What do you think?
Rate this book
Matthew Flinders Cat
Billy O'Shannessy, once a prominent barrister, is now on the street where he sleeps on a bench outside the State Library. Above him on the window sill rests a bronze statue of Matthew Flinders' cat, Trim. Ryan is a ten-year-old, a near street kid heading for all the usual trouble. The two meet and form an unlikely friendship. Appealing to the boy's imagination by telling him the story of the circumnavigation of Australia as seen through Trim's eyes, Billy is drawn deeply into Ryan's life and into the Sydney underworld. Over several months the two begin the mutual process of rehabilitation. Matthew Flinders' Cat is a modern-day story of a city, its crime, the plight of the homeless and the politics of greed and perversion. It is also a story of the human heart, with an enchanting glimpse into our past from the viewpoint of a famous cat.
Audiobook
First published January 1, 2002
104 people are currently reading
1813 people want to read
About the author
Bryce Courtenay
58 books2,286 followersArthur Bryce Courtenay, AM was a South African-Australian advertising director and novelist. He is one of Australia's best-selling authors, notable for his book The Power of One.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
April 17, 2015
Despite the title, this is primarily the story of Billy O’Shannessy - once a prominent lawyer, now an alcoholic derelict sleeping rough - and Ryan, an 11 year old boy who Billy recognises as having a bright mind and showing great potential, but who is cared for by a grandmother in the last stages of cancer and a mother who is an “exotic dancer” and a heroin addict.
Through listening to this book, I found out more than I ever needed to know about alcoholism, homelessness, drug addiction and paedophilia, but it definitely gave me an empathy for the way people in these various groups live their lives (not for the men involved in paedophilia rings - who knew there were groups that preyed on young boys? Or am I just an innocent who never realised this?! - but for the poor boys caught up in this trap). Despite his alcoholism, I felt a connection to Billy - although he lived as a derelict, he didn’t abandon his good manners, and was always pleasant and polite as he dealt with people.
Billy meets Ryan near the State Library of NSW, where a bronze statue of Trim, Matthew Flinders’ cat, rests on a window sill. I can’t remember how it came about, but Billy starts to tell Ryan the story of Trim Flinders each time they meet (and do I admit my ignorance of the life of Matthew Flinders’ cat at this point?? Is this meant to be common knowledge? I’m sure I was never taught it at school…) and both Billy and Ryan come to identify with Trim in one way or another. Billy's fictional account of Trim's adventures made for a welcome respite from the stories of life on the streets of Kings Cross - and Ryan seemed to view these times as a bit of escapism as well.
But Billy has his own demons to fight, and Ryan is placed in a very difficult position and it is easy to see how people can get caught in situations which they never intended, perhaps through no fault of their own.
This is my first Bryce Courtenay, and while I’m sorry that he is no longer alive to write more wonderful books like this, and I am also sorry that it has taken me this long before I read one of his books, I’m also glad that I still have so many more of his works to read!
Through listening to this book, I found out more than I ever needed to know about alcoholism, homelessness, drug addiction and paedophilia, but it definitely gave me an empathy for the way people in these various groups live their lives (not for the men involved in paedophilia rings - who knew there were groups that preyed on young boys? Or am I just an innocent who never realised this?! - but for the poor boys caught up in this trap). Despite his alcoholism, I felt a connection to Billy - although he lived as a derelict, he didn’t abandon his good manners, and was always pleasant and polite as he dealt with people.
Billy meets Ryan near the State Library of NSW, where a bronze statue of Trim, Matthew Flinders’ cat, rests on a window sill. I can’t remember how it came about, but Billy starts to tell Ryan the story of Trim Flinders each time they meet (and do I admit my ignorance of the life of Matthew Flinders’ cat at this point?? Is this meant to be common knowledge? I’m sure I was never taught it at school…) and both Billy and Ryan come to identify with Trim in one way or another. Billy's fictional account of Trim's adventures made for a welcome respite from the stories of life on the streets of Kings Cross - and Ryan seemed to view these times as a bit of escapism as well.
But Billy has his own demons to fight, and Ryan is placed in a very difficult position and it is easy to see how people can get caught in situations which they never intended, perhaps through no fault of their own.
This is my first Bryce Courtenay, and while I’m sorry that he is no longer alive to write more wonderful books like this, and I am also sorry that it has taken me this long before I read one of his books, I’m also glad that I still have so many more of his works to read!
April 8, 2023
Master storyteller Bryce Courtenay returns with another of his formidable stories, again set in Australia. Courtenay offers a wonderful mix of a strong narrative foundation with stellar characters who colour each page, while providing some insight into Australian history and societal norms throughout a period in the country’s history. Never one to skimp on the details, Courtenay offers up a majestic journey through the story’s complex pathways, leaving the reader in awe at every turn.
Billy O'Shannessy was once well-known in the legal community, but has since let himself go, lost in the bottle. Now living on the streets, he makes every day his new adventure to conquer. While he sleeps on a bench in the park, he’s close to the bronze statue of Trim, the cat who accompanied Matthew Flinders on his many adventures exploring and discovering Australia. Billy has a connection to Trim and is said to speak with him on occasion, learning all about the feline’s countless adventures on the high seas.
A chance encounter with a ten-year-old Ryan has Billy thinking more about his life choices. While he regales Ryan with Trim’s adventures, Billy knows that he must change his ways if he hopes to survive. While it is apparent that Ryan has secrets of his own, including family problems and severe neglect, Billy hopes to be able to act as a support. That will require a strong determination and rehabilitation to stop drinking and become the role model young Ryan needs.
While Billy and Ryan enjoy the stories of Trim, there is a more modern and impactful adventure that awaits them as they seek new lives to better themselves. This is the story of their connection, encountering many interesting characters along the way, as they try to change their pasts to project a more positive future for themselves. Touching on a number of key themes and social issues of the time, the tale offers readers a sensational look into it all with Bryce Courtenay at the helm, a captain anyone would hope to have lead them.
While Bruce Courtenay has penned many novels—all of which I have read—none is a repeat of any other. The themes that emerge are both impactful and educational for anyone who takes the time to digest these longer stories,. Led by a strong narrative, Courtenay takes the reader on adventures and into the nooks of life wherever he sets the story. While there is obvious meandering, nothing is superfluous in Courtenay’s writing, as it all comes back to be an essential part of the larger piece. Characters abound and each has their own flavouring to add to the book, usually from all corners of the earth. Plots develop and become important whenever Courtenay needs them, but there is an underlying theme of social exploration in each, offering up a gem or two for the reader to enjoy. Educational moments abound, leaving me wanting to know more about so many subjects. While the world lost one of its great storytellers, the novels of Bryce Courtenay live on and seem timeless. As I have said before, these are some of the only books I could re-read and always feel a new adventure awaits me. Any of his books are must-reads, though readers who want a larger challenge might want to try some of his trilogy or duology works.
Kudos, Mr. Courtenay, for another brilliant piece that keeps me on my toes.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Billy O'Shannessy was once well-known in the legal community, but has since let himself go, lost in the bottle. Now living on the streets, he makes every day his new adventure to conquer. While he sleeps on a bench in the park, he’s close to the bronze statue of Trim, the cat who accompanied Matthew Flinders on his many adventures exploring and discovering Australia. Billy has a connection to Trim and is said to speak with him on occasion, learning all about the feline’s countless adventures on the high seas.
A chance encounter with a ten-year-old Ryan has Billy thinking more about his life choices. While he regales Ryan with Trim’s adventures, Billy knows that he must change his ways if he hopes to survive. While it is apparent that Ryan has secrets of his own, including family problems and severe neglect, Billy hopes to be able to act as a support. That will require a strong determination and rehabilitation to stop drinking and become the role model young Ryan needs.
