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Cats Out of Hell #2
The Lunar Cats
By the bestselling author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves and Cat Out of Hell , a nail-biting tale of good versus evil involving one man, his dog and a group of 18th-century amateur scientific pioneers who just happen to be cats. When you are an inoffensive retired librarian with bitter personal experience of Evil Talking Cats, do you rescue a kitten from the cold on a December night? Do you follow up news items about cats digging in graveyards? Do you inquire into long-ago cats who voyaged around the world with Captain Cook? Well, yes. If you are Alec Charlesworth that is precisely what you do - with unexpected and terrifying consequences ...
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2016
18 people are currently reading
531 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Truss
115 books1,013 followersLynne Truss is a writer and journalist who started out as a literary editor with a blue pencil and then got sidetracked. The author of three novels and numerous radio comedy dramas, she spent six years as the television critic of The Times of London, followed by four (rather peculiar) years as a sports columnist for the same newspaper. She won Columnist of the Year for her work for Women's Journal. Lynne Truss also hosted Cutting a Dash, a popular BBC Radio 4 series about punctuation. She now reviews books for the Sunday Times of London and is a familiar voice on BBC Radio 4. She lives in Brighton, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
October 24, 2017
There is no denying the appeal of talking cats to anyone even as half as much a cat lady/lad as me, though i'm not entirely sure i'd be happy with what they would tell me...
In parts, this is as fun as you might expect. Ex-Librarian, Alec Charlesworth has had dealings with ETCs (Evil Talking Cats) before Cat Out of Hell and when a gorgeous little white/ginger kitten turns up outside his house, he is suspicious- how best to trick said kitten into revealing its possible demonic side? Well, with crossword puzzles, tv gameshows, and films with surprising twists of course, anything to provoke a shocked, spoken reaction.
Yet despite some wonderful moments: the diaries of Mr Tomas Timkins, member of the Lunar Society and cat on board the Endeavour, accused of murder; the application of kitten Tetty to meet Beelzebub, evil deeds absolutely required; and , the overall narrative was rather unsatisfying, lacking cohesion and verve. Much of the dialogue between Alec and sidekick Wiggy is especially hard work, trying far too hard to be funny and ending up awkward, akin to the painful banter between Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman on the tv gameshow, Pointless.
It's a really quick read and one cat lovers may enjoy regardless, but I was hoping for a bit more than I got.
ARC via Netgalley
In parts, this is as fun as you might expect. Ex-Librarian, Alec Charlesworth has had dealings with ETCs (Evil Talking Cats) before Cat Out of Hell and when a gorgeous little white/ginger kitten turns up outside his house, he is suspicious- how best to trick said kitten into revealing its possible demonic side? Well, with crossword puzzles, tv gameshows, and films with surprising twists of course, anything to provoke a shocked, spoken reaction.
Yet despite some wonderful moments: the diaries of Mr Tomas Timkins, member of the Lunar Society and cat on board the Endeavour, accused of murder; the application of kitten Tetty to meet Beelzebub, evil deeds absolutely required; and , the overall narrative was rather unsatisfying, lacking cohesion and verve. Much of the dialogue between Alec and sidekick Wiggy is especially hard work, trying far too hard to be funny and ending up awkward, akin to the painful banter between Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman on the tv gameshow, Pointless.
It's a really quick read and one cat lovers may enjoy regardless, but I was hoping for a bit more than I got.
ARC via Netgalley
November 20, 2016
Lynne Truss, I implore you: never stop writing books about evil talking cats! (Or ETCs, to use the acronym preferred by retired librarian Alec Charlesworth and would-be actor Will 'Wiggy' Caton-Pines.)
Some time after the events of Cat Out of Hell, Alec receives a rather odd research request from one 'Thigmo Taxis': he is engaged to find out whether there is 'any evidence connecting Dr Johnson's famous cat Hodge with the first Tahiti expedition of Captain Cook'. But, by Alec's own admission, this is not exactly, or not necessarily, where the story begins. There are also reports of 'abominations' occurring in a churchyard in Bromley; something he refers to as 'the fracas', which happens in a local branch of Poundland; and the appearance of an utterly adorable, and also possibly demonic, kitten named Tetty.
The story that follows delves into the past of the ETCs (who are much less evil this time, with one notable exception) via the secret history of the London Lunar Society and the nautical exploits of a certain Mr Timkins. Wiggy makes a reappearance (as does his awful screenwriting), and Alec's dry, incredulous, terribly British narration is a constant delight. In case the rating doesn't indicate this strongly enough, The Lunar Cats is an ABSOLUTE JOY. It's possibly even funnier and more charming than its predecessor – I wonder if that's because Cat Out of Hell was published as part of the Hammer imprint (which may not be extant anymore, I'm not sure) and was therefore required to contain more horror scenes, while this one has more freedom to be primarily humour-led. On the other hand, it does include an application form for a One-to-One Meeting with Beelzebub.
