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The Cat Man: A Tragicomic Love Triangle Set in a Crazy Cat Cult
Rex loves Chloe, but Chloe is obsessed with Casper, the charismatic leader of the cat cult she’s joined. To get close to her, Rex joins Felinism and becomes a Level Three initiate. Travelling with the Cat Man while Chloe stays at home in Perth, Rex finds out what sort of a person his love rival really is, and he’s not always impressed. But he’s also become a true believer, and Casper has become a friend. Can Rex’s dogged devotion to Chloe win her over? What is journalist Butch McNab sniffing around for, and will he find it? Could Rex help Butch bring the whole organisation down? And most important of all, is it true that cats are aliens and we are their slaves? You’ll laugh, you’ll sigh and you may even purr a little when you read The Cat Man.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2019
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 13, 2020
I liked the story over all. The Australia setting was fun. The main character is likable and I was rooting for him through out the story. The nemesis was likable and easy to hate which was fun and made the story more believable. The ending seemed abrupt and I’m not sure of Chloe’s motive.
August 30, 2019
Just finished reading my free copy courtesy of voracious readers only and it was brilliant! I loved the way it was written and the historical aspects of it and the comedy really set it apart from other books I have read. It was truly enjoyable!
Great work!
Great work!
August 11, 2021
Absolutely delightful! From the plot to the setting to the characters, this was such a fun read! I thought the writing was witty and well done, and the historical points were a nice touch. I quite liked Rex and the author did a great job with Casper as the enigmatic, yet egocentric leader of Felinism. While the book has countless of moments of humor, it also gave an interesting view on how “fad” cults can come about, and how quickly they can rise. The last few chapters did seem a little rushed, but overall, a funny and entertaining novel.
Thank you Voracious Readers and Nick Bruechle for my copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you Voracious Readers and Nick Bruechle for my copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 6, 2020
Excellent book although it was hard to read because it was very descriptive I would reread it again and definitely recommend to others! Thank you Voracious and Mr. Bruechle for giving me the opportunity to read this book your characters Chloe and Rex felt so real when I read your novel I hope u continue to write in the future I will look forward to reading more of your books!!
August 3, 2021
Complimentary copy received from Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review
I enjoyed this well written story of Rex and how he got swept up into a cult. Some reviewers ask how he could be so gullible but with his obsession of Chloe clouding his judgement, I think I was easy. I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on the validity of the cult's claims and beliefs and his justification of them (and Casper's behaviour).
Amusing/scary look at human nature!
I enjoyed this well written story of Rex and how he got swept up into a cult. Some reviewers ask how he could be so gullible but with his obsession of Chloe clouding his judgement, I think I was easy. I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on the validity of the cult's claims and beliefs and his justification of them (and Casper's behaviour).
Amusing/scary look at human nature!
February 21, 2020
I received a free copy. Loved the book. I found myself laughing out loud.
June 18, 2021
I got a free copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
I have to admit, this book was quite different than anything I've read recently. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't this.
Set in Australia, we follow Rex, an affable bloke who heads up a construction crew and hopelessly pines for Chloe, who has become involved with a cult called Felinism, and also with its leader Casper White, a holistic guru who is intent on spreading his cult Down Under through the propagation of various Cat Life Centres throughout the continent. Things start getting interesting when Casper decides to return to Australia, and hires Rex to be a personal assistant.
Author Nick Bruechle definitely has a way with words! I couldn't help but read through the story with an Australian accent playing in my head. It's witty and very descriptive as only an Aussie could make it.
I quite enjoyed the intros to each chapter, ostensibly written by Casper White in his Felinism bible, which purports to show how some people are like cats, and some are like dogs. Rex is definitely a dog, Chloe and Casper are cats.
There wasn't anything overly jaw-dropping about the story, and some of the characters are just plain unlikeable, yet Bruechle's way with words and his descriptions of the Australian settings, along with the sincere qualities he give Rex, helped keep my attention. Would I recommend it? Yes. It's a character study with some interesting dialogue and settings, and the reading just breezes by.
7 finicky felines out of 10.
I have to admit, this book was quite different than anything I've read recently. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't this.
Set in Australia, we follow Rex, an affable bloke who heads up a construction crew and hopelessly pines for Chloe, who has become involved with a cult called Felinism, and also with its leader Casper White, a holistic guru who is intent on spreading his cult Down Under through the propagation of various Cat Life Centres throughout the continent. Things start getting interesting when Casper decides to return to Australia, and hires Rex to be a personal assistant.