While Billy and Ryan enjoy the stories of Trim, there is a more modern and impactful adventure that awaits them as they seek new lives to better themselves. This is the story of their connection, encountering many interesting characters along the way, as they try to change their pasts to project a more positive future for themselves. Touching on a number of key themes and social issues of the time, the tale offers readers a sensational look into it all with Bryce Courtenay at the helm, a captain anyone would hope to have lead them.
While Bruce Courtenay has penned many novels—all of which I have read—none is a repeat of any other. The themes that emerge are both impactful and educational for anyone who takes the time to digest these longer stories,. Led by a strong narrative, Courtenay takes the reader on adventures and into the nooks of life wherever he sets the story. While there is obvious meandering, nothing is superfluous in Courtenay’s writing, as it all comes back to be an essential part of the larger piece. Characters abound and each has their own flavouring to add to the book, usually from all corners of the earth. Plots develop and become important whenever Courtenay needs them, but there is an underlying theme of social exploration in each, offering up a gem or two for the reader to enjoy. Educational moments abound, leaving me wanting to know more about so many subjects. While the world lost one of its great storytellers, the novels of Bryce Courtenay live on and seem timeless. As I have said before, these are some of the only books I could re-read and always feel a new adventure awaits me. Any of his books are must-reads, though readers who want a larger challenge might want to try some of his trilogy or duology works.
Kudos, Mr. Courtenay, for another brilliant piece that keeps me on my toes.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
January 26, 2022
4.50 Stars (Rnd ⬇️) — An enjoyable Aussie tale, set amongst the madness of Kings Cross, that is a quintessentially-idyllic tale of redemption, friendship, the power of perspective and most of all, the ridiculousness of the extremes that can come from the choices we made each and every day.
Told in true Bryce Courtenay style, this is a must-read for any fan BC’s Power of One, or Potato Factory. Filled with such brazen, blinding innocence, raw emotion & a baseline of addiction permeating throughout — Matthew Flinders’ Cat will make you laugh, cry, yearn & acquiesce stakes that appear to hinge entirely on the mundane & blasé, despite the reality being that it’s all — perhaps — an illusion & free will is nothing but a fools game.
With a strong and at times, jarring accompaniment of detailed child-abuse, BC writes with such ease here that his prose can feel almost a little lazy. This is certainly not true — however such is his skill at this particular point in his career, truly at the top of his game, this is easily misinterpreted by the more untrained, as perhaps a malady or symptom of boredom. But right when these thoughts intrude, you’re instantly hurled into a passage that jolts you right back upright, and silent.
Told in true Bryce Courtenay style, this is a must-read for any fan BC’s Power of One, or Potato Factory. Filled with such brazen, blinding innocence, raw emotion & a baseline of addiction permeating throughout — Matthew Flinders’ Cat will make you laugh, cry, yearn & acquiesce stakes that appear to hinge entirely on the mundane & blasé, despite the reality being that it’s all — perhaps — an illusion & free will is nothing but a fools game.
With a strong and at times, jarring accompaniment of detailed child-abuse, BC writes with such ease here that his prose can feel almost a little lazy. This is certainly not true — however such is his skill at this particular point in his career, truly at the top of his game, this is easily misinterpreted by the more untrained, as perhaps a malady or symptom of boredom. But right when these thoughts intrude, you’re instantly hurled into a passage that jolts you right back upright, and silent.
December 23, 2012
As a Salvo in a former life working in Sydney, this book brought back so many memories. Courtney's description of the salvation Army's William Booth Institute was accurate and it took me back there personally, of the Majors who worked there... I'm sure I knew who some of the characters were really based on. I actually listened to the audiobook version of this book with my 16yr old daughter on a long road trip and I felt it was an extremely accurate portrayal of alcoholism, it's hold over people, it's treatment and the demons alcoholics have to live with. A real eye opener for my daughter. She found herself getting frustrated with the main character as he was going through rehab but I was able to explain that the struggle was real, yet completely foreign to those of us who are fortunate enough not to suffer this disease.
The side story of the cat is quite informative and all the other characters in the book are true to the Australian style.
We are not quite finished the book so can't comment on its ending but am looking forward to our return journey to see what happens to Billy, Trim and the rest of the crew.
2 weeks later.....
Ok so return journey now completed and the book is finished. We had more to go than I realised as there was another story woven in amongst it.
I must say that I absolutely loved this book.... Not sure if I would have stuck it out actually reading it but the audiobook was fantastic. The ending was all I'd hoped it to be.... It didn't let me down in any way.
A side note - on our journey while listening to this book we were travelling the Adelaide Plains and went through Willcannia - would have loved to see Trevor!!!
The side story of the cat is quite informative and all the other characters in the book are true to the Australian style.
We are not quite finished the book so can't comment on its ending but am looking forward to our return journey to see what happens to Billy, Trim and the rest of the crew.
2 weeks later.....
Ok so return journey now completed and the book is finished. We had more to go than I realised as there was another story woven in amongst it.
I must say that I absolutely loved this book.... Not sure if I would have stuck it out actually reading it but the audiobook was fantastic. The ending was all I'd hoped it to be.... It didn't let me down in any way.
A side note - on our journey while listening to this book we were travelling the Adelaide Plains and went through Willcannia - would have loved to see Trevor!!!
January 11, 2018
This was my first Courtenay book and I was totally engaged at the start and loved the descriptions of Sydney and how he clearly knew the city well. I also really empathised with Billy, our main character who is a homeless alcoholic ex-barrister, and I thought the character writing was great.
There were a couple of issues with the book though. Firstly, the length. It was quite repetitive by about 2/3 through and I thought could have used a much more thorough edit. Another part that bothered me was that it is called "Matthew Flinders' Cat", but the book is mainly about alcoholism and paedophilia. So although some of the Cat snippets were quite interesting at the start, by the end they felt completely out of place and like a story interruption.
It gets 3 stars from me, and a high five for the audio narration, but I'm not sure that I would recommend the book.
Side note - walking down Macquarie Street last night I saw Flinders’ statue outside the library and directly behind him is the statue of Trim, his cat. I thought that was quite cool as I hadn’t known that prior to reading this book!
There were a couple of issues with the book though. Firstly, the length. It was quite repetitive by about 2/3 through and I thought could have used a much more thorough edit. Another part that bothered me was that it is called "Matthew Flinders' Cat", but the book is mainly about alcoholism and paedophilia. So although some of the Cat snippets were quite interesting at the start, by the end they felt completely out of place and like a story interruption.
It gets 3 stars from me, and a high five for the audio narration, but I'm not sure that I would recommend the book.
Side note - walking down Macquarie Street last night I saw Flinders’ statue outside the library and directly behind him is the statue of Trim, his cat. I thought that was quite cool as I hadn’t known that prior to reading this book!
April 2, 2014
To quote an expression from the book, “I got gypped.”
You see, I’ve never read a Bryce Courtenay book before, not even The Power Of One. I’ve always been keen to see what all the fuss was about, so I finally decided on reading Matthew Flinders’ Cat. For me, the idea of reading about the circumnavigation of Australia through the eye of a cat sounded original and potentially entertaining. However, to my dismay I found that this novel is not really about Matthew Flinders’ Cat. In fact, Trim the feline hero only appears in small snippets.
The story is actually about an alcoholic named Billy. Billy lives on the street and is addicted to Scotch. What drove him there is not discovered until the final chapters of the book, but by that stage I didn’t care. I didn’t care about Billy for a number of reasons, and I resented Courtenay’s attempt to make me empathise and excuse Billy’s addictive lifestyle. There are passages in this book that read like a lecture on why people become addicts and how society and poor fathers are mostly to blame. Most of the addicts Billy meets are victims of circumstance who have become junkies to cope with the pain and trauma in their lives — no fault of their own.
