Chris Kelly (1)

A friend gave me this little book, and, to be honest, I wasn't expecting all that much from it, figuring it would be something like Jenny Parks' Star Trek Cats, with nothing but pictures of Downton Abbey characters as cats. Don't get me wrong, I adore Star Trek Cats, but I'm an old Trekkie from way back, and I was never more than a fairly casual viewer of Downton Abbey.

Well, I was wrong. This isn't just pictures. It's a full-fledged parody (and, in places, a positive satire), one that pokes fun not just at Downton Abbey characters and cats, but also at the landed gentry. The pictures are mildly amusing, but the text is frequently hilarious.

Consider:

In the early days of the last century, the courtly cats of England's stately mansions lived life in much the same way the owners of England's stately mansions did: someone fed them, then they spent the day grooming and sleeping and kind of ambling around, then someone fed them again.

I think that's pretty much the part where I first started laughing out loud.… (meer)

Your favorite Downton Abbey characters are here, but in feline form. Mrs. Catmore, the cook, has trouble seeing, and gives Laisy, her helper, the wrong ingredients. Matthmew, the heir apparent, can drive a car, but not well. Catson, the butler, does his best to keep everyone in line downstairs even while Vibrissa Clowder, the Dowager Catness of Grimalkin, regales everyone upstairs with her pearls of wisdom. This little tome is packed with pleasure and sheer delight, with amusing illustrations and witty writing. Feline fanciers and Downton Abbey fans will especially enjoy it.… (meer)