The Cat’s Table
The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje is a reprint edition published by National Geographic Books on June 12, 2012. This 288-page novel follows an eleven-year-old boy from Colombo as he embarks on a ship journey to England in the early 1950s. Seated at the “cat’s table,” far from the Captain’s Table, he encounters a diverse group of adults and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin, leading to a series of adventures that explore themes of childhood and discovery.
Readers will find a narrative rich in experiences as the boys navigate their surroundings, encountering the worlds of jazz, women, and literature through their eccentric fellow travelers. The story also introduces a mysterious shackled prisoner, whose presence adds an element of intrigue that lingers throughout their voyage. The Cat’s Table delves into the complexities of coming of age and cultural heritage, presenting a vivid portrayal of the magical and often forbidden discoveries that shape a young person’s journey.
Official synopsis Publisher
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 crosses the Indian Ocean, the boys tumble from one adventure to another, bursting all over the place like freed mercury. But there are other diversions as well: they are first exposed to the magical worlds of jazz, women, and literature by their eccentric fellow travelers, and together they spy on a shackled prisoner, his crime and fate a galvanizing mystery that will haunt them forever. By turns poignant and electrifying, The Cat’s Table is a spellbinding story about the magical, often forbidden, discoveries of childhood, and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage.
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