I didn’t care.
What I cared about was the cat. The bloody cat in the bloody title who I thought this book was about!
The misery of this book is compounded by Courtenay’s writing. The first half of the book is repetitive and was in dire need of an editors pen. The second half of the book is filled with awful stories of pedophilia. Also, Courtenay has an annoying habit of constantly telling the reader things we had already deduced for ourselves. To make matters worse, Courtenay cops out of any real ending with a couple of newspaper articles that are supposed to bring closure to the story, but just feel lazy and cliche. It’s almost as though by the end of the book, Bryce too stopped caring.
You see, I’ve never read a Bryce Courtenay book before, not even The Power Of One. I’ve always been keen to see what all the fuss was about, so I finally decided on reading Matthew Flinders’ Cat. For me, the idea of reading about the circumnavigation of Australia through the eye of a cat sounded original and potentially entertaining. However, to my dismay I found that this novel is not really about Matthew Flinders’ Cat. In fact, Trim the feline hero only appears in small snippets.
The story is actually about an alcoholic named Billy. Billy lives on the street and is addicted to Scotch. What drove him there is not discovered until the final chapters of the book, but by that stage I didn’t care. I didn’t care about Billy for a number of reasons, and I resented Courtenay’s attempt to make me empathise and excuse Billy’s addictive lifestyle. There are passages in this book that read like a lecture on why people become addicts and how society and poor fathers are mostly to blame. Most of the addicts Billy meets are victims of circumstance who have become junkies to cope with the pain and trauma in their lives — no fault of their own.
I didn’t care.
What I cared about was the cat. The bloody cat in the bloody title who I thought this book was about!
The misery of this book is compounded by Courtenay’s writing. The first half of the book is repetitive and was in dire need of an editors pen. The second half of the book is filled with awful stories of pedophilia. Also, Courtenay has an annoying habit of constantly telling the reader things we had already deduced for ourselves. To make matters worse, Courtenay cops out of any real ending with a couple of newspaper articles that are supposed to bring closure to the story, but just feel lazy and cliche. It’s almost as though by the end of the book, Bryce too stopped caring.
Want to read
July 11, 2013tuebl epub version 12/7/13
By co-incidence I saw Flinders' cat Trim the other day.......
he's on the roof of the State Library of New South Wales and is easy to miss if you don't know he's there. (In reality he circumnavigated the world with Flinders and met his untimely death marooned on the island of Mauritius.)
just near Flinders' statue.......
Bryce's inspiration is not far fetched as that particular spot by the Flinders' statue had two homeless people huddled underneath, and St. James station subway has many more. It's quite sad in a city of plenty to see.
By co-incidence I saw Flinders' cat Trim the other day.......
he's on the roof of the State Library of New South Wales and is easy to miss if you don't know he's there. (In reality he circumnavigated the world with Flinders and met his untimely death marooned on the island of Mauritius.)
just near Flinders' statue.......
Bryce's inspiration is not far fetched as that particular spot by the Flinders' statue had two homeless people huddled underneath, and St. James station subway has many more. It's quite sad in a city of plenty to see.
December 20, 2013
This was a book about an alcoholic and a homeless one at that. The first part described what life was like for a derelict like Billy O'Shannessy. At first, I was not really impressed by his character and I wondered why government and charity organizations spent dole money on these parasitic members of society.
The second part onward was the gem of the book. The author illustrated why alcohol and drugs addiction are impossible to cure with sheer will power and why they ended up addicted to death. The book also showed why and how some people ended up as junkies and alcoholic, and how it's not always entirely their fault. The description of the child support system and juvenile reform center truly horrified me. It was painful to read that an orphaned child most likely got raped or abused in foster homes instead of finding a warm welcoming family.
It seemed like the government just didn't care about what happen to the dregs of its society. The statistic that one in four girls and one in seven boys were sexually abused absolutely floored me, and this was happening in a country where the law didn't have a definition for pedophile let alone charges against them. To think that repeated child sexual offenders and people who assisted in trafficking and forcing children to be prostitutes could get away with only a couple of years in jail is beyond disgusting, as they probably as good as destroyed those children's futures.
The second part onward was the gem of the book. The author illustrated why alcohol and drugs addiction are impossible to cure with sheer will power and why they ended up addicted to death. The book also showed why and how some people ended up as junkies and alcoholic, and how it's not always entirely their fault. The description of the child support system and juvenile reform center truly horrified me. It was painful to read that an orphaned child most likely got raped or abused in foster homes instead of finding a warm welcoming family.
It seemed like the government just didn't care about what happen to the dregs of its society. The statistic that one in four girls and one in seven boys were sexually abused absolutely floored me, and this was happening in a country where the law didn't have a definition for pedophile let alone charges against them. To think that repeated child sexual offenders and people who assisted in trafficking and forcing children to be prostitutes could get away with only a couple of years in jail is beyond disgusting, as they probably as good as destroyed those children's futures.
November 14, 2017
After reading several British and American books this year, I felt a craving for something completely Australian, which is just what this is. I picked it up at a second hand shop.
Billy O'Shannessy is a drunken ex-barrister who has become a street bum. He still keeps an eye on the world around him and writes letters to the Sydney Morning Herald, because he believes 'alcoholism and writing have a long history together.' He wants to write convincing essays about Australian history and ecology, but never stays sober long enough. However, he does try to do his bit for our country by culling the pesky mynah birds which have overrun and threatened the native species. He has a past which partially explains his dramatic lifestyle change, but desperately tries not to think about it.
Ryan Sanfrancesco is a bright young boy who gets Billy talking about the statue in the library window above his park bench, which happens to be Matthew Flinders and his cat, Trim. Drawing from his knowledge of this legendary ship's cat, Billy intrigues Ryan with true stories from Flinders' own memoirs, that become inspirational to both of them.
I love how appearances can be deceiving. Billy presents the face of a hopeless alcoholic, but deep down, he's an educated, entertaining storyteller. On the surface, Ryan is a street-smart brat with a bleak future, but really he's an innocent young boy who responds to goodness and heroism when it's presented to him in legends.
Alas, there are those who are suspicious about the friendship between the pair, and even worse, the story delves into a seamy, horrific part of Sydney culture which I won't spoil by mentioning straight out. Suffice to say, it gets to a point where only deep concern for Ryan's welfare is enough to get Billy to clean up his act, since he's really the only hope the boy has. In the process, Bryce Courtenay exposes some abysmal organised crime which is shocking to read about.
Some interesting, fairly recent history is revealed in this novel too, such as the government's attempt to shift undesirables out of the city to Surfers Paradise in the lead-up to the 2000 Olympics. Who would've thought? I really appreciated the glimpse into the vast goodness of charities such as the Salvation Army, in the lives of so many helpless sufferers. It's great to have their quiet heroism featured in stories, when it might otherwise slip under the radar for those of us who don't experience it directly. I felt like giving them a standing ovation.
I noticed that not all reviews of this book on Goodreads and Amazon are positive. That seems to be partly because of the disparate threads. Those interested in following Billy's journey to sobriety might find the Trim stories long and irrelevant, while people who were drawn to the title and cover might just want stories about Captain Flinders' adventures aboard the Investigator, and not care so much about the drinking and crime themes. Yet I think Courtenay really did draw them together. Even though it's a thick book, it's easy to get through the pages quickly, which is a sign of a good flow.
