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Cat Flap
"When she awoke as a cat, Dolores Tremayne saw no immediate advantage in having four paws instead of two arms and two legs…" A brilliant, funny novel of love, marriage and modern life.
When the cat’s away, the mice will play – but who will oversee the cat?
When Dolores Tremayne, a successful business executive, travels overseas, part of her remains mysteriously behind in X, the family’s indoor cat. Through feline eyes, Dolores witnesses the shocking behavior of her errant husband, the stalled novelist Gerald Tremayne. Far away in Germany, the human Dolores is conducting high-powered negotiations with a prestigious auto-maker, but back at home, her husband’s liaisons force him into ever more drastic exploits. Meanwhile, Dolores begins to wonder about the strange words and images that have begun to pop into her head, as if from nowhere.
Funny and memorable, Cat Flap will appeal to all fans of clever satire.
When the cat’s away, the mice will play – but who will oversee the cat?
When Dolores Tremayne, a successful business executive, travels overseas, part of her remains mysteriously behind in X, the family’s indoor cat. Through feline eyes, Dolores witnesses the shocking behavior of her errant husband, the stalled novelist Gerald Tremayne. Far away in Germany, the human Dolores is conducting high-powered negotiations with a prestigious auto-maker, but back at home, her husband’s liaisons force him into ever more drastic exploits. Meanwhile, Dolores begins to wonder about the strange words and images that have begun to pop into her head, as if from nowhere.
Funny and memorable, Cat Flap will appeal to all fans of clever satire.
227 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 2018
7 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
About the author
Alan S. Cowell
12 books9 followersALAN S. COWELL is a British writer whose career spanned four decades as a foreign correspondent, first for Reuters and then for The New York Times. Alongside news coverage, he authored works of fiction and non-fiction, including The Terminal Spy, a definitive account of the life and death of Alexander V. Litvinenko, a former KGB officer poisoned with radioactive polonium in London in 2006. His novels include Permanent Removal, set in post-apartheid South Africa. Cowell is married and lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
August 24, 2021
My thanks to Agora Books and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.
Cat Flap is a slightly fantastical, quirky, humorous but also slightly over the top novel. Successful corporate executive, Dolores Tremayne, finds part of herself in her family’s cat, X (named so by her daughter, since it sounds ‘mysterious’) while her human self is away on one of her frequent business trips, this time to Germany. As X, she begins to see (albeit partly from the cat’s perspective) the happenings at her home, and finds all is not going as smoothly or wonderfully as she chooses to believe. Her husband, author of a somewhat well received (though not well-selling) book, who is supposedly working on the next part of his book, is actually not only cheating on Dolores but is also into drugs. Her older daughter seems to be communicating with a suspicious character on the internet. But Dolores’ human self is blissfully unaware of all this and the part that is in X can’t really do very much on her/its own. And to top it all, the despicable Gerald and separately, his mistress (their upstairs neighbour) are determined to do away with poor X.
In the book, Cowell takes us into the minds and thoughts of various characters—X and the part of Dolores sharing her body, the rather repulsive Gerald as well as the ‘human’ Dolores, and we also follow other characters including Gerald’s mistresses and Dolores’ wealthy, self-made, father who is involved in some dubious dealings of his own. We follow each of these, learn of Gerald and Dolores’ back stories, their lives before marriage, how they met and their relationship began, and of course how things have turned out in their lives (alongside, issues of race, class, wealth, etc. in society and at the workplace are explored). We don’t learn too much about their two daughters, Portia and Astra, as individuals, but Portia’s messages to her internet ‘friend’ play a role in the overall plot.
To start off, with I would say that from the cover I was quite sceptical about how the book would turn out to be, but had requested it because of the cat aspects of the plot. However, it turned out to be much more enjoyable than I was expecting.
The concept of the book when I read its description, a woman, part of whom wakes up in her cat seemed really interesting to me, and reading the book, I thought this was really well done. I liked how Cowell has interpreted this scenario in that the cat, X, remains a cat, and retains its own personality, though being conscious of another presence in itself. The Dolores in the cat can see things and understand them as her human self would but not always for X’s cat personality and qualities prevent this from happening entirely. So we hear both lines of thought, both voices—sometimes interacting, sometimes unable to communicate with each other, and neither able to operate quite fully as themselves (perhaps, the cat is, actually).
I felt for X when she talks of her life as a ‘flat cat’—her food only those premade pellets, never getting the chance to step out and breathe in fresh air (or chase/hunt other creatures), and not even knowing certain sights or smells because she is forever (or almost forever) inside. I know that the cat’s voice is again a human talking on a cat’s behalf, but as someone who has cats (and also having very recently lost one when she was outdoors, which led me to question my letting her out), I did still feel for poor X because while I realise that we keep them in because we want them to be safe, it is essentially like a prison for them.
X was certainly my favourite character in the story. The humans, on the other hand, were not quite as likeable. Gerald, as I already wrote is rather despicable (for many reasons), and while he might claim his behaviour as being something he can’t help, he seems only to be making excuses to himself (what he plans for poor X is totally unforgiveable, and he isn’t the slightest bit remorseful). So I wanted very much throughout the story for him to get his just desserts (also his awful mistress). Dolores while not an unlikeable person in herself, seems rather naïve when matters of the heart are concerned, for it isn’t that she didn’t know what Gerald was like, but like many others, she simply falls into the stereotypical trap of believing that she could or has changed him.
The plot overall was pretty enjoyable in that I wanted to keep reading, of course to see how things turn out for poor X, but also how the human Dolores finds out all the part of her that is in X knows, and how as a consequence, Gerald ends up (the characters’ backstories including Dolores’ father’s were interesting to follow as well). All of the threads of the story come together for a rather dramatic culmination in which X ends up plays a heroic role. However, here I felt things got a bit too over the top—playing out like one of those exaggerated movie scenes which I don’t really enjoy all that much.
There is humour in the writing for sure which I enjoyed, more so at the start when Dolores that it in the cat is figuring things out, thinking of books and authors, among other things. But in the later part of the book, I did find like another reviewer that I was rushing through a bit, so perhaps a slightly trimmer version would have helped. This book has been published earlier in 2018, but this version has been updated to incorporate the covid and lockdown elements which make it more current, and shape the absolute end a bit differently to what it would likely have been.
Overall a fun read, with a definitely intriguing concept, and interpreted in an interesting way.
p.s.: there are mentions of animal cruelty, though saying what happens finally would be a spoiler; also some explicit-ish content; and drugs.
3.8 rounded off to 4
Cat Flap is a slightly fantastical, quirky, humorous but also slightly over the top novel. Successful corporate executive, Dolores Tremayne, finds part of herself in her family’s cat, X (named so by her daughter, since it sounds ‘mysterious’) while her human self is away on one of her frequent business trips, this time to Germany. As X, she begins to see (albeit partly from the cat’s perspective) the happenings at her home, and finds all is not going as smoothly or wonderfully as she chooses to believe. Her husband, author of a somewhat well received (though not well-selling) book, who is supposedly working on the next part of his book, is actually not only cheating on Dolores but is also into drugs. Her older daughter seems to be communicating with a suspicious character on the internet. But Dolores’ human self is blissfully unaware of all this and the part that is in X can’t really do very much on her/its own. And to top it all, the despicable Gerald and separately, his mistress (their upstairs neighbour) are determined to do away with poor X.
In the book, Cowell takes us into the minds and thoughts of various characters—X and the part of Dolores sharing her body, the rather repulsive Gerald as well as the ‘human’ Dolores, and we also follow other characters including Gerald’s mistresses and Dolores’ wealthy, self-made, father who is involved in some dubious dealings of his own. We follow each of these, learn of Gerald and Dolores’ back stories, their lives before marriage, how they met and their relationship began, and of course how things have turned out in their lives (alongside, issues of race, class, wealth, etc. in society and at the workplace are explored). We don’t learn too much about their two daughters, Portia and Astra, as individuals, but Portia’s messages to her internet ‘friend’ play a role in the overall plot.
To start off, with I would say that from the cover I was quite sceptical about how the book would turn out to be, but had requested it because of the cat aspects of the plot. However, it turned out to be much more enjoyable than I was expecting.
The concept of the book when I read its description, a woman, part of whom wakes up in her cat seemed really interesting to me, and reading the book, I thought this was really well done. I liked how Cowell has interpreted this scenario in that the cat, X, remains a cat, and retains its own personality, though being conscious of another presence in itself. The Dolores in the cat can see things and understand them as her human self would but not always for X’s cat personality and qualities prevent this from happening entirely. So we hear both lines of thought, both voices—sometimes interacting, sometimes unable to communicate with each other, and neither able to operate quite fully as themselves (perhaps, the cat is, actually).
I felt for X when she talks of her life as a ‘flat cat’—her food only those premade pellets, never getting the chance to step out and breathe in fresh air (or chase/hunt other creatures), and not even knowing certain sights or smells because she is forever (or almost forever) inside. I know that the cat’s voice is again a human talking on a cat’s behalf, but as someone who has cats (and also having very recently lost one when she was outdoors, which led me to question my letting her out), I did still feel for poor X because while I realise that we keep them in because we want them to be safe, it is essentially like a prison for them.
X was certainly my favourite character in the story. The humans, on the other hand, were not quite as likeable. Gerald, as I already wrote is rather despicable (for many reasons), and while he might claim his behaviour as being something he can’t help, he seems only to be making excuses to himself (what he plans for poor X is totally unforgiveable, and he isn’t the slightest bit remorseful). So I wanted very much throughout the story for him to get his just desserts (also his awful mistress). Dolores while not an unlikeable person in herself, seems rather naïve when matters of the heart are concerned, for it isn’t that she didn’t know what Gerald was like, but like many others, she simply falls into the stereotypical trap of believing that she could or has changed him.
The plot overall was pretty enjoyable in that I wanted to keep reading, of course to see how things turn out for poor X, but also how the human Dolores finds out all the part of her that is in X knows, and how as a consequence, Gerald ends up (the characters’ backstories including Dolores’ father’s were interesting to follow as well). All of the threads of the story come together for a rather dramatic culmination in which X ends up plays a heroic role. However, here I felt things got a bit too over the top—playing out like one of those exaggerated movie scenes which I don’t really enjoy all that much.