If the idea of a hilarious, wonderfully ridiculous adventure involving genius talking cats doesn't immediately appeal to you, I am probably not going to be able to stoke your interest in this. If it does, then read it as soon as you can. The Lunar Cats made me laugh, lifted my spirits, and genuinely made my weekend better.
(NB: you don't need to have read Cat Out of Hell to enjoy this. While its events are referenced a few times, everything's explained for those who haven't come across it, or, like me, read it but have a terrible memory. But if this interests you, you should totally read it anyway, because it's fantastic.)
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Some time after the events of Cat Out of Hell, Alec receives a rather odd research request from one 'Thigmo Taxis': he is engaged to find out whether there is 'any evidence connecting Dr Johnson's famous cat Hodge with the first Tahiti expedition of Captain Cook'. But, by Alec's own admission, this is not exactly, or not necessarily, where the story begins. There are also reports of 'abominations' occurring in a churchyard in Bromley; something he refers to as 'the fracas', which happens in a local branch of Poundland; and the appearance of an utterly adorable, and also possibly demonic, kitten named Tetty.
The story that follows delves into the past of the ETCs (who are much less evil this time, with one notable exception) via the secret history of the London Lunar Society and the nautical exploits of a certain Mr Timkins. Wiggy makes a reappearance (as does his awful screenwriting), and Alec's dry, incredulous, terribly British narration is a constant delight. In case the rating doesn't indicate this strongly enough, The Lunar Cats is an ABSOLUTE JOY. It's possibly even funnier and more charming than its predecessor – I wonder if that's because Cat Out of Hell was published as part of the Hammer imprint (which may not be extant anymore, I'm not sure) and was therefore required to contain more horror scenes, while this one has more freedom to be primarily humour-led. On the other hand, it does include an application form for a One-to-One Meeting with Beelzebub.
If the idea of a hilarious, wonderfully ridiculous adventure involving genius talking cats doesn't immediately appeal to you, I am probably not going to be able to stoke your interest in this. If it does, then read it as soon as you can. The Lunar Cats made me laugh, lifted my spirits, and genuinely made my weekend better.
(NB: you don't need to have read Cat Out of Hell to enjoy this. While its events are referenced a few times, everything's explained for those who haven't come across it, or, like me, read it but have a terrible memory. But if this interests you, you should totally read it anyway, because it's fantastic.)
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November 11, 2017
Sometimes you read a book and when you finish it you think. Did I really just read that? That’s how I feel now I have finished this book, which is partly about ETCs (Evil Talking Cats) and a retired librarian. And yes, it really is mental!
It reminded me a little bit of Terry Pratchett’s books. The writing style is whimsical and humorous, sometimes just plain odd. It certainly does not take itself seriously and I definitely enjoyed it, but somehow I wish there had been a bit more substance to the plot. At times it just seemed a little too whimsical and the end did not really work for me. However, overall it was a fun read.
I would recommend this book if you like fantastically whimsical books and you do not mind talking cats!
It reminded me a little bit of Terry Pratchett’s books. The writing style is whimsical and humorous, sometimes just plain odd. It certainly does not take itself seriously and I definitely enjoyed it, but somehow I wish there had been a bit more substance to the plot. At times it just seemed a little too whimsical and the end did not really work for me. However, overall it was a fun read.
I would recommend this book if you like fantastically whimsical books and you do not mind talking cats!
July 8, 2018
So, despite what Goodreads is telling you, this book is a sequel to Cat Out of Hell. This book will make a whole lot more sense if you read that book first and several plot points will have more of an impact on you if you read that book first.
While this was an enjoyable book, I think it fell just slightly short of the first book in the series. In this book, Alec Charlesworth with the most excellent dog, Watson, rescues a helpless stray kitten despite his encounters with Evil Talking Cats (ETCs). And then he is embroiled in an adventure involving the Lunar Cats, a cat called Timkins and the .
There were several points in this book which I really liked: were all parts of this book I liked. I really liked the revelation about and some of the humour really hit home for me. At other times, the humour felt a little forced, compared to the first book, and I didn't like parts of it like the Mouthey-Mouthey and the constant reinforcing about the cat weeing on his wig.
This book didn't flow as easily for me as the first one did but I did still enjoy it and if there is another one in this series, I'll probably check it out of the library. 3 stars!
While this was an enjoyable book, I think it fell just slightly short of the first book in the series. In this book, Alec Charlesworth with the most excellent dog, Watson, rescues a helpless stray kitten despite his encounters with Evil Talking Cats (ETCs). And then he is embroiled in an adventure involving the Lunar Cats, a cat called Timkins and the .
