VARJAK PAW

 by SF SAID;  

                                                                                        

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my weekend Book Review featuring Adventures in Middle-Grade Fiction.

Mrs H is currently tucked up in bed with Hay Fever and a good book, as well as a sherry smoothie. I'd never heard that the latter was a cure for the sniffles, but hey ho, each to their own. 🙂

So without further ado, lets get on with this fabulous book!

AUTHOR:  S F SAID

 

Illustrated throughout by:  Dave McKean

 

Published by: Randomhouse Childrens Books

 

Publication date for Paperback: 2003, so OUT NOW 

 

Paperback ISBN:   978 - 0 - 552 - 57229 - 3

 

Cover price for Paperback is £7.99

KINDLE price is: On offer at £2.99

 

Pages: 255

 

Age range:  8 and upwards

Any dogs or cats? Yes, plus monsterous metal dogs... well, maybe.

 

 

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters. 

 

 

Thank you to... 

 

We are exceedingly grateful to Mrs H for seeing this in the bookstore and thinking of me and my Read & Review. I will say straight off; it did not disappoint.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, been given as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review. 

First and foremost, the books we review are those we like and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their children, friends, and students will enjoy.

 

The plot

 

Varjak Paw is a Mesopotamian Blue kitten. He lives with his family of Mother, Father, Elder Paw, auntie Juni, elder brother Julius, three litter brothers, and cousin Jasmin. They live atop a hill in an old house set in a high-walled garden. Their human owner is the elderly Contessa. She dotes on them and feeds them the best. Varjak is considered not a true Blue by his kin as he has different coloured eyes from his family.

The world outside the door, through the flap, is not one his family is bothered about, nor do they seek to go out the cat flap as the garden will make them dirty. They have lived there since 'Jalal the Great' fled from Mesopotamia and founded his new home and family with the Contessa.

 

Elder Paw tells stories of Jalal's adventures, but only Varjak now listens. One day, quite out of the blue, a man dressed all in black appears through the front door. A large cat stands on each side of him, black and menacing. Cold and intimidating, the pair act and move in unison. It soon transpires that the Contessa, their loving and doting mistress, who has been so long poorly, has passed away. Whilst Elder Paw is very concerned, and argues they must be prepared to flee their once safe haven, the rest of the family feels it will be of no matter and their lives will stay the same.

Elder Paw is dethroned as head of the family by Varjak's father, and the family lapses into willing ignorance of their fate. All but Varjak and Elder Paw that is. Shunned by his family, a shell of his majesty and former power, Elder takes Varjak into the walled garden, and they discuss matters. Things will be bound to change, that much Elder is sure, and the man in black and his strange cats create an eerie and foreboding feeling. While outside, Elder tells Varjac about the ways of Jalal, the 'Seven Skills in the Way of Jalal'. But only three have been passed down: Slow Time, Moving in Circles, and Shadow Walking. The seven are rules to live by, and more importantly, they are rules to defend oneself and survive in the real world.

But time has indeed run out, and it seems the weak, the old, and the not true to breed, are not wanted. The man in black sets his monstrous two cats on the two in the garden. Sacrificing his life, Elder gives Varjak time to scale the wall and escape.

Now, Varjak is a young and inquisitive cat, but he is in no way prepared for the world he finds beyond the wall. Elder had said he should find a dog, a fierce monstrous beast, talk to it and get it to remove the man from their house. Men, you see, or so the tales went, feared such toothy beasts.

The world outside is cold, wet, and scary. Mistaking the ferocity of motorcars for the monstrous beast that was a dog, Varjak is lucky to escape with his life. 

But this will be but one close and perilous meeting as he travels in search of the beast to save his family from the evil that is this man in black. 

His journey takes him into dark alleyways, and he crosses paths with two gangs of street cats who are fighting for territory and the food that goes with it. Caught between the factions, Varjak is very much an innocent abroad . . . .

Will he survive the day or the gangs, let alone find a dog? And if they don't get him, whatever is 'vanishing' cats from the streets very well might! With odds stacked against him, he finds help from a very unexpected source when he least expects it. 

That, my dear readers, is as far as I dare reveal the tale. 

What did we think? If you don't want extra spoilers, PLEASE skip this next paragraph.

 

I was captivated and in awe of such compelling writing. The shift from one level of consciousness to another, when Varjak gets to meet and be taught by Jalal, is a delightful and natural way to enlarge and drive forward the story dramatically and, occasionally, sadly. 

 

This review would only be complete by mentioning the artwork within and without by David McKean. There is an edge to it that is sometimes hard and brutal, yet at others, so subtle and ghostlike. Arguably, this juxtaposition is much like a cat (and dog). It certainly offers, as the best artwork does, an extra dimension that helps shape the reader's thoughts. 

So . . . 

Crunch time. 

 

I think cat lovers, and lovers of good writing of all ages, will love this adventure. The elegance of the writing, the description of the cats, their lives and manners and their aura make for such a rich, compelling and easy-going read. Richard Adams, who wrote adventures including Shardick and Watership Down, said of this story, "The cat magic mystique is brilliant." Little wonder this book has won awards.

 

It is a modern classic made, and worthy of anyone's shelf.

 

Want to buy a copy?

To get a copy, please duck, dive and scale massive walls and savage (possibly) dogs to get to your local independent bookshop. Plenty are out there; each shop just waits to serve whatever kind of mystery, fun and adventure you desire.

 

 

SF SAID's web page can be found HERE or type this: http://www.sfsaid.com/

 

Random House Childrens web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.rhcbooks.com/

 

David McKean's web page can be found HERE or type this: http://www.davemckean.com/

 

And now, the Sunday Selfie. 

 

We are joining Janet Blue from the Cat on My Head blog for the weekly parade of selfies from all manner of companion creatures from across the pond and around the globe. 

To go to Janet's blog selfie page, please click this LINK. or type / cut and paste  https://thecatonmyhead.com/breakfast-is-late/

And finally, here is my selfie, posed in front of my personal chipped doorway. Many have tried to enter, but none have succeeded in munching my treats! No wonder I look happy! 🙂 🙂

 

Could do with a spring clean around here... Mrs H!

 

Till laters!

ERin