Examining history can reveal a lot about our own attitudes and actions, as Billy discovers when he prepares the different installments of the story for Ryan. The famous cat shows qualities he wishes he could've adopted in his own life, and becomes his inspiration. I found all the different stories interesting and well-written.
Finally, as a fellow cat lover, I love Billy and Ryan partly for their mutual affection for Trim. I quite understand why Ryan would return to the park bench for the second time, to tell Billy, 'I've come about the cat.' The cover of my copy appeals to me. Something about the memory of 200-year-old Trim overlooking the Sydney Harbour seems sort of haunting.
For more reviews and book chat, check out my blog, https://vincereview.blogspot.com.au/
Billy O'Shannessy is a drunken ex-barrister who has become a street bum. He still keeps an eye on the world around him and writes letters to the Sydney Morning Herald, because he believes 'alcoholism and writing have a long history together.' He wants to write convincing essays about Australian history and ecology, but never stays sober long enough. However, he does try to do his bit for our country by culling the pesky mynah birds which have overrun and threatened the native species. He has a past which partially explains his dramatic lifestyle change, but desperately tries not to think about it.
Ryan Sanfrancesco is a bright young boy who gets Billy talking about the statue in the library window above his park bench, which happens to be Matthew Flinders and his cat, Trim. Drawing from his knowledge of this legendary ship's cat, Billy intrigues Ryan with true stories from Flinders' own memoirs, that become inspirational to both of them.
I love how appearances can be deceiving. Billy presents the face of a hopeless alcoholic, but deep down, he's an educated, entertaining storyteller. On the surface, Ryan is a street-smart brat with a bleak future, but really he's an innocent young boy who responds to goodness and heroism when it's presented to him in legends.
Alas, there are those who are suspicious about the friendship between the pair, and even worse, the story delves into a seamy, horrific part of Sydney culture which I won't spoil by mentioning straight out. Suffice to say, it gets to a point where only deep concern for Ryan's welfare is enough to get Billy to clean up his act, since he's really the only hope the boy has. In the process, Bryce Courtenay exposes some abysmal organised crime which is shocking to read about.
Some interesting, fairly recent history is revealed in this novel too, such as the government's attempt to shift undesirables out of the city to Surfers Paradise in the lead-up to the 2000 Olympics. Who would've thought? I really appreciated the glimpse into the vast goodness of charities such as the Salvation Army, in the lives of so many helpless sufferers. It's great to have their quiet heroism featured in stories, when it might otherwise slip under the radar for those of us who don't experience it directly. I felt like giving them a standing ovation.
I noticed that not all reviews of this book on Goodreads and Amazon are positive. That seems to be partly because of the disparate threads. Those interested in following Billy's journey to sobriety might find the Trim stories long and irrelevant, while people who were drawn to the title and cover might just want stories about Captain Flinders' adventures aboard the Investigator, and not care so much about the drinking and crime themes. Yet I think Courtenay really did draw them together. Even though it's a thick book, it's easy to get through the pages quickly, which is a sign of a good flow.
Examining history can reveal a lot about our own attitudes and actions, as Billy discovers when he prepares the different installments of the story for Ryan. The famous cat shows qualities he wishes he could've adopted in his own life, and becomes his inspiration. I found all the different stories interesting and well-written.
Finally, as a fellow cat lover, I love Billy and Ryan partly for their mutual affection for Trim. I quite understand why Ryan would return to the park bench for the second time, to tell Billy, 'I've come about the cat.' The cover of my copy appeals to me. Something about the memory of 200-year-old Trim overlooking the Sydney Harbour seems sort of haunting.
For more reviews and book chat, check out my blog, https://vincereview.blogspot.com.au/
August 10, 2016
There sure are a lot of folks who don't like Bryce Courtenay's books, and this one sure had mixed reviews. I like a good story, and so I am a fan of Bryce Courtenay. I've never been to Australia, but one day I hope that I will make it there. First, the narrator-- Humphrey Bower is one of my very favorite audible book narrators. He makes listening to Mr. Courtenay's books totally enjoyable...FIVE stars!
The story. Wow, this is a dark one, for sure.
This is about alcoholism and drug addcition. It's about child abuse. Billy O'Shannessy is a once successful barrister who has ended up living in a park, and he's a drunk. There's a story within a story, and the story about about "Trim" the cat was one aspect of this book I didn't care for. I found my attention wandering during the tales of a cat that travels around Australia to just not grab my attention.
However, I liked Billy O'Shannessy. I felt pity for him, and I had great to admire his character... being a "derro" and all.
As the relationship with young Ryan takes shape, the book swings into a Part II. Now we get into rehab, and this is where I began to relate to this. Nope, I'm not an alcoholic or drug addict in recovery. However, a close family member of mine is/was, and I attended classes on addiction. I also went to some Al-Anon and Nar-Anon meetings. So, I felt a true connection to this part of the story. I could relate.
But the dark twists begin as Billy O'Shannessy becomes entangled in the world of pedophiles. I did, pretty much, figure out where the plot was going. Still, unlike some reviews, I found the story intriguing enough to want to continue on "listening" to see how things play out.
I just finished listening to the story, and I'm left with a deep sense of sorrow about the statistics in this book that say one in four children are sexually abused. Is this only in Australia, or is this world-wide. Being a mom, this really touched a nerve in me. Overall, it's a good story but not one of my top favorites Bryce Courtenay has written.
The story. Wow, this is a dark one, for sure.
This is about alcoholism and drug addcition. It's about child abuse. Billy O'Shannessy is a once successful barrister who has ended up living in a park, and he's a drunk. There's a story within a story, and the story about about "Trim" the cat was one aspect of this book I didn't care for. I found my attention wandering during the tales of a cat that travels around Australia to just not grab my attention.
However, I liked Billy O'Shannessy. I felt pity for him, and I had great to admire his character... being a "derro" and all.
As the relationship with young Ryan takes shape, the book swings into a Part II. Now we get into rehab, and this is where I began to relate to this. Nope, I'm not an alcoholic or drug addict in recovery. However, a close family member of mine is/was, and I attended classes on addiction. I also went to some Al-Anon and Nar-Anon meetings. So, I felt a true connection to this part of the story. I could relate.
But the dark twists begin as Billy O'Shannessy becomes entangled in the world of pedophiles. I did, pretty much, figure out where the plot was going. Still, unlike some reviews, I found the story intriguing enough to want to continue on "listening" to see how things play out.
I just finished listening to the story, and I'm left with a deep sense of sorrow about the statistics in this book that say one in four children are sexually abused. Is this only in Australia, or is this world-wide. Being a mom, this really touched a nerve in me. Overall, it's a good story but not one of my top favorites Bryce Courtenay has written.
May 24, 2023
The roles of Trim the Cat
This is a difficult novel to define. The three main characters are the street dwelling alcoholic, Billy O'Shannessy, Ryan Sanfrancesco the 11-year-old streetwise boy whose future is at risk, and Trim (Matthew Flinders's cat). Trim was, apparently, the first cat to circumnavigate Australia (1801 to 1803) when he accompanied Matthew Flinders.
Potentially, there are at least three stories in this book. The one I focussed on, and enjoyed the most, was the role of Trim, as developed in Billy's imagination and then researched, in saving Billy and Ryan.
The stories of Billy and Ryan did not engage me as much as Trim, yet I enjoyed the way Mr Courtenay wove the separate stories together. There are no real heroes in this story, and yet there is hope. And a kind of irony in that Trim the cat, who was part of the voyages that helped define Australia still has a contemporary role.
