Peter Gethers

The cat in this short novel is named Norton and that may ring a bell as the book was later published under that name. Two additional books followed. Gethers, who works in the entertainment business, didn't like cats until his girlfriend actually gave him one. It didn't take him long to fall in love with the sweet kitten and decided to treat Norton as he would a dog, taking him everywhere he went including business trips outside the U. S., on dates, and to the world's best restaurants.

I liked Norton and his adventures but I didn't care much for Gethers himself. Originally published in 1992, I'm not sure it would be as popular today as it was thirty years ago.… (meer)

3.5 stars

This is Gethers’ second book about his travels with his Scottish Fold cat, Norton. In this one, Gethers, his girlfriend Janis, and Norton head to France for a year in the countryside. The author would just like to relax at the house (castle?) they are renting for the year, but Janis wants to see as much as she can. Of course, Norton joins them on all their travels.

These are enjoyable stories. A little bit of humour thrown in. A lot of food on this trip (they are in France, after all). It looks like I rated the first book slightly higher at 4 stars. There is one more and I will plan to read it.… (meer)

This is, I believe, the first book I have giving no rating to. I couldn't even bring myself to give it one star. I was expecting a witty book about an interesting, clever and adorably cute cat. What I got was a series of dull anecdotes about various meals, lots of references that only Americans would understand, several xenophobic comments and countless loud clangs resulting from the huge amount of name-dropping Gethers indulges in.

Gethers found it hilarious that the Japanese translator of his first book (called A Cat Called Norton in the UK) had to ask several questions. Here's some news for him - a lot of people in Britain also have no idea who Willie Davis, Willie Wilson, Willie Mays, Roger Staubach or the Seven Santini brothers are. The UK publisher and editor also did a poor job, as England and America are indeed two countries separated by a common language. My teeth grated at every mention of 'driving a stick shift', and the several other Americanisations in the book.

But it was mostly Gethers' self-indulgence that made me hate this book.… (meer)