There were several points in this book which I really liked: were all parts of this book I liked. I really liked the revelation about and some of the humour really hit home for me. At other times, the humour felt a little forced, compared to the first book, and I didn't like parts of it like the Mouthey-Mouthey and the constant reinforcing about the cat weeing on his wig.
This book didn't flow as easily for me as the first one did but I did still enjoy it and if there is another one in this series, I'll probably check it out of the library. 3 stars!
September 13, 2025
3.5 Stars
I didn't like it as much as book one but still a good story with talking cats and gentle humour
I didn't like it as much as book one but still a good story with talking cats and gentle humour
December 5, 2017
I enjoyed The Lunar Cats. Lynne Truss is a very funny writer who has genuine erudition beneath the humour an the combination works well here. (The Lunar Cats follows on from Cat Out Of Hell, but it works fine as a stand-alone book.)
The set-up is silly but engaging. There are some cats who are highly intelligent and capable of speech. Some are plain evil and in league with Beelzebub, others are near immortal and are members of The Lunar Cats, a Learned Society formed in the enlightenment and Truss derives a lot of genuine humour from a bunch of cats conducting themselves like eighteenth-century gentlemen. The plotis narrated by Alec, a mild-mannered retired librarian who gets caught up in all this. It is enjoyably silly, involving an evil talking kitten, an evil stolen Tahitian idol, appointments with Beelzebub and so on and the battle by Alec and The Lunar Cats to thwart them. It is amiable, readable fun.
There is also a good deal here about the voyages of Captain Cook and their subsequent chronicling and publication, which Truss manages to make engaging and very interesting, so there is a solid intellectual core which anchors the absurdity, making it witty rather than just silly. I found that a very good aspect of the book which left me with a sense of having read something of substance as well as it just being plain funny.
Perhaps this isn't a classic, but it's a very enjoyable and engaging read, underpinned by proper research and learning. Recommended.
(I received an ARC via NetGalley.)
The set-up is silly but engaging. There are some cats who are highly intelligent and capable of speech. Some are plain evil and in league with Beelzebub, others are near immortal and are members of The Lunar Cats, a Learned Society formed in the enlightenment and Truss derives a lot of genuine humour from a bunch of cats conducting themselves like eighteenth-century gentlemen. The plotis narrated by Alec, a mild-mannered retired librarian who gets caught up in all this. It is enjoyably silly, involving an evil talking kitten, an evil stolen Tahitian idol, appointments with Beelzebub and so on and the battle by Alec and The Lunar Cats to thwart them. It is amiable, readable fun.
There is also a good deal here about the voyages of Captain Cook and their subsequent chronicling and publication, which Truss manages to make engaging and very interesting, so there is a solid intellectual core which anchors the absurdity, making it witty rather than just silly. I found that a very good aspect of the book which left me with a sense of having read something of substance as well as it just being plain funny.
Perhaps this isn't a classic, but it's a very enjoyable and engaging read, underpinned by proper research and learning. Recommended.
(I received an ARC via NetGalley.)
February 25, 2017
For my full review: http://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/2...
What a brilliant and bizarre imagination Lynne Truss has - the world was first introduced to her Evil Talking Cats back in 2014 with Cat Out Of Hell, and to my delight and surprise, she has returned two years later with The Lunar Cats, with some very promising signs of a franchise in the brewing. This is that rare kind of book that you never knew you wanted but once you've read it, you don't know what you did without it. I have listened to the Radio 4 adaptation of Cat Out Of Hell repeatedly and have various tracts of the dialogue verbatim. I had never expected a sequel and am so glad that when one did arrive, it did not disappoint.
One can imagine that the narrator, kindly retired librarian Alec Charlesworth, might be hoping for a quiet life since his last adventure with the ETCs (his dim-witted ally Wiggy prefers that they use the acronym), but if he was then he was out of luck. He and Wiggy have lived on tenterhooks, regularly checking in that the other is alive, each the only one who has any awareness or indeed reason to believe in the ghastly events which saw off the Captain and Roger at the end of the last book. But then a series of events begin to unfurl - Alec is attacked in Poundland by a woman who smells of stew and an incredibly adorable kitten arrives on his doorstep, melting his heart with her cuteness. Suspicious? Oh yes.
Truss is very much building on the foundations of the already established 'lore' around the ETCs - that after a cat has managed to die and survive nine times they are reborn, that there are Cat Masters, that Beelzebub is their line manager, etc, etc. The Lunar Cats is probably best enjoyed having already familiarised oneself with the wider story - Roger does explain it best even if he is a tad long-winded and Alec does tend to skip to the main points. This is a sequel rather than a stand-alone story - and I do hope that the surprise reappearance of a Certain Someone gets explained in full later on down the line (obviously - I was overjoyed but not so much as to ignore a possible plot-hole).