Recommended. An interesting, if quirky, novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This is a difficult novel to define. The three main characters are the street dwelling alcoholic, Billy O'Shannessy, Ryan Sanfrancesco the 11-year-old streetwise boy whose future is at risk, and Trim (Matthew Flinders's cat). Trim was, apparently, the first cat to circumnavigate Australia (1801 to 1803) when he accompanied Matthew Flinders.
Potentially, there are at least three stories in this book. The one I focussed on, and enjoyed the most, was the role of Trim, as developed in Billy's imagination and then researched, in saving Billy and Ryan.
The stories of Billy and Ryan did not engage me as much as Trim, yet I enjoyed the way Mr Courtenay wove the separate stories together. There are no real heroes in this story, and yet there is hope. And a kind of irony in that Trim the cat, who was part of the voyages that helped define Australia still has a contemporary role.
Recommended. An interesting, if quirky, novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
February 16, 2021
Great writing with a story that pulled me in. Moving at times but with a little humour that had me chuckling.
January 18, 2013
This is a book in two parts (and two stories throughout both parts). The first half of the book is yarn telling in excellent form, and it's unlikely you'll be able to put it down. The second half, many will find the opposite as it shipwrecks on the sandbanks of 'the author seems to have lost interest too'. There's a rally of rescue which promises to haul the second half out of the mire and back onto the plot(s), but then publishing deadlines appear to step in and massacre the entire cast, leaving only a passive aggressive 'coroner's' report at the end to stop readers from howling for justice.
If you can handle the dissapointment in the crafting of the second half of the book; then the first half is not only an excellent read, despite some heavy stereotyping...it's an honest look at subjects that rarely see the light of day and renders them accessable to those who wouldn't even realise these things do go on.
5 stars for the first half....1 1/2 for the second half. Even authors are human.
If you can handle the dissapointment in the crafting of the second half of the book; then the first half is not only an excellent read, despite some heavy stereotyping...it's an honest look at subjects that rarely see the light of day and renders them accessable to those who wouldn't even realise these things do go on.
5 stars for the first half....1 1/2 for the second half. Even authors are human.
August 29, 2015
personally, I like a book that has a good, summed up ending. where there are no questions unanswered. this was not one of them. I liked the storyline and it actually gave a good insight to the lives of addicts but I think there was so much detail throughout the book, so many tangents and in the end, the epilogue felt rushed and left more questions than answers.
what happened to Billy's (ex)wife and daughter? does he simply never see them again even though he reforms?
just for one. maybe is was explained but I read this book over a year as it got too slow for me so I may have forgotten parts.
either way, this book just didn't cut it for me sadly.
what happened to Billy's (ex)wife and daughter? does he simply never see them again even though he reforms?
just for one. maybe is was explained but I read this book over a year as it got too slow for me so I may have forgotten parts.
either way, this book just didn't cut it for me sadly.
November 24, 2014
Read this book in over the weekend.
Started out pretty slow to build a foundation for character development.
Ultimately the book picked up past to a profound ending which I will remember for years to come.
I read a lot of books, many I forget the plots after a few years. Even forget titles of books... What I am saying is this is one book I will remember til my old age.
This book really touched my heart! Much more so than a Nicholas Sparks novel or Jo Jo Moyes book like "Me Before You" .
Bryce Courtney writes fantastic books! All unique plots.
Started out pretty slow to build a foundation for character development.
Ultimately the book picked up past to a profound ending which I will remember for years to come.
I read a lot of books, many I forget the plots after a few years. Even forget titles of books... What I am saying is this is one book I will remember til my old age.
This book really touched my heart! Much more so than a Nicholas Sparks novel or Jo Jo Moyes book like "Me Before You" .
Bryce Courtney writes fantastic books! All unique plots.
April 7, 2010
a contemporary story about a man overwelmed by circumstances who finds the strength within to help someone else. I never knew there was a statue of 'Trim' outside the Mitchell Library in Sydney and was strangely complelled to go a find it. I view Homeless people in Sydney in a different light.
April 1, 2014
Realistic portrayal of alcoholism and recovery--not too many artistic licenses taken. The stories about the cat provide a break from the grimness of the subject matter. First book I've read by this author. I listened to the audio version of the book, which I enjoyed.
October 13, 2012
This is not Bryce Courtenay's best book. Mostly it needed some serious editing, and it often seemed repetitious and rambling. The plot is ok but not great.
April 28, 2016
I love Bryce Courtenay's books. He's an awesome story teller and sucks you right into the story. This one, about the plight of the homeless, becomes more and more relevant.
June 30, 2025
A story about homelessness, alcoholism, regret, a nautical cat, an unlikely friendship and, eventually, redemption.
Billy is an alcoholic living on the streets of Sydney in the 1990s, after having fallen from grace as a successful barrister. The story builds around his friendship with a neglected young boy, Ryan, whose mother is a drug-addicted prostitute. Billy's desire to help the young boy, to make up for the failings with his own family, lead him to enter a rehabilitation program to get clean. However, this leaves him absent from the boy's life at a critical time and results in a moral dilemma - to leave the program and risk falling back into dereliction, or to leave the boy to his fate on the crime-ridden streets.
Bryce Courtenay uses the story of a historical, ship-borne cat owned by the British navigator Matthew Flinders to link Billy and Ryan together. Through Ryan's interest in the story and Billy's enthusiasm in telling it, they form an unexpected bond. This seems to be used to bring a taste of early Australian history into the novel in a comical way.
Overall the book was enjoyable, but I just largely wasn't able to connect with the characters. Many of the characters are either immigrants, impoverished, or from other minority groups, but it seems very surface-level and stereotypical, in a way where they are just forced into the story to make a social point. I'm sure it's hard to write a book with completely original characters, but I think some extra depth or nuance could have gone a long way with a few characters.
The ending seemed a little rushed, and not everything was completely wrapped up in a satisfying way. For example, there was a sub-plot where Billy helps an Aboriginal man find his heroin-addicted daughter, but she just kind of shows up through an easy coincidence without him having to search at all. It seems that this sub-plot (and a few others) were just lumped in for some extra filler, but don't blend well with the rest of the story.
However, even the ending for the main plot lacks the pay-off that it seemed to be building to. Some of the characters introduced in the beginning as friendly and helpful end up being the villains of the story in the end, but there is no direct interaction with them after the first quarter(?) of the book. So, again, it seems like this was forced in without much actual foreshadowing - by the time you get to the big reveal that these are the villains you've already forgotten who they were to begin with. In his defence, Courtenay potentially does this intentionally as commentary on how it can be the people you least expect. I just personally did not feel overly satisfied with the ending. Also, in one sentence we are told that Billy marries a character that appeared in the book once (I had to look back through to figure out who she was), while not mentioning any effort to contact his wife and daughter who he apparently agonised over throughout the whole book.
Billy is an alcoholic living on the streets of Sydney in the 1990s, after having fallen from grace as a successful barrister. The story builds around his friendship with a neglected young boy, Ryan, whose mother is a drug-addicted prostitute. Billy's desire to help the young boy, to make up for the failings with his own family, lead him to enter a rehabilitation program to get clean. However, this leaves him absent from the boy's life at a critical time and results in a moral dilemma - to leave the program and risk falling back into dereliction, or to leave the boy to his fate on the crime-ridden streets.
Bryce Courtenay uses the story of a historical, ship-borne cat owned by the British navigator Matthew Flinders to link Billy and Ryan together. Through Ryan's interest in the story and Billy's enthusiasm in telling it, they form an unexpected bond. This seems to be used to bring a taste of early Australian history into the novel in a comical way.
Overall the book was enjoyable, but I just largely wasn't able to connect with the characters. Many of the characters are either immigrants, impoverished, or from other minority groups, but it seems very surface-level and stereotypical, in a way where they are just forced into the story to make a social point. I'm sure it's hard to write a book with completely original characters, but I think some extra depth or nuance could have gone a long way with a few characters.