Author Nick Bruechle definitely has a way with words! I couldn't help but read through the story with an Australian accent playing in my head. It's witty and very descriptive as only an Aussie could make it.
I quite enjoyed the intros to each chapter, ostensibly written by Casper White in his Felinism bible, which purports to show how some people are like cats, and some are like dogs. Rex is definitely a dog, Chloe and Casper are cats.
There wasn't anything overly jaw-dropping about the story, and some of the characters are just plain unlikeable, yet Bruechle's way with words and his descriptions of the Australian settings, along with the sincere qualities he give Rex, helped keep my attention. Would I recommend it? Yes. It's a character study with some interesting dialogue and settings, and the reading just breezes by.
7 finicky felines out of 10.
June 21, 2021
I enjoyed this humorous and sardonic send up of cults and cat lovers (of which I am one btw - cat lover not cultist ). sent to emas a complimentary review copy from the author via Voracious Readers Only
May 22, 2020
This was a fantastic and fun read focusing on the intricacies of following an enigmatic leader. For a more thorough review, visit my blog www.overlycaffeinatedb.wixsite.com/my...
March 25, 2022
This is an interesting read. This is a new author to my collection. Anxious to see what else he has. Enjoyed this one.
August 28, 2020
I had recieved this book months ago from voracious readers because I thought the description sounded intriguing. I just recently found the time to read this book and I thought I would give it a proper review.
Overall I did like this book andI found it very entertaining. I had saw some reviews claiming that the book was hilarious and funny, but I would not say The Cat man is an hilarious read or even a comedy. Honestly, from the description, I expected something it little bit different. I don't want to reveal any spoilers but, for example, I expected a more rounded story with more detail about Casper's cult. Which, to be frank, the whole thing was utterly ridiculous. Who in their right minds would believe that cats came from outer space? I know that this book is meant to be read with an open mind and not all aspects of a story has to be real or relateable, but I just could not get past the fact that these level three felinists could actually believe something so utterly ridiculous. Are people really that naive and willing to believe in anything?
Another thing that I disliked about the book was the ending. Nothing was really resolved. After all the work Butch went through to tear down the cult it still was up and running in the end. So, it really made me wonder, what was the purpose of writing this book? Nothing was concluded and there was really no character developement so what was the point? Did he leave the ending open on purpose for another book? Or was he leaving the ending open for the reader to interpret it how they wanted it? It really makes one wonder.
The last thing I would like to discuss is the authors writing style. Nick really tried to add other perspectives into the story, but the way he had wrote it made it kind of hard to follow. One paragraph you could be in Casper's POV (point of view) and the next Rex's POV. It was just a bit confusing to me at least.
Like I have mentioned before, I really did find this book enjoyable and overall entertaining, but I would not take the time to read it again or really recommend it.
Overall I did like this book andI found it very entertaining. I had saw some reviews claiming that the book was hilarious and funny, but I would not say The Cat man is an hilarious read or even a comedy. Honestly, from the description, I expected something it little bit different. I don't want to reveal any spoilers but, for example, I expected a more rounded story with more detail about Casper's cult. Which, to be frank, the whole thing was utterly ridiculous. Who in their right minds would believe that cats came from outer space? I know that this book is meant to be read with an open mind and not all aspects of a story has to be real or relateable, but I just could not get past the fact that these level three felinists could actually believe something so utterly ridiculous. Are people really that naive and willing to believe in anything?
Another thing that I disliked about the book was the ending. Nothing was really resolved. After all the work Butch went through to tear down the cult it still was up and running in the end. So, it really made me wonder, what was the purpose of writing this book? Nothing was concluded and there was really no character developement so what was the point? Did he leave the ending open on purpose for another book? Or was he leaving the ending open for the reader to interpret it how they wanted it? It really makes one wonder.
The last thing I would like to discuss is the authors writing style. Nick really tried to add other perspectives into the story, but the way he had wrote it made it kind of hard to follow. One paragraph you could be in Casper's POV (point of view) and the next Rex's POV. It was just a bit confusing to me at least.
Like I have mentioned before, I really did find this book enjoyable and overall entertaining, but I would not take the time to read it again or really recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2021
This was a crazy little bundle of fur - I mean fun.
The subtitle alone piqued my interest in this one, who wouldn't want to read about a crazy cat cult and while I took a couple of pages to settle into it (genuinely thought the characters were actual animals for the first few minutes) once it got going I really enjoyed it.
