (about half of the characters are female! Just like in life! Fancy that!) and, like, 500% fewer descriptions of the countryside. This was mostly cozy but occasionally harrowing, and it made me cry in the break room at work (to be fair, I am very tired today). Very recommended.
December 29, 2024
Era partito benissimo, poi una parte centrale noiosissima e anche un po’ banale.
Le ultime 100 pagine sono state una bella ripresa, in alcuni punti addirittura quasi emozionanti (tipo la morte di Miu- Miu). Ho trovato molte similitudini con il libro della giungla a cui sono particolarmente legata, forse per questo alla fine sono riuscita ad apprezzarlo un po’ di più.
Menzione speciale per Stramonio, Arsenico e Stricnina: proprio cattivi.
Le ultime 100 pagine sono state una bella ripresa, in alcuni punti addirittura quasi emozionanti (tipo la morte di Miu- Miu). Ho trovato molte similitudini con il libro della giungla a cui sono particolarmente legata, forse per questo alla fine sono riuscita ad apprezzarlo un po’ di più.
Menzione speciale per Stramonio, Arsenico e Stricnina: proprio cattivi.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2015
Storia di gatti carina, divertente e avvincente che si fa leggere con piacere (naturalmente dagli amanti dei gatti).
July 13, 2019
So... I’m torn apart about the rating I’m giving this book, fully aware that it has little to do with its value and more with it not being my type of writing.
First off, I had some trouble getting into the story. The reader lands mid narrative and with very little explanation as to what is what in the story.
It didn’t help that I had to go check for a couple or so words in the dictionary, cause I’m not that English savvy about birds and trees vocabulary.
I mean to say that you should bear in mind you might need to persevere through the first pages or so in order to get into the story and to grasp some understanding of how the Nizamuddin cat community works.
Once I was into the story, I loved the idea of cats having a distinct whiskers based communication line. Also loved how their territoriality was conveyed and how naturally their social fierce behaviour is portrayed (these are not pets).
I confess there were chapters I thoroughly enjoyed reading and others not so much (those were the ones I skimmed).
To me, the book didn’t find a right balance between both and I deem unnecessary pages all those which I’ll be calling National Geographic parts.
I ended up doing a lot of diagonal reading in the middle chapters, because I was more than ready to reach the climax which I’d already anticipated and which, to me, mattered more than the endless description of cat hunting or tree branch swaying.
I guess I was expecting more cat story and less National Geographic cat facts. Or rather, because I fear I’m being unfair, I guess I had expected the cat story not to be so mingled with National Geographic cat facts. It was distracting and prevented me from being fully immersed in the story.
First off, I had some trouble getting into the story. The reader lands mid narrative and with very little explanation as to what is what in the story.
It didn’t help that I had to go check for a couple or so words in the dictionary, cause I’m not that English savvy about birds and trees vocabulary.
I mean to say that you should bear in mind you might need to persevere through the first pages or so in order to get into the story and to grasp some understanding of how the Nizamuddin cat community works.
Once I was into the story, I loved the idea of cats having a distinct whiskers based communication line. Also loved how their territoriality was conveyed and how naturally their social fierce behaviour is portrayed (these are not pets).
I confess there were chapters I thoroughly enjoyed reading and others not so much (those were the ones I skimmed).
To me, the book didn’t find a right balance between both and I deem unnecessary pages all those which I’ll be calling National Geographic parts.
I ended up doing a lot of diagonal reading in the middle chapters, because I was more than ready to reach the climax which I’d already anticipated and which, to me, mattered more than the endless description of cat hunting or tree branch swaying.
I guess I was expecting more cat story and less National Geographic cat facts. Or rather, because I fear I’m being unfair, I guess I had expected the cat story not to be so mingled with National Geographic cat facts. It was distracting and prevented me from being fully immersed in the story.
February 26, 2021
I gatti di Nizamunddin è un libro che ho adorato.
Non solo perché parla di gatti, ma perché è ricco: avventure, guerre, amicizie..
Bello!
Ci troviamo a Delhi, un luogo che I immagino affascinante e che è il territorio dei gatti selvatici, ovviamente condiviso con gli umani o meglio, i Piedoni!
Ammetto, questo nome I ha fatto proprio ridere!
I gatti sono tutti telepatici e tra di loro non miagolano ma parlano tramite vibrisse (questo spiega molte cose delle mie gatte), tra loro c'è una giovane Emittente, gattina di straodinari poteri telepatici.
Questa è la loro storia e la loro battaglia contro i gatti della Catapecchia, domestici esacerbati dalla chiusura forzata in casa che li ha resi feroci e folli tanto da trasformarli in ferini.
Ho trovato questo romanzo davvero bello. Le dinamiche tra gatti, gli insegnamenti, le regole per la caccia per il territorio, per il comportamento e soprattutto il rispetto che traspare per tutte le creature, tutto di questo libro mi ha colpito. E non è mancata nemmeno la commozione, che per me, se non fondamentale, è comunque un metro di giudizio importante.
Leggerò sicuramente i seguiti.
Non solo perché parla di gatti, ma perché è ricco: avventure, guerre, amicizie..
Bello!
Ci troviamo a Delhi, un luogo che I immagino affascinante e che è il territorio dei gatti selvatici, ovviamente condiviso con gli umani o meglio, i Piedoni!
Ammetto, questo nome I ha fatto proprio ridere!
I gatti sono tutti telepatici e tra di loro non miagolano ma parlano tramite vibrisse (questo spiega molte cose delle mie gatte), tra loro c'è una giovane Emittente, gattina di straodinari poteri telepatici.
Questa è la loro storia e la loro battaglia contro i gatti della Catapecchia, domestici esacerbati dalla chiusura forzata in casa che li ha resi feroci e folli tanto da trasformarli in ferini.
Ho trovato questo romanzo davvero bello. Le dinamiche tra gatti, gli insegnamenti, le regole per la caccia per il territorio, per il comportamento e soprattutto il rispetto che traspare per tutte le creature, tutto di questo libro mi ha colpito. E non è mancata nemmeno la commozione, che per me, se non fondamentale, è comunque un metro di giudizio importante.
Leggerò sicuramente i seguiti.
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