The ending seemed a little rushed, and not everything was completely wrapped up in a satisfying way. For example, there was a sub-plot where Billy helps an Aboriginal man find his heroin-addicted daughter, but she just kind of shows up through an easy coincidence without him having to search at all. It seems that this sub-plot (and a few others) were just lumped in for some extra filler, but don't blend well with the rest of the story.
However, even the ending for the main plot lacks the pay-off that it seemed to be building to. Some of the characters introduced in the beginning as friendly and helpful end up being the villains of the story in the end, but there is no direct interaction with them after the first quarter(?) of the book. So, again, it seems like this was forced in without much actual foreshadowing - by the time you get to the big reveal that these are the villains you've already forgotten who they were to begin with. In his defence, Courtenay potentially does this intentionally as commentary on how it can be the people you least expect. I just personally did not feel overly satisfied with the ending. Also, in one sentence we are told that Billy marries a character that appeared in the book once (I had to look back through to figure out who she was), while not mentioning any effort to contact his wife and daughter who he apparently agonised over throughout the whole book.
February 15, 2020
A derelict former barrister, living on the streets in New South Wales, enjoys the company of a statue of Matthew Flinders’ cat—a famous feline that sailed with its owner around Australia in days of danger, pirate and storm. But the present (or recent past) day might be filled with danger too, especially for a young boy whose mother’s lifestyle leaves him fending for himself. And the runaway drunkard just might need to save himself before he can help the runaway child.
Bryce Courtenay’s novel blends empathy for the broken with sympathy for the lost, and vivid depictions of history through the eyes of a cat! It’s a truly curious combination, that truly works. Gritty, cynical, hopeful and wild, the story takes its protagonist to the shores of the ocean and the depths of despair before it reveals a way forward. The horrors of addiction, the struggles and trials of the sober and those they might help, the breaking threads of regulated assistance, and the promise of hope all come together in a story that promises laughter and tears, loss and gain, and genuine reform.
Plus there’s that ever-enticing voice of the cat, and lessons hidden behind its meow.
Disclosure: My sister-in-law correctly guessed I’d love this!
Bryce Courtenay’s novel blends empathy for the broken with sympathy for the lost, and vivid depictions of history through the eyes of a cat! It’s a truly curious combination, that truly works. Gritty, cynical, hopeful and wild, the story takes its protagonist to the shores of the ocean and the depths of despair before it reveals a way forward. The horrors of addiction, the struggles and trials of the sober and those they might help, the breaking threads of regulated assistance, and the promise of hope all come together in a story that promises laughter and tears, loss and gain, and genuine reform.
Plus there’s that ever-enticing voice of the cat, and lessons hidden behind its meow.
Disclosure: My sister-in-law correctly guessed I’d love this!
February 10, 2022
Another powerful and brilliant piece of story telling by Bryce Courtenay. Having read a good amount of his other novels it felt good to dive into his brilliant way of storytelling. Like in his other novels, Bryce has a knack for touching on society's harsh environments and has a tendency to uproot the evil and expose this to his audience, often shocking us with all the nitty gritty truths. Bryce often includes extreme hardships, loss and human desperation in his novels and Bryce depicts this very well. Needless to say Matthew Flinders' Cat is no exception and truly depicts the life of an alcoholic derelict in Sydney.
We follow three main story lines that are of course all connected. Our main character is Billy O'Shannessy, a once prominent lawyer with a family and excellent prospects, who now lives rough on the streets as a derelict and full-time alcoholic. Then we have young Ryan. An eleven year old boy who struggles to go to school due to his complex family situation. His grandmother is a loving, caring woman who is unable to care for Ryan because she is in the final stages of cancer. Ryan's mother is equally incapable of caring for him, since she is a heroin addict and works as an exotic dancer to feed her insatiable appetite for drugs.
Lastly, we have the tale of the once great sailor Matthew Flinders himself and especially his amazing sea faring cat, Trim. We follow their tales across the seas alongside our characters.
One morning after a particularly bad night of drinking Billy awakes to the sound of the birds on his favourite bench. Shortly after waking he meets Ryan who is skateboarding in the area. They start talking about the bronze statue of Trim that is located across the bench where Billy sleeps. Ryan is immediately interested to hear all about Trim, probably as a means to escape is own chaotic life. Billy likewise loves the story of Trim and is happy to share the first part of the story with Ryan. As the book and their friendship progresses, Billy shares more and more tales about the wondrous Trim and his crew ant the adventures that they embark on. Supposedly the story of Matthew Flinders and Trim is well known, however we find out that Ryan had never learnt about them and thus is eager to hear as much as he can from Billy.
Ryan soon feels gravitated to Billy and shows no fear towards him, although he is a derelict and much older. Most likely, Billy is fulfilling an emotional need for Ryan who feels lost at school and who struggles with his chaotic household that proves to offer little stability.
Billy however is fighting his own personal demons and vowed never to be or feel responsible for another human being since his fall from grace. He indulges Ryan now and again at first as he feels a distant emotional connection that he hasn't experienced in years. Once it becomes apparent that his friendship with Ryan may be perceived as less than pure, Billy flees town. He convinces himself that Ryan is better off without him and is happy to be without responsibility for another person once again. Although Billy lives rough and drinks heavily, he always shows good manners and is polite to those around him. He takes care of himself on pension day and is well known and accpeted among several establishments. This makes it hard for him to leave Sydney as he knowingly has to leave his routine and miss out on the goodwill of the people that know him.
It is during the time Billy flees to Surfers Paradise that a change begins to take place. Not only does Billy feel like a coward by running away from the city and Ryan but there is also a gnawing feeling that he needs to get himself sorted out in order to help Ryan in some way.
So we follow the contact Billy has with Ryan's school and how the news of Ryan's absence at school and his clear distress at Billy's departure pushes Billy to finally take care of himself.
We go from Billy the alcoholic in denial of his problem, to Billy the fighter recovering from his addiction. As Billy recovers he writes letters to Ryan to help himself through his recovery. In some of these letters he includes more tales of Trim, which leads him to Trim being his almighty force to help him in his recovery.
Once Billy learns that Ryan's grandmother has passed away and that Ryan is skipping out on school even more, Billy uses every ounce of his willpower to get back to Sydney without backsliding and gets into a treatment program. This leads to many a heart-breaking situation in which Ryan is missing after his mothers overdose, and word on the street is that Ryan will be sent to a juvenile detention centre for buying her drugs.
With some assistance and a lot of challenging detective work Billy sets to work finding Ryan while fighting to stay sober and continue working on his recovery. He decides then and there to fight for Ryan's no matter what and ensure the boy has a safe home and good future prospects. This leads Billy to the discovery of the underground pedophilia going on in Sydney's hidden underbelly. Billy finds Ryan eventually and hears how Ryan was lured into the pedophile circle and forced to do unspeakable things. Billy swear to Ryan that from that moment on he will fight for him tooth and nail and do everything in his power to keep Ryan safe. In order to achieve this, Billy digs deep and builds a solid case for Ryan as well as gets in touch with an old lawyer friend to help their case.
The book ends on a high note with the bad guys caught, Ryan safe and happy in a loving foster home and Billy sober and back to practicing law. Now Billy fights for the young, abused youths who like Ryan are preyed on and are stuck in the dregs of society.