For me, the characters weren't deeply developed, they were all very two dimensional. Chloe is beautiful and standoffish but enjoys the devotion of Rex. Rex is an absolute slave to Chloe waiting for her to throw him a bone...I'm no longer sure if that is actually a line from the book or just me becoming one with the cat cult ethos... Casper is a crazy megalomaniac and the other characters, well they don't get a lot of anything really.
However, it was a fun ride, I enjoyed the little 'Casperisms' at the start of each chapter and the growing development of the cat cult which I feel is poking a lot of fun at Scientology and Cults in general. There were some darker issues running through the book which didn't really get resolved, the ending was really abrupt, and I'm not sure that I liked how it ended. I'd like to see Rex end up happy (every dog gets his day after all) but not in the way that the book suggested. I really enjoyed the Australian setting and the sheer bonkers ideas and beliefs of the Cat Cult.
Overall, a short and easy read, definitely a lot of fun and I'll think twice before heading to a cat cafe now...
I was sent this copy free from Voracious Readers in return for an honest review.
The subtitle alone piqued my interest in this one, who wouldn't want to read about a crazy cat cult and while I took a couple of pages to settle into it (genuinely thought the characters were actual animals for the first few minutes) once it got going I really enjoyed it.
For me, the characters weren't deeply developed, they were all very two dimensional. Chloe is beautiful and standoffish but enjoys the devotion of Rex. Rex is an absolute slave to Chloe waiting for her to throw him a bone...I'm no longer sure if that is actually a line from the book or just me becoming one with the cat cult ethos... Casper is a crazy megalomaniac and the other characters, well they don't get a lot of anything really.
However, it was a fun ride, I enjoyed the little 'Casperisms' at the start of each chapter and the growing development of the cat cult which I feel is poking a lot of fun at Scientology and Cults in general. There were some darker issues running through the book which didn't really get resolved, the ending was really abrupt, and I'm not sure that I liked how it ended. I'd like to see Rex end up happy (every dog gets his day after all) but not in the way that the book suggested. I really enjoyed the Australian setting and the sheer bonkers ideas and beliefs of the Cat Cult.
Overall, a short and easy read, definitely a lot of fun and I'll think twice before heading to a cat cafe now...
I was sent this copy free from Voracious Readers in return for an honest review.
September 2, 2020
I received a copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.
The Cat Man follows the story of Rex, Chloe and Casper, the latter of which runs a cult based around the glorification of domestic cats. When I first started this book, the frequent cat and dog metaphors for every character were annoying and a little bit confusing for me, but once the story takes off and you get a feel for the characters it starts to add to the charm. While I initially thought this was going to be a cheesy read, it does take an unexpectedly dark turn as our protagonist Rex falls deeper into the cult, and begins to see the dark side of Casper. I was pleasantly surprised by how well this story handles the serious subject manner without ever straying too far from its overall light-hearted tone.
Overall, my main complaint with this story is how much I just really didn't like the love interest Chloe, and I really didn't want her to have a happy ending. But this doesn't change what a great book this is - the plot goes beyond the love triangle enough that I was still entertained the whole way through. I would very much recommend this book!
The Cat Man follows the story of Rex, Chloe and Casper, the latter of which runs a cult based around the glorification of domestic cats. When I first started this book, the frequent cat and dog metaphors for every character were annoying and a little bit confusing for me, but once the story takes off and you get a feel for the characters it starts to add to the charm. While I initially thought this was going to be a cheesy read, it does take an unexpectedly dark turn as our protagonist Rex falls deeper into the cult, and begins to see the dark side of Casper. I was pleasantly surprised by how well this story handles the serious subject manner without ever straying too far from its overall light-hearted tone.
Overall, my main complaint with this story is how much I just really didn't like the love interest Chloe, and I really didn't want her to have a happy ending. But this doesn't change what a great book this is - the plot goes beyond the love triangle enough that I was still entertained the whole way through. I would very much recommend this book!
May 30, 2022
This genre is not one I read often, but the premise fascinated me.
Nick Bruechle is new to me but I found his writing style to be hypnotic.
The story took me to places both dark and disturbing and others appearing posh, luxurious, classy.
I appreciated the use of Aussie vernacular both for descriptive power and to take the reader out of typical observation (via reading) mode.
When writing about the darker places and topics, Nick made the book FEEL gritty and distasteful, even when tactfully dealing with things.
In contrast, when things were feeling classy and brilliant, the words flowed silkily over the pages.
At times, rightfully so, feeling slick and impossibly beautiful.
This is a romance but also a tale of deceit and corruption, of things being too good to be true.
Playing off the wishes and desires of people to belong.
Voracious Readers kindly offered me this book to read.
