The Cat's Table

By: Michael Ondaatje

Narrated by: Michael Ondaatje

In the early 1950s, an eleven-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship bound for England. At mealtimes he is seated at the “cat’s table”—as far from the Captain’s Table as can be—with a ragtag group of “insignificant” adults and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As the ship makes its way across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal, into the Mediterranean, the boys tumble from one adventure to another, bursting all over the place like freed mercury. But there are other diversions as well: one man talks with them about jazz and women, another opens the door to the world of literature. The narrator’s elusive, beautiful cousin Emily becomes his confidante, allowing him to see himself “with a distant eye” for the first time, and to feel the first stirring of desire. Another Cat’s Table denizen, the shadowy Miss Lasqueti, is perhaps more than what she seems. And very late every night, the boys spy on a shackled prisoner, his crime and his fate a galvanizing mystery that will haunt them forever.

As the narrative moves between the decks and holds of the ship and the boy’s adult years, it tells a spellbinding story—by turns poignant and electrifying—about the magical, often forbidden, discoveries of childhood and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage.

Read by the author; how special is that!

Have you listened to any of Michael Ondaatje’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I absoutely loved listening to the author read his own book. This added a particularly wonderful and unique quality to this audiobook. Loved the story.

review

struggled to finish, but likely would not take it up again in the near future.

Interesting story

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, especially if the person is a fan of the author.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I've read that Mr. Ondaatje is not big on character development. He also leaves a number of unanswered questions in the story. All of these techniques put more responsibility on the reader. In this book he points out that with art, the artists expression is not complete without the viewer. So, in this books, his writing is not complete until we, the reader, finish the story.

What aspect of Michael Ondaatje’s performance would you have changed?

It was an adequate performance, however I generally appreciate a narrator that uses more inflection.

Was The Cat's Table worth the listening time?

Yes, for me it was.

Any additional comments?

Mr. Ondaatje has a keen use of description and metaphor and I enjoyed numerous passages.

Captivating

This is a three-fer: intriguing storyline, fantastic prose, and captivating narration by the author. His voice compels you to listen, and impels you into his voyeuristic world on board ship and beyond.
I've been disappointed in the last two Ondaatje novels, but this has the poetry and observation of his best work, and the power of a whirlpool to draw you in to the violence under the calm.
I've bought a half-dozen copies as presents; well worth it.
Captivating.

Quiet and Unassuming, but Insightful

Michael Ondaatje is a wonderful writer, choosing his words and phrases so carefully that you can spend hours just enjoying the writing itself. However, he is not a great narrator. He speaks in a quiet, hurried way, with a bit of an accent that can make it hard to catch what he's saying. This is a good book to listen to if you are trying to go to sleep.

The story is that of the author's trip from Sri Lanka to England, by boat, when he was 11. He travelled alone, but was watched over by the adults who shared his table at dinner (nicknamed "The Cat's Table" because it was so far from the Captain's table), and befriended by other children also travelling alone. He is the observer and the student - interpreting what he saw, now, as an adult. The story is poignant and touching. I would not say that it is as good as The English Patient, but it is well written.