The Lunar Cats does also wear its historical context rather heavier than Cat Out Of Hell - Alec has to look into the 1773 voyage of HMS Endeavour, and in particular the account given of it by John Hawkesworth, one-time friend of Dr Johnson and rising celebrity of his day. Hawkesworth was not present on the voyage but public reception of his version of it was so appallingly negative that Hawkesworth died within months. Over time, it becomes clear that this is connected to the titular Lunar Cats Society, a non-evil band of talking cats who have decided to use their longevity and genius to puzzle out the mysteries of the universe and have been meeting for centuries to discuss their findings. Alec shares a typical agenda which covers the chemical content of a furball, the role of yowling in music, and - fatally - Mr Timkins' decision to board HMS Endeavour on Hawkesworth's recommendation in order to prove his theorised solution to the 'longitude problem'.
I am ambivalent about attempts to tie in the ETCs to 'real' history - this is not a series for people who have difficulties in suspending disbelief. Between the journals written by cats, emails, agenda and minuted meetings - admittedly the screenplays come courtesy of Wiggy but all the same, it's all quite gloriously silly. From the bibliography etc, I can see that Truss had done the legwork in looking into Hawkesworth and HMS Endeavour, but in all honesty, I would have enjoyed it just as much as if she hadn't bothered. There is a giddy feel to most of the novel, it's very high-spirited and a joy to read - it even feels like it just may have been a joy to write. As well as poking fun at the horror genre though, it does feel that Truss is having an affectionate dig at the lengths people go to for their pets - and, yes, particularly their cats. Apparently innocently, Truss notes the parallels between one ETC's control of its 'owner' and gas-lighting, with the cat's stereotypical haughtiness and withheld affection being akin to psychological warfare. And then, poor Watson - the token dog - he spends so much of the novel as a supine victim, but he does step in at key junctures to save the day because deep-down, Truss is a dog-lover at heart.
This is one of those rare books that it is almost impossible to explain - I can hear myself explaining, "So, there are these evil talking cats and they're immortal and they're geniuses and they have powers - no, wait, it's good, honest!" While Cat Out Of Hell was more a general send-up of cheesy Hammer Horror, The Lunar Cats feels like Truss is putting out the feelers to see if there is an appetite for what adventures might next befall Alex and company. What other historical events could they be mixed up in? Which other deadly Cat Masters are waiting in the wings? Will Beelzebub ever manage to get everyone back in line? One of the more bonkers reads that you'll ever come across, my only advice is this - don't read it on public transport. Uncontrollable laughter. So many strange looks. So many.
What a brilliant and bizarre imagination Lynne Truss has - the world was first introduced to her Evil Talking Cats back in 2014 with Cat Out Of Hell, and to my delight and surprise, she has returned two years later with The Lunar Cats, with some very promising signs of a franchise in the brewing. This is that rare kind of book that you never knew you wanted but once you've read it, you don't know what you did without it. I have listened to the Radio 4 adaptation of Cat Out Of Hell repeatedly and have various tracts of the dialogue verbatim. I had never expected a sequel and am so glad that when one did arrive, it did not disappoint.
One can imagine that the narrator, kindly retired librarian Alec Charlesworth, might be hoping for a quiet life since his last adventure with the ETCs (his dim-witted ally Wiggy prefers that they use the acronym), but if he was then he was out of luck. He and Wiggy have lived on tenterhooks, regularly checking in that the other is alive, each the only one who has any awareness or indeed reason to believe in the ghastly events which saw off the Captain and Roger at the end of the last book. But then a series of events begin to unfurl - Alec is attacked in Poundland by a woman who smells of stew and an incredibly adorable kitten arrives on his doorstep, melting his heart with her cuteness. Suspicious? Oh yes.
Truss is very much building on the foundations of the already established 'lore' around the ETCs - that after a cat has managed to die and survive nine times they are reborn, that there are Cat Masters, that Beelzebub is their line manager, etc, etc. The Lunar Cats is probably best enjoyed having already familiarised oneself with the wider story - Roger does explain it best even if he is a tad long-winded and Alec does tend to skip to the main points. This is a sequel rather than a stand-alone story - and I do hope that the surprise reappearance of a Certain Someone gets explained in full later on down the line (obviously - I was overjoyed but not so much as to ignore a possible plot-hole).
The Lunar Cats does also wear its historical context rather heavier than Cat Out Of Hell - Alec has to look into the 1773 voyage of HMS Endeavour, and in particular the account given of it by John Hawkesworth, one-time friend of Dr Johnson and rising celebrity of his day. Hawkesworth was not present on the voyage but public reception of his version of it was so appallingly negative that Hawkesworth died within months. Over time, it becomes clear that this is connected to the titular Lunar Cats Society, a non-evil band of talking cats who have decided to use their longevity and genius to puzzle out the mysteries of the universe and have been meeting for centuries to discuss their findings. Alec shares a typical agenda which covers the chemical content of a furball, the role of yowling in music, and - fatally - Mr Timkins' decision to board HMS Endeavour on Hawkesworth's recommendation in order to prove his theorised solution to the 'longitude problem'.
I am ambivalent about attempts to tie in the ETCs to 'real' history - this is not a series for people who have difficulties in suspending disbelief. Between the journals written by cats, emails, agenda and minuted meetings - admittedly the screenplays come courtesy of Wiggy but all the same, it's all quite gloriously silly. From the bibliography etc, I can see that Truss had done the legwork in looking into Hawkesworth and HMS Endeavour, but in all honesty, I would have enjoyed it just as much as if she hadn't bothered. There is a giddy feel to most of the novel, it's very high-spirited and a joy to read - it even feels like it just may have been a joy to write. As well as poking fun at the horror genre though, it does feel that Truss is having an affectionate dig at the lengths people go to for their pets - and, yes, particularly their cats. Apparently innocently, Truss notes the parallels between one ETC's control of its 'owner' and gas-lighting, with the cat's stereotypical haughtiness and withheld affection being akin to psychological warfare. And then, poor Watson - the token dog - he spends so much of the novel as a supine victim, but he does step in at key junctures to save the day because deep-down, Truss is a dog-lover at heart.
This is one of those rare books that it is almost impossible to explain - I can hear myself explaining, "So, there are these evil talking cats and they're immortal and they're geniuses and they have powers - no, wait, it's good, honest!" While Cat Out Of Hell was more a general send-up of cheesy Hammer Horror, The Lunar Cats feels like Truss is putting out the feelers to see if there is an appetite for what adventures might next befall Alex and company. What other historical events could they be mixed up in? Which other deadly Cat Masters are waiting in the wings? Will Beelzebub ever manage to get everyone back in line? One of the more bonkers reads that you'll ever come across, my only advice is this - don't read it on public transport. Uncontrollable laughter. So many strange looks. So many.
June 9, 2023
I have no words to describe this book.
Imagine, if you can, a world in which a mild-mannered English librarian gets tangled up with Evil Talking Cats, not once but twice!
Our 'hero' Alec Charlesworth is contacted by a mysterious Greek client who asks him to research whether there were cats on His Majesty's Ship Endeavour which sailed around the world with Captain Cook. His investigations lead him to a sinister Evil Talking Kitten and her minions, a secret society of long-lived scientific cats and a strange bout of mouthey-mouthey-itis (you have to read it).
Told through a combination of meeting minutes, first person narrative by Alec, diary entries and newspaper articles, watch as Alec and his tattered crew of comrades attempt to defeat the Evil Talking Kitten's plots.
I liked this, it had the odd humour of Terry Pratchett or Tom Sharpe but with a slightly more literary bent. I just didn't love it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Imagine, if you can, a world in which a mild-mannered English librarian gets tangled up with Evil Talking Cats, not once but twice!
Our 'hero' Alec Charlesworth is contacted by a mysterious Greek client who asks him to research whether there were cats on His Majesty's Ship Endeavour which sailed around the world with Captain Cook. His investigations lead him to a sinister Evil Talking Kitten and her minions, a secret society of long-lived scientific cats and a strange bout of mouthey-mouthey-itis (you have to read it).
Told through a combination of meeting minutes, first person narrative by Alec, diary entries and newspaper articles, watch as Alec and his tattered crew of comrades attempt to defeat the Evil Talking Kitten's plots.
I liked this, it had the odd humour of Terry Pratchett or Tom Sharpe but with a slightly more literary bent. I just didn't love it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
dnf
August 18, 2021DNF at 40%
I just couldn't get into this. Maybe it wasn't the right time for me, but we really didn't click. At the 40% mark, I'm still completely uninvested in the characters or the story and actually quite bored. I found the narration to be very slow-moving and at times confusing, and the characters uncharismatic. There was a little good humour here and there, but it was too little to really keep me interested in the story.
I might give this another try in the future but, for now, it's a no for me.
I just couldn't get into this. Maybe it wasn't the right time for me, but we really didn't click. At the 40% mark, I'm still completely uninvested in the characters or the story and actually quite bored. I found the narration to be very slow-moving and at times confusing, and the characters uncharismatic. There was a little good humour here and there, but it was too little to really keep me interested in the story.
I might give this another try in the future but, for now, it's a no for me.
January 22, 2017
Not too sure I could explain what I just read but it was enjoyable once I got over the fact that this book was about a whole cat world with evil talking cats and cat scientists making up the lunar society. Once I went with it I liked it.
March 3, 2017
so awfully boring
September 5, 2017
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first, but it was still entertaining.
March 22, 2018
I listened to the audiobook. Mike Grady did a fine job of narration. The story, however, was less enjoyable than the first book, Cat Out Of Hell.
July 26, 2017
This is the first book I've read in a day in a while, and I am very glad of it.
It's quickly paced, incredibly easy to read, creepy in spots, sad, does an incredible job of juggling multiple timelines, and is simply frankly funny in some very odd spots. And it's so correctly written that I can actually feel myself destressing as I read it.
It's quickly paced, incredibly easy to read, creepy in spots, sad, does an incredible job of juggling multiple timelines, and is simply frankly funny in some very odd spots. And it's so correctly written that I can actually feel myself destressing as I read it.
August 5, 2022
Very, very weird, hilarious, and slightly confusing. It appears there is a book before this one (though I have not read it), I recommend reading that one first. Also highly recommend listening to the audiobook read by Mike Grady!
July 6, 2018
Laugh out loud funny.
December 24, 2017
Who doesn't love a demonic kitten that looks like an angel and titters like Barbara Windsor?
In a sequel to her 'Cat Out Of Hell' book Lynne Truss introduces us to a demonic kitten, a society of Lunar Cats, and embroiders a plausible story to explain the spectacular fall from grace of a forgotten figure from history.
In a sequel to her 'Cat Out Of Hell' book Lynne Truss introduces us to a demonic kitten, a society of Lunar Cats, and embroiders a plausible story to explain the spectacular fall from grace of a forgotten figure from history.
February 8, 2021
Synopsis- By the bestselling author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves and Cat Out of Hell, a nail-biting tale of good versus evil involving one man, his dog and a group of 18th-century amateur scientific pioneers who just happen to be cats.
When you are an inoffensive retired librarian with bitter personal experience of Evil Talking Cats, do you rescue a kitten from the cold on a December night?
Do you follow up news items about cats digging in graveyards?
Do you inquire into long-ago cats who voyaged around the world with Captain Cook?
Well, yes. If you are Alec Charlesworth that is precisely what you do - with unexpected and terrifying consequences ...
Review- Let me start by saying, if you haven't read Cat Out of Hell do because it's quite funny (I laughed out loud several times), and it's the precursor to this. It is not absolutely necessary but the greater context will make Roger funnier if you do. That said, this is not as funny as CooH, but I still chuckled out loud quite a few times. My only objection is that the climax was a bit of a...I can't think of the best word to describe it. Squirt? Fizzle? I don't know, but it was a letdown.
Also, Google the word squirt. What came up was not what I was expecting. Lol
Rating - Three chuckle out loud stars. ⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Devoured the book, couldn't put it down.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really liked it, consumed within days
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyed a fair bit, better than average
⭐⭐ - Meh
⭐ - Absolute drivel
When you are an inoffensive retired librarian with bitter personal experience of Evil Talking Cats, do you rescue a kitten from the cold on a December night?
Do you follow up news items about cats digging in graveyards?
Do you inquire into long-ago cats who voyaged around the world with Captain Cook?
Well, yes. If you are Alec Charlesworth that is precisely what you do - with unexpected and terrifying consequences ...
Review- Let me start by saying, if you haven't read Cat Out of Hell do because it's quite funny (I laughed out loud several times), and it's the precursor to this. It is not absolutely necessary but the greater context will make Roger funnier if you do. That said, this is not as funny as CooH, but I still chuckled out loud quite a few times. My only objection is that the climax was a bit of a...I can't think of the best word to describe it. Squirt? Fizzle? I don't know, but it was a letdown.
Also, Google the word squirt. What came up was not what I was expecting. Lol
Rating - Three chuckle out loud stars. ⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Devoured the book, couldn't put it down.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really liked it, consumed within days
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyed a fair bit, better than average
⭐⭐ - Meh
⭐ - Absolute drivel
October 13, 2022
Had I known it was a sequel, I’d have read Cat Out of Hell first, but there is nothing to suggest this on the cover. Maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference, but I did find the character development here too light to make me invested in the danger. The narrative is not taken seriously either, weighed down by a lengthy diary section and without much of a dramatic payoff. Despite that, the whimsical style was intermittently charming and there was much to find amusing and interesting.
August 4, 2018
A very entertaining book for those who love quirky librarians, cats and British humour.
Loved reading it and I apologise to the neighbours for scaring them with my laughter!
Loved reading it and I apologise to the neighbours for scaring them with my laughter!
August 25, 2020
I do like her non fiction though........
April 26, 2020
BOOK REVIEW ⠀
The Lunar Cats by Lynne Truss⠀
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Okay this book is absolutely hilarious. Full stop. It also has the most carefree air I've ever read- you can't help smiling through it all even when there are tiny evil talking cats out to make deals with the devil. The stakes though extremely high are never taken really seriously except by the main character, Alec Charlesworth, who is a librarian and research expert and he keeps throwing out book and character refrences which no one in the story itself seems to get but are sort of subtle winks at the reader. ⠀
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Also Watson the dog is an absolute dear and a win. Also also there are 18th century cat scientists who meet once every full moon to talk about the leading academic problems of the time like THE LONGITUDE PROBLEM! If you don't know what that is I highly recommend Dava Sobel's book "Longitude." This real life scientific question was crazy difficult and had so many underhanded backstabbing moments that I'm surprised it's not a movie yet. ⠀
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All in all this book is a real fun read. You never get bored and it's one of those books which doesn't let you think too deeply about something before it jumps onto something else. I mean I didn't even realise this book was a sequel until half way through because the pacing and style of it just carry you along.⠀
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The reason it took me over a month to finish was mainly that the plot isn't really riveting enough. The danger never feels real or pressing so the drive to finish was not there for me. I would pick it up every few days and read a couple of pages-enjoy them, mind you, but would not really feel any urgency to finish it. That's why I've given it the following rating which is fair I think. ⠀
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My rating: 3.5 stars (🌟🌟🌟.5)⠀
The Lunar Cats by Lynne Truss⠀
⠀
Okay this book is absolutely hilarious. Full stop. It also has the most carefree air I've ever read- you can't help smiling through it all even when there are tiny evil talking cats out to make deals with the devil. The stakes though extremely high are never taken really seriously except by the main character, Alec Charlesworth, who is a librarian and research expert and he keeps throwing out book and character refrences which no one in the story itself seems to get but are sort of subtle winks at the reader. ⠀
⠀
Also Watson the dog is an absolute dear and a win. Also also there are 18th century cat scientists who meet once every full moon to talk about the leading academic problems of the time like THE LONGITUDE PROBLEM! If you don't know what that is I highly recommend Dava Sobel's book "Longitude." This real life scientific question was crazy difficult and had so many underhanded backstabbing moments that I'm surprised it's not a movie yet. ⠀
⠀
All in all this book is a real fun read. You never get bored and it's one of those books which doesn't let you think too deeply about something before it jumps onto something else. I mean I didn't even realise this book was a sequel until half way through because the pacing and style of it just carry you along.⠀
⠀
The reason it took me over a month to finish was mainly that the plot isn't really riveting enough. The danger never feels real or pressing so the drive to finish was not there for me. I would pick it up every few days and read a couple of pages-enjoy them, mind you, but would not really feel any urgency to finish it. That's why I've given it the following rating which is fair I think. ⠀
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My rating: 3.5 stars (🌟🌟🌟.5)⠀
March 5, 2019
c2016 (1) FWFTB: 18th-century, amateur, librarian, graveyards, dog. Anthropomorphism is a guilty pleasure of mine and the thought of being able to communicate with any animal (including dragons), delights me. This is a pleasant tale with some scary bits thrown in for good measure. I had not read the first book to feature talking cats but I didn't feel that it hindered my enjoyment of this book at all. There were some laugh-out-aloud moments but they probably are only funny if you have ever had a cat live with you. Known for her knowledge of grammar, it didn't surprise me in the least to read this, 'No wonder all the journals were handed over to a professional writer … but poor Hawkesworth was at a disadvantage in many ways when it came to writing it up. First, he hadn’t been there himself. And secondly, he was evidently an eighteenth-century landlubber essayist, accustomed to using a lot of abstract nouns, Latinate vocabulary, and costive constructions.’ Recommended to the normal crew.
December 9, 2017
Princess Fuzzypants here:
At first, I was not quite sure about this book. There seemed to be so many moving pieces that it took a while for things to click. But click they did and I ended up loving this story. It is a mixture of history and whimsy, reality and magic. It involves a society of learned cats who date back to the times of Dr. Johnson and his cat, Hodge. The same cats must solve a mystery and help a couple of humans foil the plots of an evil temptress. Said temptress happens to be an ETK or an evil talking cat who is also an irresistible orange and white kitten.
We have evil humans, the devil, other talking cats both evil and not, Captain Cook and an assortment of oddball characters who should not work together but do.
There is pathos and humour and a cracking good tale. I love the way everything mixes together. It is highly entertaining.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.
At first, I was not quite sure about this book. There seemed to be so many moving pieces that it took a while for things to click. But click they did and I ended up loving this story. It is a mixture of history and whimsy, reality and magic. It involves a society of learned cats who date back to the times of Dr. Johnson and his cat, Hodge. The same cats must solve a mystery and help a couple of humans foil the plots of an evil temptress. Said temptress happens to be an ETK or an evil talking cat who is also an irresistible orange and white kitten.
We have evil humans, the devil, other talking cats both evil and not, Captain Cook and an assortment of oddball characters who should not work together but do.
There is pathos and humour and a cracking good tale. I love the way everything mixes together. It is highly entertaining.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.
March 28, 2021
I read Cat Out of Hell and I wasn't entirely thrilled about it, having found it to be an odd mix of humour and horror and just a bit too gory and dark for my taste, while still trying to be funny. I had already purchased the sequel in paperback so I figured I'd read it anyway, because sometimes series improve. Sometimes not. Although there are points that I find quite amusing, they are not frequent enough for me to really enjoy this book, and although it might not be quite as dark as COoH, it's still not my thing. I think there are definitely people for whom this would be grand...I'm just not one of them. I will try the Constable Twitten series, because I loved Eats, Shoots & Leaves and I thought that the Packet of Seed mystery was quite good, so we'll see. Even if there are more books in this cats series, I think I'm going to pass on reading them.
December 28, 2017
This is a fun sequel to Truss' novel, Cat out of Hell. Once again it features ETCs (Evil Talking Cats), namely Roger, and a pretentious group of scholarly cats who are the lunar cats of the title. Again it is narrated by retired librarian Alec, with appearances by Wiggy, and the addition of a couple of new characters.
Truss writes with her trademark wry humour, and this book is every bit as fun as the first volume. The story relates the background of The Captain (an ETC in the first book), and part of the voyages of Captain Cook. Once again the story is compelling (even Wiggy's screenplay!) and the stage is definitely set for a third instalment.
Truss writes with her trademark wry humour, and this book is every bit as fun as the first volume. The story relates the background of The Captain (an ETC in the first book), and part of the voyages of Captain Cook. Once again the story is compelling (even Wiggy's screenplay!) and the stage is definitely set for a third instalment.
November 5, 2020
I really really love cats. I hope to be a cat mom one day, with many of these adorable creatures living under my roof.
Did this book deter me from my aim? No.
Did this book make me laugh? Yes.
Are evil talking cats adorable despite being evil? A hundred percent yes.
Lynne Truss has written a truly truly enjoyable book, full of learned cats, humans that said cats can bully, and a wee doggy analogous to the damsel in distress. I think even the people who don't really like cats can go ahead and give this book a try.
I always knew cats are Satan's spawns. This book just confirmed my suspicions. But, oh look, the beautiful little kitten is yawning!
Did this book deter me from my aim? No.
Did this book make me laugh? Yes.
Are evil talking cats adorable despite being evil? A hundred percent yes.
Lynne Truss has written a truly truly enjoyable book, full of learned cats, humans that said cats can bully, and a wee doggy analogous to the damsel in distress. I think even the people who don't really like cats can go ahead and give this book a try.
I always knew cats are Satan's spawns. This book just confirmed my suspicions. But, oh look, the beautiful little kitten is yawning!
April 28, 2023
I am happy to say that I enjoyed this more than the first book. Reason One: There's a historical element. Reason Two: There are multiple good (or at least benign) talking cats, the members of the Lunar Society. This is especially delightful in audio because narrator Mike Grady hilariously gives distinctive voice to those Lunar Cats. The descriptions of how cute the evil kitten is and her contract with Beelzebub are particularly hysterical. During the latter, I actually had to pause the audio so I could have a long laugh and not miss anything.
November 15, 2017
I picked this book and Cat out of Hell on same day from local library. The second book captured me in the first few pages : mention of Hodge - one of Samuel Johnson's cats - I looked it up - found Atlas Obscura website : now I have to go visit all the places in Wales noted on website that I haven't already been to - curiosity may have killed the cat but it also puts a dent in my beloved's diesel cost :-) It does tie up questions from first book and hopefully Lynne Truss makes this a trilogy?
November 15, 2017
A slight improvement on the one that came before, although this still isn't brilliant - the historical side of things is a little clunky, and the end of the more fun, modern half of the book is over in a flash. Also, what sense of humour the author deigns to give us is pretty much of the almost slapstick kind, whereby the hero's best friend is a dunderhead. Still, as a whimsy it isn't bad, but you'll note the original publishers of the first in the series are no longer with us...
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