Nick Bruechle is new to me but I found his writing style to be hypnotic.
The story took me to places both dark and disturbing and others appearing posh, luxurious, classy.
I appreciated the use of Aussie vernacular both for descriptive power and to take the reader out of typical observation (via reading) mode.
When writing about the darker places and topics, Nick made the book FEEL gritty and distasteful, even when tactfully dealing with things.
In contrast, when things were feeling classy and brilliant, the words flowed silkily over the pages.
At times, rightfully so, feeling slick and impossibly beautiful.
This is a romance but also a tale of deceit and corruption, of things being too good to be true.
Playing off the wishes and desires of people to belong.
Voracious Readers kindly offered me this book to read.
May 12, 2020
I got this book free from Voracious Readers in exchange for my honest review, so here it is.
I wanted to like this book - I really did. The narrative is great and I love the author's witty descriptions and all the cat humor. But alas, I couldn't - Rex was too much of a lovestruck simpleton - dumber than a second coat of paint - for me to understand and there was nothing redeeming about Chloe other than her beauty - it was pathetic watching her wipe her arse with him and him hanging in there literally like the puppy dog she accused him of being. What the ever-loving titty-f*%#ing hell? It was like watching Forrest Gump and his pathetic pining for Jenny - minus the fact that Jenny may have been a train wreck but truly seemed to care for Forrest, yet Chloe is a self-absorbed, selfish human stain that I just couldn't give an aeronautical fornication about!
September 7, 2021
*** I received a free review copy from Voracious reader in exchange for honest review ***
At first, I thought this book is a rom-com book, turn out the romance part is quite weak.
Instead, the whole story is about Rex's journey with the Felinism. At the beginning of most of the chapters included a part of the Casper's saying, so the reader know what kind of things Casper is teaching in the church.
The set up is funny, I.e. all the ideas behind Felinism, and it is the reason why I pick this book to read.
Treat this book as a visit of a crazy cat cult, why people like it and the truth behind this cult, just ignore the love triangle part, because it is not that important and the ending between Rex and Chole is quite disappointing.
At first, I thought this book is a rom-com book, turn out the romance part is quite weak.
Instead, the whole story is about Rex's journey with the Felinism. At the beginning of most of the chapters included a part of the Casper's saying, so the reader know what kind of things Casper is teaching in the church.
The set up is funny, I.e. all the ideas behind Felinism, and it is the reason why I pick this book to read.
Treat this book as a visit of a crazy cat cult, why people like it and the truth behind this cult, just ignore the love triangle part, because it is not that important and the ending between Rex and Chole is quite disappointing.
August 5, 2022
Received a free copy of this from Voracious Readers Only for an honest review.
This was a pretty entertaining book and very easy to get through. The cult element was very well done, over the top enough to be satirical but also real enough to not seem unbelievable in my opinion. Like other reviewers I didn't enjoy the "love triangle" element as it didn't feel like that resolved in a satisfactory way and I also would have liked to see a bit more fall-out from the newspaper article that Butch wrote at the end. It all seemed to end a bit too neat but other than that it was a quick and relatively enjoyable read.
This was a pretty entertaining book and very easy to get through. The cult element was very well done, over the top enough to be satirical but also real enough to not seem unbelievable in my opinion. Like other reviewers I didn't enjoy the "love triangle" element as it didn't feel like that resolved in a satisfactory way and I also would have liked to see a bit more fall-out from the newspaper article that Butch wrote at the end. It all seemed to end a bit too neat but other than that it was a quick and relatively enjoyable read.
March 30, 2020
I got a free copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked:
- The idea of the story is just so weird and interesting
- Awesome writing
- The book was really well thought through
- At the beginning of every chapter were little excerpts of felinism lessons
What I didn't like:
- Most of the characters but I understand why it has to be that way
What I liked:
- The idea of the story is just so weird and interesting
- Awesome writing
- The book was really well thought through
- At the beginning of every chapter were little excerpts of felinism lessons
What I didn't like:
- Most of the characters but I understand why it has to be that way
August 8, 2020
Voracious Reader review... I just couldnt get into this one and found it a bit boring to be honest.
Read
June 29, 2021while the main character was interesting and somewhat likable i found i couldn't really find his density that likable. i found it to be somewhat slow going with this story. but overall a good read.
November 4, 2020
I received my complimentary copy from Voracious Readers Only. First off, I felt really bad about Rex and the fact that he was being used by Chloe, but I then felt he was bringing it on himself for still chasing her. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a real Cat "cult". Enjoyed the book as well as the twist at the end.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews