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"The Cat Who Had Sixty Whiskers" by Lilian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who Had Sixty Whiskers is available at Diesel Ebooks and Amazon.com.
After tiptoeing quietly through The Cat Who Went Bananas and The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell, Lillian Jackson Braun really shakes things up in The Cat Who Had Sixty Whiskers. After my review of The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell one of our commentators dropped a bombshell of her own: Polly left Jim! My first reaction was concern that this might be a spoiler to those (like me) who had not yet read the book. However, this knowledge actually served to enhance the reading of the story. That is the reason I mention it here.
Those of us who have faithfully read the entire "Cat Who..." series have seen Jim Qwilleran put his life back together after hitting rock bottom, as a result of his alcoholism, divorce and the inability to hold onto a job. We have seen him pull himself up by his bootstraps to become the man in control--the one others come to for comfort and advice, and filthy rich to boot. Now we see his idyllic universe begin to unravel. He and the reader realize that his universe may have been getting a little stagnant. Is Jim paying for his failure to make personal commitments? Will another woman take up where Polly left off? Will she be reserved and erudite like Polly, or outgoing and outrageous like Hixie Rice? Knowing that the Polly bombshell is coming, the reader can look for clues to explain why she (and Lillian) did this! I wasn't devastated by Polly's desertion. She, like Jim, had begun to stagnate, and her reserve had made her into an Ice Queen. I was, however, annoyed by her abandoning her cats. Perhaps Ms. Braun made her do this so that we wouldn't miss her so much.
The story ended with a hint of a romance, or at least friendship, with Barbara, the woman who rented Polly's abandoned condo and brought her own cat, Molasses. What happens now if Polly comes back? Whatever once can say about 60 Whiskers, it did leave one eager for the next installment. We won't have to wait too long. The Cat Who Smelled Smoke is scheduled to be out in April (2008). It can be preordered from Amazon, although they don't have a synopsis or a cover shot yet available (as of mid-March, 2008.)
I just read The Cat Who had Sixty Whiskers. This is the first of Lillian Braun's books that left me hanging. Who was responsible for the murder? The story seemed to end abruptly. Did anyone else feel that way about this book?
Hi, Patti, sorry it took so long for a reply, but I thought my answer should show signs of concious thought, and I was cogitating. I think I should have gone ahead and answered, because my cogitating didn't bring any insights. I was hoping someone would answser you and tell us both who is responsible for the murder. That didn't happen either. I'd say the story didn't end abruptly as much as it just petered out. It does, however, leave the door open to new possibilities. Polly's mysterious communication regarding her staying in Paris was out of character. Maybe she is being held hostage! Do I see a fan-suggested story line to come out of this? Readers, how about it?
I got so many comments (complaints, maybe) about "The Cat Who Had Sixty Whiskers" that I read it again. After rereading the book, I began to think that fans are suffering from "Harry Potter Syndrome." This condition causes a person to so fervently anticipate the next installment that no matter how good, the book does not live up to expectations. Some observations from the rereading:
LJB has done her homework. Polly didn't just take off. Throughout the novel, LJB dropped hints that Polly had lost interest in Pickax, Qwill, and even her cats. Qwill remarks in his personal journal: "Well, she's gone. There was no sendoff. She just faded away."
One of the most interesting comments reminds us that Polly lived in Pickax because her late husband, a native resident who was killed fighting a barn fire. Perhaps Qwill's living in a barn brought back too many bad memories for her. Perhaps now the burning of the barn will allow Qwill to rise from the ashes Phoenix-like.
Other story lines converge with this one on the "Barn Burning" problem. Qwill comments that he is tired of lving in the Taj Mahal of Pickax just before he moves back to his winter residence, The Willows. Later on, at a dinner with his fellow Willows residents, he tells the history of his Barn. The original owner hung himself from the rafters, and the the designer of the updated barn followed suit. Certainly not good feng shui!
LJB's educational offerings--and one of the reasons I admire this series so much--are also on target. We get a sample of an absurdist play in one act, liberal commentary on the musical "Cats" and some more limmericks. And one can only hope that the barn fire didn't destroy the habitat of Marconi, the owl who hoots in morse code.
I just discovered the "Cat Who" books earlier this year at the used book store. When I realized the series was best read in order, I went back to the first book and spent the summer devouring "Cat Who" stories. I just finished "60 Whiskers". I am happy to see the dull, stuffy Polly go. With all its attractive features, the barn is also the scene of three suicides. Lets hope the barn burning is a way to shake up Quilleran and get him out of his rut. One can only hope that this delightful series will not end with LJB.
Welcome, Beth! I think you may have echoed the sentiments of most readers, although we were all a bit shocked by this turn of events. And if this series ends here (as we fear it might) there will be a lot of unhappy readers who will feel like they lost a friend.