There is humour in the writing for sure which I enjoyed, more so at the start when Dolores that it in the cat is figuring things out, thinking of books and authors, among other things. But in the later part of the book, I did find like another reviewer that I was rushing through a bit, so perhaps a slightly trimmer version would have helped. This book has been published earlier in 2018, but this version has been updated to incorporate the covid and lockdown elements which make it more current, and shape the absolute end a bit differently to what it would likely have been.
Overall a fun read, with a definitely intriguing concept, and interpreted in an interesting way.
p.s.: there are mentions of animal cruelty, though saying what happens finally would be a spoiler; also some explicit-ish content; and drugs.
3.8 rounded off to 4
January 6, 2019
I'm sad that I didn't enjoy this book like I thought I would.
This story is about Dolores, a successful business woman who wakes up one day to find part of herself in a cat. It's not that she transformed into a cat fully, because her human self is actually on a business trip, but she finds herself able to see through the cat's eyes. She's bewildered that's she's in this predicament, she's fascinated by her ability to still maintain her mind yet she's unable to control the cat's movements, she's angry she can't tell her human self to come back nor is her human self aware of what's going on and of course most importantly she gets to witness what happens in her home while she's away. She sees things she's not supposed to see.
All of that sounds like it would make a great story to tell and to some extent the start of this book was great. But then it kind of dwindled down for me. The text felt like it could have been trimmed a bit and sometimes it felt like the Dolores inside the cat when into unnecessary tangents. Somewhere in the middle of the book I started to feel bored and wasn't intrigued to know how the entire story will come together or what would happen in the end and I just put it aside. There's also this thing wherein the stories I read that involved cats in some way are usually from a perspective of an author who is Asian, so they way it's written, how their culture is incorporated and how cats are talked about is so widely different that in addition to loving that way so much I got used to it and any other book doing the same felt odd to me. I have read one of those books in January and the story is so fresh in my mind that I kept comparing those books together even though they're nothing a like. So I guess a part of my dis-enjoyment of this book is my preconceived judgement that I couldn't shake off.
(I received a free e-book copy of this title from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
This story is about Dolores, a successful business woman who wakes up one day to find part of herself in a cat. It's not that she transformed into a cat fully, because her human self is actually on a business trip, but she finds herself able to see through the cat's eyes. She's bewildered that's she's in this predicament, she's fascinated by her ability to still maintain her mind yet she's unable to control the cat's movements, she's angry she can't tell her human self to come back nor is her human self aware of what's going on and of course most importantly she gets to witness what happens in her home while she's away. She sees things she's not supposed to see.
All of that sounds like it would make a great story to tell and to some extent the start of this book was great. But then it kind of dwindled down for me. The text felt like it could have been trimmed a bit and sometimes it felt like the Dolores inside the cat when into unnecessary tangents. Somewhere in the middle of the book I started to feel bored and wasn't intrigued to know how the entire story will come together or what would happen in the end and I just put it aside. There's also this thing wherein the stories I read that involved cats in some way are usually from a perspective of an author who is Asian, so they way it's written, how their culture is incorporated and how cats are talked about is so widely different that in addition to loving that way so much I got used to it and any other book doing the same felt odd to me. I have read one of those books in January and the story is so fresh in my mind that I kept comparing those books together even though they're nothing a like. So I guess a part of my dis-enjoyment of this book is my preconceived judgement that I couldn't shake off.
(I received a free e-book copy of this title from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
September 7, 2018
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
There are so many aspects of Cat Flap to love, ponder, and just simply amuse oneself with. That this reviewer is simply at a loss for a place to start.
So please indulge me for just a moment and allow me to begin with the following.
If you are a cat owner/slave, are fond of felines, or have ever wanted to be a cat for any reason. This book is for you.
With that being said.
let the reviewing commence.
Delores Tremayne is a high-powered "head hunter" working courting a German automaker.
Well, at least most of her is.
I say most of her, because it appears that she left a portion of her consciousness in the safe keeping of her cat X. Back home in "jolly old England".
A home that Delores, with the assistance of X, will discover is not the haven of domestic bliss that she has hithertofore believed.
Because at least in the case of her husband. One Gerald Tremanyne, suburban house-husband and not so popular novelist.
While the cat watches, Mr Mouse and her rather tech-savvy micelings will engage in all manner of "play". Each more dangerous and in some cases shocking than the last.
Not knowing that inside said cat, an increasingly alarmed wife and mother is bearing witness to it all.
Along with X, of course.
Hmmmmm...
A big part of what makes this book such a pleasure to read?
The the parts of it that are told from the viewpoint of X.
The simple and direct cause and effect relationship that X has with not only the people of the house, but the goings on as well. Provides quite the refreshing change from the scheming and subterfuge of those supposed "higher thinking" beings.
The juxtaposition of X's viewpoint, Delores' realizations, a pervasive humor, and break-neck pace makes this journey into magical realism one that a reader will surely want to repeat.
This is a book that will make one rethink all of the things about family, love, trust, and most importantly, our cats.
There are so many aspects of Cat Flap to love, ponder, and just simply amuse oneself with. That this reviewer is simply at a loss for a place to start.
So please indulge me for just a moment and allow me to begin with the following.
If you are a cat owner/slave, are fond of felines, or have ever wanted to be a cat for any reason. This book is for you.
With that being said.
let the reviewing commence.
Delores Tremayne is a high-powered "head hunter" working courting a German automaker.
Well, at least most of her is.
I say most of her, because it appears that she left a portion of her consciousness in the safe keeping of her cat X. Back home in "jolly old England".
A home that Delores, with the assistance of X, will discover is not the haven of domestic bliss that she has hithertofore believed.
Because at least in the case of her husband. One Gerald Tremanyne, suburban house-husband and not so popular novelist.
While the cat watches, Mr Mouse and her rather tech-savvy micelings will engage in all manner of "play". Each more dangerous and in some cases shocking than the last.
Not knowing that inside said cat, an increasingly alarmed wife and mother is bearing witness to it all.
Along with X, of course.
Hmmmmm...
A big part of what makes this book such a pleasure to read?
The the parts of it that are told from the viewpoint of X.
The simple and direct cause and effect relationship that X has with not only the people of the house, but the goings on as well. Provides quite the refreshing change from the scheming and subterfuge of those supposed "higher thinking" beings.
The juxtaposition of X's viewpoint, Delores' realizations, a pervasive humor, and break-neck pace makes this journey into magical realism one that a reader will surely want to repeat.
This is a book that will make one rethink all of the things about family, love, trust, and most importantly, our cats.
July 29, 2025
GNab Alan S. Cowell brings us a fast paced novel set in England with interesting characters, and told often from the viewpoint of the wife/mother through the eyes of the family cat. I know, but it's not as confusing as it sounds. It is a twenty-first century tale complete with many electronic accessories, expensive cars and very in-the-know children, and I think you will love it. I did, very much.
I received a free electronic copy of this modern novel from Netgalley, Alan S. Cowell and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date July 31, 2018
St. Martin's Press
RE-READ July 20, 2025, and still a very good read! I highly recommend it to parents who have had their fill of electronic stuff in their world...
Reviewed on July 20, 2025, at Goodreads, and AmazonSmile. No longer available at Netgalley or Book Bub.
I received a free electronic copy of this modern novel from Netgalley, Alan S. Cowell and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date July 31, 2018
St. Martin's Press
RE-READ July 20, 2025, and still a very good read! I highly recommend it to parents who have had their fill of electronic stuff in their world...
Reviewed on July 20, 2025, at Goodreads, and AmazonSmile. No longer available at Netgalley or Book Bub.
March 30, 2018
This sounded hilarious, in the synopsis, and "Brit" next to author gives me even more confidence that a book will be amusing, witty, and pithy. It is all that, but the pace is glacial. The narrative is weighed down with references to other books and movies. And TV shows. And introspection. Most of the insights are deep and relevant. It's just, there are so many of them, and the slow the action.
The story opens with a woman awakening to find herself transformed into a cat, or, she is somehow trapped inside the body of the family cat, a rag-muffin/Maine Coon mix named X. She is reminded of that guy who awoke as a cockroach. Eventually, the name comes to her. Samsa. Gregor Samsa. Then, Kafkha, and so on. Maybe it serves as a pop quiz for readers: can you name that author, that title, that TV show she's thinking of? Or maybe it's intended to show how her thoughts are helter-skelter, trapped as they are in the little smooth-brain of the cat.
No explanation is offered as to how a woman on a business trip continues to conduct her business in other countries, eve as some part of her sentient awareness is viewing what goes in her beloved house and home during her absence. The woman trapped in the cat has no access to the mind of the rest of herself in her usual body. The woman on the business trip is not aware of what this other part of herself is seeing through the cat's vantage point.
The wife, her nefarious husband, the sexual predator stalking on of their two daughters, the cat, the neighbor lady, the main mistress, the African father of the black businesswoman, and other characters all come together in a finale that is comical and over-the-top and not at all in need of being credible.
There is a point to all the madness, and some of the characters are transformed by this incredible journey. The cat, I'm happy to say (this is not a spoiler!) will survive various assassination attempts.
Still. This could have been trimmed and tightened, a lot. Maybe I've been reading too many short stories lately. I've even take to reading poetry. I find myself reading short stories and thinking they'd have worked better in the shorter form of poems.
In all, this is fresh and entertaining read, unlike anything else I've read.
The story opens with a woman awakening to find herself transformed into a cat, or, she is somehow trapped inside the body of the family cat, a rag-muffin/Maine Coon mix named X. She is reminded of that guy who awoke as a cockroach. Eventually, the name comes to her. Samsa. Gregor Samsa. Then, Kafkha, and so on. Maybe it serves as a pop quiz for readers: can you name that author, that title, that TV show she's thinking of? Or maybe it's intended to show how her thoughts are helter-skelter, trapped as they are in the little smooth-brain of the cat.
No explanation is offered as to how a woman on a business trip continues to conduct her business in other countries, eve as some part of her sentient awareness is viewing what goes in her beloved house and home during her absence. The woman trapped in the cat has no access to the mind of the rest of herself in her usual body. The woman on the business trip is not aware of what this other part of herself is seeing through the cat's vantage point.
The wife, her nefarious husband, the sexual predator stalking on of their two daughters, the cat, the neighbor lady, the main mistress, the African father of the black businesswoman, and other characters all come together in a finale that is comical and over-the-top and not at all in need of being credible.
There is a point to all the madness, and some of the characters are transformed by this incredible journey. The cat, I'm happy to say (this is not a spoiler!) will survive various assassination attempts.
Still. This could have been trimmed and tightened, a lot. Maybe I've been reading too many short stories lately. I've even take to reading poetry. I find myself reading short stories and thinking they'd have worked better in the shorter form of poems.
In all, this is fresh and entertaining read, unlike anything else I've read.
December 17, 2018
The premise of this novel seemed so unlikely that I was immediately attracted to it. A British man writing from the perspective of a black woman who wakes up one day and realizes that her consciousness is somehow inside of her own pet cat. Cultural appropriation all over the place but so well done! This book is a massively enjoyable romp! I've been telling everyone about it.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the e-review edition.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the e-review edition.
January 24, 2022
Ok so… I actually skipped the middle section. Don’t care about the cheating spouses backstory at ALL. Read the first 60 and last 60 pages and it’s just right. This totally should have been a novella.
The. It could have been great.
Still loved the cat POV though, X fir the win!
The. It could have been great.
Still loved the cat POV though, X fir the win!
September 5, 2018
I wanted to love this book. The premise was enticing. Wake up as a cat and observe the life of your family from another perspective. But I couldn't get past that Dolores was in two places at once. One at home as a cat and one as her regular human self as a business executive. I realize this is a satire but it just didn't catch my attention. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 4, 2018
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Dolores Tremayne is a successful businesswoman that frequently travels around the world, while her husband, a writer, stays home and looks after their daughters. Dolores believes everything is absolutely fine with her family's life - that is, until one morning she wakes up to find part of her consciousness connected to X, the family cat.
While part of her consciousness is with her, away on a business trip, she also finds herself in the mind of her cat. And that is when she starts realizing that her family life is very far from perfect.
Cat Flap has a very interesting concept. It is certainly not the first book about a human being waking up to find their conscience in an animal's body, but it is clever and there is room for some interesting plot. However, the beginning was painfully slow, and the heroine was rambling to herself quite a lot, thus making it hard for me to find it entertaining. There were, of course, humorous parts and a quite satisfying ending, but overall, the book had too many unnecessary internal thoughts and monologues that the plot could benefit from omitting.
Dolores Tremayne is a successful businesswoman that frequently travels around the world, while her husband, a writer, stays home and looks after their daughters. Dolores believes everything is absolutely fine with her family's life - that is, until one morning she wakes up to find part of her consciousness connected to X, the family cat.
While part of her consciousness is with her, away on a business trip, she also finds herself in the mind of her cat. And that is when she starts realizing that her family life is very far from perfect.
Cat Flap has a very interesting concept. It is certainly not the first book about a human being waking up to find their conscience in an animal's body, but it is clever and there is room for some interesting plot. However, the beginning was painfully slow, and the heroine was rambling to herself quite a lot, thus making it hard for me to find it entertaining. There were, of course, humorous parts and a quite satisfying ending, but overall, the book had too many unnecessary internal thoughts and monologues that the plot could benefit from omitting.
August 6, 2018
The first and last chapters tell the whole story, the rest of the book is mainly random thoughts and musings of the main characters: Gerald Tremayne, the cheating husband living off of his wife's earnings as he supposedly writes a second novel; Dolores Tremayne, the hardworking, unsuspecting wife whose consciousness (at least part of it) unexplainably transfers into the family cat while Dolores is away on a business trip; and X, the family cat.
This book has an interesting premise, and the last chapter is entertaining; however, that is not enough to carry the whole book.
This book has an interesting premise, and the last chapter is entertaining; however, that is not enough to carry the whole book.
May 31, 2018
Dolores wakes up one day to find she is sharing the family cats body “X” but still on the way to a conference in another city. I really enjoyed the authors detail of being a cat, the feels and smells and wonders but it got a bit old after 60 pages of cat information. I was hoping for more of a funny book where human and cat conscious have a equal share of use over the cats actions. It seemed that the cat was being used more as a spy camera on the family instead of the wife being able to take the actions of the cat and interact with her family.
June 27, 2018
While the premise was funny and some interesting characters I found the story a little slow and couldn't really get into the cat's narrative...
I received this a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I received this a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
June 5, 2018
Imagine taking off on an international trip, only to wake up and discover that some aspect of your consciousness has been left behind at home, seen through the eyes of the family pet. What shenanigans might you witness, when your husband and kids have no idea you’re still quietly observing everything that happens at your house?
The irreverently unlikely premise of Cat Flap by Alan S. Cowell caught my attention straight away. I was curious enough to open the book and begin reading, and I found it difficult to put down once I started. I found myself intermittently hopeful yet cringing at some of the characters’ misadventures. The main character, Dolores Tremayne, found herself transported from a place of peaceful naiveté to horrified helplessness when she learned some of what her husband and kids were really up to while she was away. Being trapped in a cat’s body with no way to communicate with her family or primary self had her feeling doubly trapped. Despite the distasteful nature of some of the characters activities, Cowell managed to maintain a playful mood as events unfolded.
Overall, Cat Flap made for a light and entertaining book selection to kick off my summer. Yes, it’s ridiculously far-fetched, but its absurdity is what makes it fun. The fast-paced style of how the shocking events unfold made it a quick read. Cowell wrote with plenty of humor and a simple, flowing style of story-telling that has the reader pouncing along, chasing the thread of this utterly original adventure.
"Someone picked her up, tumbled her onto her back, rubbed her cozy, furry abdomen. She heard the sound of purring and realized that she was making it."
I received an Advanced Review Copy of Cat Flap by Alan S. Cowell, compliments of St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. This review was first published on my Damian Daily blog.
The irreverently unlikely premise of Cat Flap by Alan S. Cowell caught my attention straight away. I was curious enough to open the book and begin reading, and I found it difficult to put down once I started. I found myself intermittently hopeful yet cringing at some of the characters’ misadventures. The main character, Dolores Tremayne, found herself transported from a place of peaceful naiveté to horrified helplessness when she learned some of what her husband and kids were really up to while she was away. Being trapped in a cat’s body with no way to communicate with her family or primary self had her feeling doubly trapped. Despite the distasteful nature of some of the characters activities, Cowell managed to maintain a playful mood as events unfolded.
Overall, Cat Flap made for a light and entertaining book selection to kick off my summer. Yes, it’s ridiculously far-fetched, but its absurdity is what makes it fun. The fast-paced style of how the shocking events unfold made it a quick read. Cowell wrote with plenty of humor and a simple, flowing style of story-telling that has the reader pouncing along, chasing the thread of this utterly original adventure.
"Someone picked her up, tumbled her onto her back, rubbed her cozy, furry abdomen. She heard the sound of purring and realized that she was making it."
I received an Advanced Review Copy of Cat Flap by Alan S. Cowell, compliments of St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. This review was first published on my Damian Daily blog.
July 29, 2018
Princess Fuzzypants here: Be prepared for a Kafka-esque romp when Dolores, the high flying excutive realizes she is joined to the indoor family cat, X. While it is never explained how this happens and for much of the book, the reader is uncertain if there is still a two legged Dolores going about her business life elsewhere, X provides Dolores with a clear view of her life, her family and her marriage. It is not a pretty picture.
She discovers the double life her husband has been hiding from her at her peril as from the moment of discovery, both Gerald and his mistress try to harm, even kill, X. There’s enough of Dolores still in X that she is able to understand what she is seeing and attempt to impact it. It is both enlightening and frustrating and at times acidly funny. To be able to witness what is hidden from humans seems to be both gift and curse at various times. Despite her frenzied attempts to control X, it is the cat herself, a Maine Coon/Ragdoll cross, who turns out to be the true heroine of the piece.
When she sniffs up the remnants of Gerald’s illicit drugs and escapes through the cat flap, she leads Dolores and many others on a wild trip, in more ways that one, through North London where she saves one of her younger humans from a horrible fate. At the same time, she reveals Gerald for the cad that he is and reunites Dolores with her body and her children.
Imaginative and quirky, Cat Flap addresses a number of human challenges: racial and class identity and acceptance, marriage and fidelity, ;gender roles and ego are all addressed. It is through X’s eyes Dolores is able to come to term with this and much more.
This is, to say the least, a unique and slightly oddball story but I liked it. I give it five purrs and two paws up.
She discovers the double life her husband has been hiding from her at her peril as from the moment of discovery, both Gerald and his mistress try to harm, even kill, X. There’s enough of Dolores still in X that she is able to understand what she is seeing and attempt to impact it. It is both enlightening and frustrating and at times acidly funny. To be able to witness what is hidden from humans seems to be both gift and curse at various times. Despite her frenzied attempts to control X, it is the cat herself, a Maine Coon/Ragdoll cross, who turns out to be the true heroine of the piece.
When she sniffs up the remnants of Gerald’s illicit drugs and escapes through the cat flap, she leads Dolores and many others on a wild trip, in more ways that one, through North London where she saves one of her younger humans from a horrible fate. At the same time, she reveals Gerald for the cad that he is and reunites Dolores with her body and her children.
Imaginative and quirky, Cat Flap addresses a number of human challenges: racial and class identity and acceptance, marriage and fidelity, ;gender roles and ego are all addressed. It is through X’s eyes Dolores is able to come to term with this and much more.
This is, to say the least, a unique and slightly oddball story but I liked it. I give it five purrs and two paws up.
September 27, 2018
I read a review of this book that encouraged cat lovers to pick this book up, including those that have always wondered what it was like to be a cat. Immediately I was intrigued. "Cat Flap" ended up not being what I expected, but I enjoyed the ride.
Delores Tremayne is a successful business executive currently traveling the world on a business trip. One day she wakes up and realizes that her consciousness is in the family cat, X. Through X's eyes, she witnesses what her husband and daughters are up to while she is away. What she thought was a perfect family is far from the truth.
While I found "Cat Flap" to be a quick, easy read, the references to other books, movies, and TV shows became cumbersome. I understand that Delores is incredibly educated and that should be celebrated, however, the constant references really slowed down the narrative. I do believe this book could have been trimmed down without her inner dialogue trying to remember an author's name or the plot of a movie. Besides some areas that keep dragging on, I found X endearing and was rooting for her and Delores. While the book might be a slow start in the beginning, stick with it until the end! It's so over-the-top and hysterical that you'll find yourself cheering for X out loud!
Delores Tremayne is a successful business executive currently traveling the world on a business trip. One day she wakes up and realizes that her consciousness is in the family cat, X. Through X's eyes, she witnesses what her husband and daughters are up to while she is away. What she thought was a perfect family is far from the truth.
