My Beloved Monster

Masha, the Half-wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me

By: Caleb Carr

Narrated by: James Lurie

The #1 bestselling author of The Alienist tells the extraordinary story of Masha, a half-wild rescue cat who fought off a bear, tackled Caleb like a linebacker—and bonded with him as tightly as any cat and human possibly can.

Caleb Carr has had special relationships with cats since he was a young boy in a turbulent household, famously peopled by the founding members of the Beat Generation, where his steadiest companions were the adopted cats that lived with him both in the city and the country. As an adult, he has had many close feline companions, with relationships that have outlasted most of his human ones. But only after building a three-story home in rural, upstate New York did he enter into the most extraordinary of all of his cat pairings: Masha, a Siberian Forest cat who had been abandoned as a kitten, and was languishing in a shelter when Caleb met her. She had hissed and fought off all previous carers and potential adopters, but somehow, she chose Caleb as her savior.

For the seventeen years that followed, Caleb and Masha were inseparable. Masha ruled the house and the extensive, dangerous surrounding fields and forests. When she was hurt, only Caleb could help her. When he suffered long-standing physical ailments, Masha knew what to do. Caleb’s life-long study of the literature of cat behavior, and his years of experience with previous cats, helped him decode much of Masha’s inner life. But their bond went far beyond academic studies and experience. The story of Caleb and Masha is an inspiring and life-affirming relationship for readers of all backgrounds and interests—a love story like no other.

Beautiful and Unforgettable

I loved this book! I’m a long-time fan of Caleb Carr’s novels - I think Carr has a remarkable ability to develop memorable characters without sacrificing plot. His books are dark, captivating, and generally stay with me long after I rip through the final pages. But I wasn’t sure this book would engage me like his novels. I’m not what I would consider an “animal lover,” so I hesitated.

OK, I admit I was wrong! This is an astonishing memoir. It focuses on Carr’s relationship with a beloved cat, Masha, and yes, I learned a lot of interesting things about cats and other animals because Carr always exhaustively researches his books. But to me the book soars because Carr uses his relationship with Masha to write some hard truths about life: understanding who you are, how your past has shaped and limited you, fighting against that but ultimately accepting those limitations, what it means to be fully present for someone else, overcoming challenges because you have no choice, love, connection, disappointment, loss. So many sentences were memorable for me that I wished I hadn’t listened to an audiobook version of the memoir. After finishing, I’ve spent much time thinking about it, but I still don’t understand how Carr pulled this off. He is an amazing writer who has written a beautiful and unforgettable book.

Memoir through a study of feline behavior

This is as much a poetic memoir as it is a study of feline behavior and the bond between man and beast. It will make you laugh and make you cry. It takes the reader on a personal journey and makes the story all your own. A beautiful book from a masterful writer. And if you share your life with a cat, this is a must read for you.

Rips my heart open, cats don’t live long enough lives on this planet

Finally a book exploring the depth of the cat-human bond, and done with such prose to make anyone feel a small piece of Caleb’s connection with Masha. I was sad to learn Caleb passed away, but grateful he published this, his best work, in his time left in this plane. Enjoy your eternity with your soulmate Caleb.

I would give this book 100 stars

I really loved this book. It made me laugh & cry. Such a beautifully written love story it broke my heart. Would have loved to know someone with such a compassionate heart for animals. Rest well and I truly hope you & Masha are running together once more ❤️

Beautiful Tribute

Any animal lover will find this story to be a beautifully written piece that will make them laugh and cry. Well written easy to listen to.

The insight of the narrative to express the emotional bond between him and Marsha,

I loved everything about this book, especially the connection between the narrator and his cat, Marsha. This story has heart and depth, truth and splashes of endearing humor. The writing is stellar. It has changed my outlook towards animals, in general. Bravo is all I can say about this wonderful book. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever loved an an animal.

Incredibly moving book

This book had me in tears. A powerful portrait of a unique and strong bond between a man and his cat, whose natures and lives mirror each other uncannily. The book is a majestic tribute to the mighty Masha and the evolution of her bond with the author is moving and eventually shattering. I highly recommend this book.

Mashas personality

Those who have never loved outside the human species will likely not understand but those of us who have been lucky enough to share in the deep felt bond a special pet can create will laugh, be amazed, feel the affections and and cry at the end of the bonded pair that was Masha and Caleb.
Caleb- I understand.

If you love cats & good writing. . .

A dark story about a person who suffered serious childhood trauma and the manner in which, throughout his life, he sought solace, companionship, and meaning through life-long relationships with cats and especially one very special one in the last years of his life.

Stunningly Beautiful Memoir

A fascinating and beautifully written memoir of a renowned writer framed around his lifelong relationships with cats, along with the biographical explanations of how and why feline companionship became such a central feature of his emotional life. Destined, I believe, to become a literary classic.