The Catsitters

by James Wolcott

Bartender by day, actor by night, Johnny Downs cheerfully floats through life, living alone with his jukebox and his cat. Blindsided when his dazzling girlfriend dumps him, Johnny is wounded, stunned, and, most of all, clueless.

You're like most men -- oblivious, says his friend Darlene. Her diagnosis: Johnny is doomed to be rejected by every woman he desires as long as he clings to his outmoded bachelor ways. Darlene puts him on a rigorous crash course to re-brand himself as husband material. But does Darlene really have his best interests at heart? And who are all these catsitters that keep coming into his life?

Genres: Fiction, Cats, Humor, Novels

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2001

Reviews

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published in 2001, this is the male view of Sex and The City-era New York. Our hero, a dorky but likeable actor/barman, lives with his elderly cat and is shocked when his girlfriend of six months dumps him out of the blue. His manipulative friend Darlene decides to help him become more marriageable so he meets a series of dreadful women before working out how to stand up for himself. His best friend is an arse, and none of his friends or family are at all likeable, even the cat, Slinky, is pretty unfriendly, and the Cat-sitters of the title somewhat irrelevant. I didn't find he jokes funny and was pretty bored throughout, not sure why I finished it really.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolcott is a witty writer who actually manages to make relationships and dialogues sound real and entertaining.The book is about a man whose most meaningful relationship is with his cat. One of his girlfriends decides to help him find a wife. The advice she gives him and his attempts at implementation are often funny and make you think about what really goes on in the brain of the other half of the human population. It's a fun and easy read.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like James Wolcott's writing. I liked the concept of the book (bachelor accepts advice from female friend on how to get a girlfriend). But all the women in this book were unpleasant. I liked Johnny, the main character, okay, and I liked his cat a lot. But personally I don't think Johnny should have expended even the slightest energy attempting to date any of the women in this book.

[Jim Rayder · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got about halfway through this bloated, ill-conceived thing with pages. I highly doubt Mr. Wolcott could have gotten it published had it not been for his name. I lived in New York City for 13 years, had friends uptown and downtown and never met anyone like purely fictive characters Johnny or Darlene. It would seem Mr. Wolcott wanted to write a novel to write a novel.

[Kossiwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read for people who want to read relationship/dating stories, but don't want to read chick lit or lad it. It's told from a man's point of view

[Lilli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow start but gets interesting towards the end if you can wait that long.

[G Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

twas meh. however this is an excellent primer on how to be a beta male.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

the story moves, but and men. women. any nuance in between?

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnny Downs, the protagonist in James Wolcott's The Catsitters, has been compared to a male equivalent of Bridget Jones. I'm not sure I fully agree with that, as Downs is much cooler than Jones, and far less scatty. However, the novel certainly explores the roller-coaster of relationships and dating from a male perspective, so perhaps there is something in the comparison.

The Catsitters opens as the main character returns from a weekend trip visiting family to discover his catsitter, who is actually his girlfriend, has not been properly looking after Slinky the cat while he was away. When he tries to call her office he is told she is out at a client lunch, so after dinner he decides to walk to her apartment. Most readers will be able to guess what happens next, and sure enough, Johnny Downs is soon back on the dating scene.

The book was enjoyable, and the characters were all well shaped and likeable. I was convinced I knew the direction the plot was going to take, but in the end it didn't, which was both a surprise and a disappointment at the same time. About two thirds of the way through, the story stopped being one about relationships and dating, and instead became more of a tale about Downs breaking into a new career as a playwright. I did finish it, but the novel as a whole seemed a little disjointed, as if split into two parts that were only loosely connected.

I was left wondering if the original draft perhaps ended the way I thought it was going to, which would have been very predictable, and that Wolcott's agent/editor suggested a plot change which he went on to apply, but not so seamlessly that the stiches are invisible.

Would I still recommend The Catsitters? Yes, I would. I think it's an interesting insight into relationships from the point of view of a man, and there are nowhere near as many books about men in this genre as there are ones written from the usual woman's perspective. It's also a very entertaining read, with strong characters and some great lines that made me laugh out loud.

[Kate Durant · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit dated, nostalgic, heteronormative, stereotypical, and definitely beckons the early 90-2000's.
This book was okay, more like a tv show that you could have going on in the background and listening to as noise, only paying attention when a new character entered. Nothing too monumental that you had to pay attention all the time.

One thing that stood out over and over is that if you are going to make your characters experts in a field or trade, don't make it annoying to the reader to not understand the reference or the jargon- didn't happen enough that I had to google these things but enough to be annoying.

I liked the cat in this story, sad that she had to pass away- but i liked (and believe) what the vet and the priest said when giving their condolences. That animals are people and we are one in the same- we both grieve, love, live and die. I felt the cat gave this story an added touch of humanity in the sometimes crippling, cruel world of dating and of NYC.

Although there were some NYC mishaps in this novel, like the broke actors living in apartments large enough to have a bar, living room, bedroom, bathroom and Kitchen but then also having enough money for lavish parties and dinners. Also running into people is a pretty rare occurrence but maybe in the days of the 90's when people actually left their homes it was more common.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Near the beginning, I wasn't sure I was going to bother to finish this book. It seemed so trite and dull, plus the cat was but a bit character, so how were the catsitters going to make any waves? I kept going because I was intrigued by Johnny's micromanaging, but well-meaning, friend and sure her ministrations were going to run off the rail and indeed they do, but not as expected. And yes, those catsitters make waves. I enjoyed the tale of a young man making strides to better himself and his environment as he grew and developed. I felt the author really captured the true feel of going home to visit the dysfunctional family. This book surprised me because of how much I enjoyed it.

[Lilian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought one of the story's major characters would be a cat, but seemed like Slinky was just an "accessory" to justify the book's title. The first part read like a how-to guide for ummarried men. Although the story was moving forward and it was well-written, I didn't find enough conflict/resolution/drama/ooomph to really make this a good story--but that's just me. Still, it was an ok read.

[Rhemat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a fan of James Wolcott's writing in Vanity Fair, so this was terribly disappointment. It seems to be meant as a male version of 'Sex and the City', but it doesn't manage to achieve even that level of frivolous entertainment.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing light novel about a man trying to find love. Kind of a male Pride and Prejudice.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading a story from a man's point of view.

[Kristi Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

an interesting lovestory by a male's point-of-view.
also, the author was a writer for Vanity Fair (not sure if he still is or not).

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I am researching personal narrative style books. That being send, this was at some points clever but at times incredibly naive in its prose.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light read.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a guilty pleasure! Fast read.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contemporary novel set in NYC - Boy am I glad I got my dating in a long time ago! It's even tough out there for the guys.

[Cajun97]

Thrall has a copy. Comedy of manners.

[Alex Proverb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring!!!

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing but the characters are not put to a sufficient enough test to make the book interesting.

Also, cats and bubble baths? Protoganist seems gay.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story about a bachelor growing up and becoming more
sensitive to the women around him and himself evolving. Fun read.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pointless, manipulative, dated and tedious

[Jennifer Birmingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for chick lit.

[T.A. Munroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are people who watch John's cat while he's away, but I think the title is a bit of a stretch. I really like the characters--funny, quirky, a few tropes, but they work. Enjoyable light read.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[J.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up at the Dollar Tree, of all places, but really liked it.

[Frederick Bingham · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get interested in this.