While I found "Cat Flap" to be a quick, easy read, the references to other books, movies, and TV shows became cumbersome. I understand that Delores is incredibly educated and that should be celebrated, however, the constant references really slowed down the narrative. I do believe this book could have been trimmed down without her inner dialogue trying to remember an author's name or the plot of a movie. Besides some areas that keep dragging on, I found X endearing and was rooting for her and Delores. While the book might be a slow start in the beginning, stick with it until the end! It's so over-the-top and hysterical that you'll find yourself cheering for X out loud!
November 13, 2019
The plot mainly follows the world through the lens of a cat一the protagonist’s cat—while the consciousness is that of the protagonist her-very-self. It’s just too bad that she finds herself in the body of her pet cat, living out its insouciant life. Not unlike a dreamer watching herself in a dream yet frustratingly powerless to act voluntarily. The narrative itself can be discombobulating: now it’s in the first person, now it’s Dolores the protagonist, now it’s X the cat; then it’s her perfidious husband, then it’s her protective dad. The waters got so muddied for me, I withdrew the bookmark for good before chapter two could end. The saving grace to grant it the benefit of doubt the following night? The laudable writing. Literary, no doubt, whilst by turns acerbic and facetious, pervaded with clever, metaphorical brain teasers—think Colson Whitehead, Eric Chevillard and their ilk. Which was when I found my foothold, and am I glad I hung around long enough. Although, I still can’t get my head around “But the champagne cork is back in the bottle”. Then again, we don’t have to understand everything in life, do we?
November 3, 2018
This book took a little while for me to get into. I thought the premise clever and indeed it was a satisfying read. Having the protagonist mysteriously inhabiting her cat while she is away on a business trip is the conceit by which the reader learns about the family and marriage. Delores is the successful child of a South African diplomat father and English philanthropist mother. She makes good on the father's expectations and is and executive for a software company that does business with international corporations.
Delores husband Gerald, former handyman cum low level drug dealer made good as novelist, stays at home and cares for their two teen daughters. Through the eyes of the cat, X, Delores discovers that Gerald has not been diligently working on the sequel to his first novel, but having it off with the neighbor among many other less than exemplary activities. The story is told from the viewpoint of
a variety of characters to an expected but very entertaining, ridiculous end.
Recommend for fans of cat themed fiction.
Delores husband Gerald, former handyman cum low level drug dealer made good as novelist, stays at home and cares for their two teen daughters. Through the eyes of the cat, X, Delores discovers that Gerald has not been diligently working on the sequel to his first novel, but having it off with the neighbor among many other less than exemplary activities. The story is told from the viewpoint of
a variety of characters to an expected but very entertaining, ridiculous end.
Recommend for fans of cat themed fiction.
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September 13, 2021I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Big thanks to Net Galley.
I really loved the premise of this book. First thing's first, I am a cat person, so any piece of media that features cats tends to capture my attention. I was also intrigued by the premise. I like stories about messy families, marital troubles, and other interpersonal struggles.
The book did not end up living up to my expectations. I'm not sure what else I wanted - I guess that I just didn't find any of the revelations pretty shocking, nor did I think it did anything all that new with the emotional side of the story. However, there was plenty that I liked about it. I loved reading about Dolores exploring her new cat body, appreciating the new scents and sounds that she's able to experience, even though ultimately the experience itself isn't an ideal one for her. I also laughed out loud at numerous moments.
Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who has ever wondered what secrets their pet cat knows about them! I certainly won't be looking at my cat the same way.
I really loved the premise of this book. First thing's first, I am a cat person, so any piece of media that features cats tends to capture my attention. I was also intrigued by the premise. I like stories about messy families, marital troubles, and other interpersonal struggles.
The book did not end up living up to my expectations. I'm not sure what else I wanted - I guess that I just didn't find any of the revelations pretty shocking, nor did I think it did anything all that new with the emotional side of the story. However, there was plenty that I liked about it. I loved reading about Dolores exploring her new cat body, appreciating the new scents and sounds that she's able to experience, even though ultimately the experience itself isn't an ideal one for her. I also laughed out loud at numerous moments.
Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who has ever wondered what secrets their pet cat knows about them! I certainly won't be looking at my cat the same way.
August 5, 2018
This book is hilarious! What a concept unlike any I have read before.
A women who travels internationally for business wakes up and finds out her conscious self is seeing life through her cat at home. She is fascinated at first but then finds out her husband is a sexual predator after one of her daughters and both her daughters are up to no good while she is gone. The life she thought she had at home comes crashing down and her frustration is that she can't do anything about it as a cat. She is merely a witness to their lives unable to reach out. The cat characteristics were very well described. This author knows cats.
I found this humorous and fun to read. its a great concept for entertainment .
The writing was a bit hard to read but it picked up halfway through and held my attention.
A interesting book ! A fun diversion from life which is what we need from reading.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.
A women who travels internationally for business wakes up and finds out her conscious self is seeing life through her cat at home. She is fascinated at first but then finds out her husband is a sexual predator after one of her daughters and both her daughters are up to no good while she is gone. The life she thought she had at home comes crashing down and her frustration is that she can't do anything about it as a cat. She is merely a witness to their lives unable to reach out. The cat characteristics were very well described. This author knows cats.
I found this humorous and fun to read. its a great concept for entertainment .
The writing was a bit hard to read but it picked up halfway through and held my attention.
A interesting book ! A fun diversion from life which is what we need from reading.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.
June 24, 2019
Don’t be misled by the cover of this book. It’s not a cozy or children’s book. It features a crazy yet uniquely creative storyline. The best part of the book for me was the detailed description of life through a cat’s eyes. The plot of this novel by British author Alan S. Cowell is complicated yet simple. Dolores Tremayne, a busy career woman married to Gerald Treymayne, a wannabe great novelist and secret drug dealer, finds herself in the body of her cat named X while simultaneously going about her regular routine on a business trip away from her family. As “X,” Dolores discovers the unsavory details of her husband’s affairs with other women. But when Gerald seeks to rid himself of the cat by an unfortunate “accident,” X foils his plans in a comical and zany excapade that involves Dolores, her daughters, her father, and one of Gerald’s mistresses. If you want a laugh, like British
humor and cats, you’ll enjoy this book.
humor and cats, you’ll enjoy this book.
July 17, 2018
Interesting concept and intriguing characters but this ultimately fell flat for me. I'd hoped for a laugh- and there were a few- but Delores was not getting the funny side of being a cat, only the bad news of what was going on at home. The whole thing is so out there that you have to suspend logic for it to make sense (and not question some things). There are, as others have pointed out, lots of references to other novels, television, movies etc. but that wasn't an issue for me. If there's a failing for me it was that it is not the zippy read it might have been. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
May 30, 2023
Cat Flap simply is a disappointment. The premise was funny..somehow a busy executive married family woman is caught inside her cat's consciousness. I wanted the why or how of that to be discussed but it wasn't. A magic event? Chanting so much that the soul got lost in the warm body of the the household cat? Something?? anyway.What is seen through the cat's eyes revealed a low life cheater of a husband . I felt weary reading again of a no good man. The best part of the book was the cat's perspective. The author made X,the cat real like a cat. The surrounding mess of a plot just went off the rails in chaos.
April 16, 2019
I just couldn't finish this book. I really wanted to like it. X is a big poofy ragdoll cat that I've always wanted and she could think and interact with the presence in her mind. However, more than two thirds of the book was exposition about this dysfunctional family meaning all the action would end up crammed together into a sliver of the book and I couldn't imagine that I would feel satisfied about it. So I gave up and read the last chapter and the epilogue and I can't help but feel that I didn't miss anything important.
September 23, 2021
Dolores inexplicably awakens with her consciousness transferred into her cat, X. X is still present in her own feline body and doing her own thing; Dolores is just along for the ride. Inside of X's body, Dolores is witness to things she would otherwise have never known about her family, and we also get to experience life from X's point of view, watching the bipeds go about their business. The best parts to me were X's interpretations of things, and certainly the language X used could be entertaining. I didn't love this overall, but it was decent. 2.5 stars rounded to 3.
January 10, 2022
This is a funny, weird, and interesting book. It talks about a women who find herself in a cat body and a cat that shares her body with a woman.
As it was written before the pandemics it talks about a world we left behind.
Dolores, the women in the cat body, discovers that her family is not perfect as she thought, and she acts as she can. X and Dolores were two interesting characters, others were not likeable but all well written.
I liked the wry dark humour and the style of writing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
As it was written before the pandemics it talks about a world we left behind.
Dolores, the women in the cat body, discovers that her family is not perfect as she thought, and she acts as she can. X and Dolores were two interesting characters, others were not likeable but all well written.
I liked the wry dark humour and the style of writing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
October 29, 2024
This book about a woman trapped in the body of a cat was quite a bit more involved than I expected! Portraying the world through a cat's eyes and a human's learned brain is a gimmick of course, but it has some clever aspects that amused me. The plot turned into quite a romp when all the action converged into a traffic jam and the cad, Gerald Tremayne ends up getting busted as he deserved. I almost bailed on this book halfway through, but it had enough redeeming qualities I'm glad I finished. Would recommend to some, but not all readers.
May 11, 2023
I didn't care for the subject matter in the book which made it hard to read. I guess it was clever to have the cat be the snitch. It was too far-fetched and it did not have a happy ending for anyone. Maybe Dolores did since she found out what a loser husband and father she had married by turning into their cat, X. Maybe she can go on and have a good life. Their daughters suffered and X the cat was killed in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2023
This was on display at the library and I picked it up out of curiosity. Maybe I'm a cat, too? The first lines had me flashing back to a class I took in college, German novellas....all in German. I chuckled when not too far into the story, the cat remembers that same novella. Nothing serious, kind of silly and entertaining. I could see where the story was going to send us, but read to see how we'd get there.
February 25, 2019
This was an... odd book. Dolores leaves on a high flying business trip to Europe but manages to leave part of her conciousness in the family cat. As the cat she sees and learns things about her husband that are disturbing, and that her daughter is careening towards and ill-advised meeting with someone she met online.
Everything converges at the end in one location which was kind of amusing.
Everything converges at the end in one location which was kind of amusing.
August 12, 2021
I was really looking forward to reading Catflap but I struggled to get in to the story. I read up to chapter 4 and was abit lossed with what was going on. I could not finish the book because I found it hard to get into. I am sure other people who like this style of book would get into it.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.
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