We follow three main story lines that are of course all connected. Our main character is Billy O'Shannessy, a once prominent lawyer with a family and excellent prospects, who now lives rough on the streets as a derelict and full-time alcoholic. Then we have young Ryan. An eleven year old boy who struggles to go to school due to his complex family situation. His grandmother is a loving, caring woman who is unable to care for Ryan because she is in the final stages of cancer. Ryan's mother is equally incapable of caring for him, since she is a heroin addict and works as an exotic dancer to feed her insatiable appetite for drugs.
Lastly, we have the tale of the once great sailor Matthew Flinders himself and especially his amazing sea faring cat, Trim. We follow their tales across the seas alongside our characters.
One morning after a particularly bad night of drinking Billy awakes to the sound of the birds on his favourite bench. Shortly after waking he meets Ryan who is skateboarding in the area. They start talking about the bronze statue of Trim that is located across the bench where Billy sleeps. Ryan is immediately interested to hear all about Trim, probably as a means to escape is own chaotic life. Billy likewise loves the story of Trim and is happy to share the first part of the story with Ryan. As the book and their friendship progresses, Billy shares more and more tales about the wondrous Trim and his crew ant the adventures that they embark on. Supposedly the story of Matthew Flinders and Trim is well known, however we find out that Ryan had never learnt about them and thus is eager to hear as much as he can from Billy.
Ryan soon feels gravitated to Billy and shows no fear towards him, although he is a derelict and much older. Most likely, Billy is fulfilling an emotional need for Ryan who feels lost at school and who struggles with his chaotic household that proves to offer little stability.
Billy however is fighting his own personal demons and vowed never to be or feel responsible for another human being since his fall from grace. He indulges Ryan now and again at first as he feels a distant emotional connection that he hasn't experienced in years. Once it becomes apparent that his friendship with Ryan may be perceived as less than pure, Billy flees town. He convinces himself that Ryan is better off without him and is happy to be without responsibility for another person once again. Although Billy lives rough and drinks heavily, he always shows good manners and is polite to those around him. He takes care of himself on pension day and is well known and accpeted among several establishments. This makes it hard for him to leave Sydney as he knowingly has to leave his routine and miss out on the goodwill of the people that know him.
It is during the time Billy flees to Surfers Paradise that a change begins to take place. Not only does Billy feel like a coward by running away from the city and Ryan but there is also a gnawing feeling that he needs to get himself sorted out in order to help Ryan in some way.
So we follow the contact Billy has with Ryan's school and how the news of Ryan's absence at school and his clear distress at Billy's departure pushes Billy to finally take care of himself.
We go from Billy the alcoholic in denial of his problem, to Billy the fighter recovering from his addiction. As Billy recovers he writes letters to Ryan to help himself through his recovery. In some of these letters he includes more tales of Trim, which leads him to Trim being his almighty force to help him in his recovery.
Once Billy learns that Ryan's grandmother has passed away and that Ryan is skipping out on school even more, Billy uses every ounce of his willpower to get back to Sydney without backsliding and gets into a treatment program. This leads to many a heart-breaking situation in which Ryan is missing after his mothers overdose, and word on the street is that Ryan will be sent to a juvenile detention centre for buying her drugs.
With some assistance and a lot of challenging detective work Billy sets to work finding Ryan while fighting to stay sober and continue working on his recovery. He decides then and there to fight for Ryan's no matter what and ensure the boy has a safe home and good future prospects. This leads Billy to the discovery of the underground pedophilia going on in Sydney's hidden underbelly. Billy finds Ryan eventually and hears how Ryan was lured into the pedophile circle and forced to do unspeakable things. Billy swear to Ryan that from that moment on he will fight for him tooth and nail and do everything in his power to keep Ryan safe. In order to achieve this, Billy digs deep and builds a solid case for Ryan as well as gets in touch with an old lawyer friend to help their case.
The book ends on a high note with the bad guys caught, Ryan safe and happy in a loving foster home and Billy sober and back to practicing law. Now Billy fights for the young, abused youths who like Ryan are preyed on and are stuck in the dregs of society.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2024
You would be mistaken for thinking this is the story of Trim, Matthew Flinders cat. It isn't!!
It is a very moving, gut-wrenching story of addiction and crime and the bravery of an alcoholic who walked away from his family, his career as a barrister to assist a young boy on the edge of becoming a street kid.
The story is set in the few years before the Sydney Olympic Games, when the government was trying to move the homeless and drug and alcohol addicts out of the city.
Courtenay has written another masterpiece. Having said that, this book is definitely not for everyone. There are a lot of triggers in these pages, so please beware.
In Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
It is a very moving, gut-wrenching story of addiction and crime and the bravery of an alcoholic who walked away from his family, his career as a barrister to assist a young boy on the edge of becoming a street kid.
The story is set in the few years before the Sydney Olympic Games, when the government was trying to move the homeless and drug and alcohol addicts out of the city.
Courtenay has written another masterpiece. Having said that, this book is definitely not for everyone. There are a lot of triggers in these pages, so please beware.
In Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
August 29, 2024
This book is largely atrocious. Confoundingly, it has some interesting ideas, and even some readable - dare I say intriguing - passages. But the clanging discordance between, on the one hand, a sweet child's story about an heroic cat, and on the other, an increasingly perverse and preposterous storyline involving an alcoholic and an international paedophile ring (including unnecessarily graphic detail), drags this story to hell. Sloppy narrative, unexplained plot points, repeated racial epithets and the adult equivalent of a child's story - "and then I woke up and realised it was all a dream" - ending, places this clanger of a novel firmly on the lowest rung of the ladder for novels I have read.
February 9, 2023
A great read. This book has been sitting on my shelf for a long time, now I wonder why I took so long to read it. A Bryce Courtenay classic tale of despair, hope, love with an extraordinary amount of detail. It again confirmed in my mind that the author is one of my favourite writers.
September 10, 2025
This is probably the second worst book that I have ever read. Two disjointed & unrelated stories, neither of which is worth a read. Best avoided if you are offended by paedophilia.
May 10, 2025
“To question everything is important, for knowledge is power and ignorance is enslavement. When we accept without questioning, we forfeit the power to control our own lives.”
June 19, 2017
Humans, like all creatures, put themselves first. The only difference was that, unlike other species, they had the power to alter the balance of nature, and it was this that made them so dangerous. History was all about greed. Enough is never quite enough.
August 5, 2018
هذه النبذة من ترجمتي بالكامل مع تصرف،
نبذة مختصرة عن الكاتب :
الاسم : برايس كورتناي 1933-2012
كاتب و روائي أسترالي من مواليد جنوب أفريقيا. تدور احداث رواياته في القارة الأسترالية أو جنوب أفريقيا. أول ما نشر له واكثر روايته مبيعا رواية The Power of the one (قوة الفرد) نشرت عام 1989 و تدور احداثها في جنوب أفريقيا. وبرغم خوفه من عدم تحقيق المبيعات الكافية والفشل بعد نشرها حققت الرواية مبيعات فائقة واصبحت اكثر كتب استراليا مبيعا وتحولت لفيلم كما تم نشر نسخة معدلة منها للأطفال.
يعتبر من أشهر وأكثر كتاب أستراليا مبيعاً للكتب وذلك بسبب اهتمامه بالتسويق والترويج الجيد لكتبه عن طريق خلق علاقات قوية وطيبة مع القراء، فكان يقوم بتوزيع أكثر من 2500 نسخة مجانية سنوياً على القراء الذين يلتقيهم مصادفة في الشوارع.
توفى في عام 2012 بسبب سرطان المعدة .
الكتاب الذي اقوم بقراءته حاليا ولظروف خاصة توقفت في منتصفه تماما واحوال الإنتهاء منه هو رواية Mathew Flinders’ Cat ( قط ماثيو فليندر)
نبذة مختصرة عن الرواية : نشر عام 2002
تدور أحداث الرواية في مدينة سيدني استراليا. عام 1996 قبل انطلاق الألعاب الأوليمبية في سيدني ب 4 سنوات..
