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The Cat's Table

By Michael Ondaatje
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3.62 goodreads logo

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje follows an eleven-year-old boy named Michael as he embarks on a three-week sea voyage from Sri Lanka to England. During the journey, he mingles with a fascinating group of adults at the table furthest from the ship's captain, uncovering a world of adventure, intrigue, and unexpected revelations that profoundly shape his understanding of the world and himself.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're captivated by coming-of-age stories filled with adventure and mystery. Set during a ship voyage from Sri Lanka to England in the 1950s, it weaves a tale of discovery and intrigue as a young boy explores the world aboard the ship. This book may appeal to anyone who appreciates richly detailed narratives about personal growth and the complexity of human connections.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From the acclaimed author of The English Patient comes a stunningly beautiful novel about a boy's life-changing journey from Ceylon to England in the 1950s.

What had there been before such a ship in my life?

From the acclaimed author of The English Patient and In the Skin of a Lion- a stunningly beautiful and moving new novel about a boy's life-changing journey from Ceylon to England in the 1950s.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From the acclaimed author of The English Patient and In the Skin of a Lion comes a stunningly beautiful and moving new novel about a boy's life-changing journey from Ceylon to England in the 1950s.

What had there been before such a ship in my life? A dugout canoe on a river journey? A launch in Trincomalee harbour? There were always fishing boats on our horizon. But I could never imagine the grandeur of this castle that was to cross the sea.

In the early 1950s, an eleven-year-old boy boards a huge liner in Colombo bound for England. At mealtimes, he is seated at the lowly cat's table, as far from the Captain's table as can be, with a ragtag group of adults and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As the ship crosses the Indian Ocean, the boys tumble from one adventure to another, and at night they spy on a shackled prisoner, his crime and fate a mystery that will haunt them forever...

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje receives high praise for its captivating narrative and literary merit. The Daily Mail describes it as one of the year's most admirable novels, while the Guardian lauds it as extraordinary. The Economist highlights its exquisite balance between innocence and experience, while Phillip Hensher in the Daily Telegraph calls it a wonderful novel filled with dreams and fantasy. The Tatler finds it atmospheric and poignant, comparable to Ondaatje's renowned work, The English Patient.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099554424

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 July 2012

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 264g

Pages: 384

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Michael Ondaatje Penguin Books

About the Author

Michael Ondaatje is the author of seven novels; a memoir, Running in the Family; a non-fiction book on film, The Conversations- Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film; and several books of poetry, including The Cinnamon Peeler and Handwriting. The English Patient received the Booker Prize in 1992 and the Golden Man Booker in 2018, and was made into a film directed by Anthony Minghella. Anil's Ghost was awarded the Irish Times International Fiction Prize, the Giller Prize and the Prix Medicis. Born in Sri Lanka, Michael Ondaatje lives in Toronto.

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