الأفكار الأساسية :
1- حياة المدينة الحديثة التي تقهر البشر و تقودهم للتشرد .
2- محنة المشردين في شوارع المدن الحديثة
3- سياسات الطمع والانحراف
4- تاريخ دولة استراليا من منظور قط الرحالة ماثيو فلندر .
تدور أحداث الرواية عن البطل (ويليام أوشانسي) بيللي محامي ناجح سابقا، و مدمن للخمور مشرد ينام خارج مكتبة المدينة العامة اسفل التمثال البرونزي للقط (تريم)، وعلاقته الإنسانية مع الصبي ذو العشرة أعوام (ريّان) وهو اقرب لأطفال الشوارع أو في طريقه المباشر ليصبح أحدهم. يحاول بيللي خلال احداث الرواية ان ينقذ الصبي من التشرد واقناعه بالإنتظام في المدرسة وتنمية مهارته ومواهبه قبل ان تطغي عليه حياة الشارع بسبب اهمال عائلته وامه المدمنة له. في الواقع هو كان ينقذ نفسه ايضا فعلى مدار اشهر يمر الإثنان بعملية اعادة تأهيل للعودة الى الشكل الأدمي الطبيعي للإنسان، و لذا يفوم (اوشانسي) بتسجيل نفسه والانتظام في مركز اعادة تأهيل المدمنين على الخمور. يجذب بيللي انتباه ومخيلة ريان عن طريق حبك قصة مسلية بطلها قط يسرد فيها احداث من تاريخ استراليا عن شخصية الرحالة والمستكشف الجغرافي ماثيو فلندر وابحاره بمصاحبه قطه (تريم) حول سواحل القارة وتحديد حدودها.
ترجمة مع تصرف (نرمين رشدي)
نبذة مختصرة عن الكاتب :
الاسم : برايس كورتناي 1933-2012
كاتب و روائي أسترالي من مواليد جنوب أفريقيا. تدور احداث رواياته في القارة الأسترالية أو جنوب أفريقيا. أول ما نشر له واكثر روايته مبيعا رواية The Power of the one (قوة الفرد) نشرت عام 1989 و تدور احداثها في جنوب أفريقيا. وبرغم خوفه من عدم تحقيق المبيعات الكافية والفشل بعد نشرها حققت الرواية مبيعات فائقة واصبحت اكثر كتب استراليا مبيعا وتحولت لفيلم كما تم نشر نسخة معدلة منها للأطفال.
يعتبر من أشهر وأكثر كتاب أستراليا مبيعاً للكتب وذلك بسبب اهتمامه بالتسويق والترويج الجيد لكتبه عن طريق خلق علاقات قوية وطيبة مع القراء، فكان يقوم بتوزيع أكثر من 2500 نسخة مجانية سنوياً على القراء الذين يلتقيهم مصادفة في الشوارع.
توفى في عام 2012 بسبب سرطان المعدة .
الكتاب الذي اقوم بقراءته حاليا ولظروف خاصة توقفت في منتصفه تماما واحوال الإنتهاء منه هو رواية Mathew Flinders’ Cat ( قط ماثيو فليندر)
نبذة مختصرة عن الرواية : نشر عام 2002
تدور أحداث الرواية في مدينة سيدني استراليا. عام 1996 قبل انطلاق الألعاب الأوليمبية في سيدني ب 4 سنوات..
الأفكار الأساسية :
1- حياة المدينة الحديثة التي تقهر البشر و تقودهم للتشرد .
2- محنة المشردين في شوارع المدن الحديثة
3- سياسات الطمع والانحراف
4- تاريخ دولة استراليا من منظور قط الرحالة ماثيو فلندر .
تدور أحداث الرواية عن البطل (ويليام أوشانسي) بيللي محامي ناجح سابقا، و مدمن للخمور مشرد ينام خارج مكتبة المدينة العامة اسفل التمثال البرونزي للقط (تريم)، وعلاقته الإنسانية مع الصبي ذو العشرة أعوام (ريّان) وهو اقرب لأطفال الشوارع أو في طريقه المباشر ليصبح أحدهم. يحاول بيللي خلال احداث الرواية ان ينقذ الصبي من التشرد واقناعه بالإنتظام في المدرسة وتنمية مهارته ومواهبه قبل ان تطغي عليه حياة الشارع بسبب اهمال عائلته وامه المدمنة له. في الواقع هو كان ينقذ نفسه ايضا فعلى مدار اشهر يمر الإثنان بعملية اعادة تأهيل للعودة الى الشكل الأدمي الطبيعي للإنسان، و لذا يفوم (اوشانسي) بتسجيل نفسه والانتظام في مركز اعادة تأهيل المدمنين على الخمور. يجذب بيللي انتباه ومخيلة ريان عن طريق حبك قصة مسلية بطلها قط يسرد فيها احداث من تاريخ استراليا عن شخصية الرحالة والمستكشف الجغرافي ماثيو فلندر وابحاره بمصاحبه قطه (تريم) حول سواحل القارة وتحديد حدودها.
ترجمة مع تصرف (نرمين رشدي)
Read
February 2, 2014Matthew Flinder’s Cat, by Bryce Courtenay, Narrated by Humphrey Bower, Produced by Bolinda Audio, Downloaded from audible.com.
As the publisher’s note begins: “This book is the story of a drunk, a boy and a cat.” Of course it’s much more than that. Billy was a well-known lawyer who went on the skids because of alcohol and finally was living on the street. Ryan is a young very bright child who was beautiful to look at and who had a wonderful singing voice. He was very street savvy because his mother was a heroin addict and he virtually had to take care of her. He met Billy, saw what a hangover he had and, knowing from his mother’s addiction what had to be done, he helped find him water and coffee and took him to the emergency room to have his sprained wrist seen to. Billy began making up stories for Ryan about Brim, Matthew Flinder’s cat, a ship cat who was with his captain until he died 200 years previously. Ryan was so entranced with these stories, partially true and partially made up, that it brought him closer to Billy. Then Ryan’s mother died of an overdose. Ryan was on the streets in trouble because he knew too much about the underworld his mother had been a part of. Billy had gone finally into treatment for alcoholism. But Billy removed himself from treatment and went to find Ryan to help him when he realized what trouble he was in. This is another of Courtenay’s warm inspiring stories. By helping ryan, Billy pulled himself out of the gutter. Wonderful book.
As the publisher’s note begins: “This book is the story of a drunk, a boy and a cat.” Of course it’s much more than that. Billy was a well-known lawyer who went on the skids because of alcohol and finally was living on the street. Ryan is a young very bright child who was beautiful to look at and who had a wonderful singing voice. He was very street savvy because his mother was a heroin addict and he virtually had to take care of her. He met Billy, saw what a hangover he had and, knowing from his mother’s addiction what had to be done, he helped find him water and coffee and took him to the emergency room to have his sprained wrist seen to. Billy began making up stories for Ryan about Brim, Matthew Flinder’s cat, a ship cat who was with his captain until he died 200 years previously. Ryan was so entranced with these stories, partially true and partially made up, that it brought him closer to Billy. Then Ryan’s mother died of an overdose. Ryan was on the streets in trouble because he knew too much about the underworld his mother had been a part of. Billy had gone finally into treatment for alcoholism. But Billy removed himself from treatment and went to find Ryan to help him when he realized what trouble he was in. This is another of Courtenay’s warm inspiring stories. By helping ryan, Billy pulled himself out of the gutter. Wonderful book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews