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Aug 24, 2011

Reese rated it:

From a ridiculously long list of "to-read" books, I chose, shortly before the start of Passover, HOMER'S ODYSSEY: A FEARLESS FELINE TALE, OR HOW I LEARNED ABOUT LOVE AND LIFE WITH A BLIND WONDER CAT as my next "read." The coming of Passover had nothing to do with my looking at the shelves of waiting-to-be-next books and making Gwen Cooper's memoir the chosen one. Nevertheless, this choice turned out to be another "message" from the universe that, in a life in which More...

12 comments like (8 people liked it)

Aug 24, 2011

Rachel rated it:

Sometimes you see little kids clutching books at the library and dramatically telling their friends, "OH MY GOD THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER" and I kind of feel that way about Homer's Odyssey, but I will try to have more dignity about it.

ZOMG! A TINY BLIND KITTEH!

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I will say that this is different from the roughly one million other books about cats who teach their humans about love and life in that the author Gwen Cooper is More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jul 27, 2009

Beth rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Aug 24, 2011

Kelly rated it:

I really likes this book a lot. People who know me are totally aware of my near-obsession with cats, and that I am very involved in cat rescue, and that am fostering lots of cats at any given moment. I can't get enough of Lolcats and can lose hours at cuteoverload.com and icanhascheezburger.com. But when it comes to reading longer stories about animals and animal rescue, I usually can't handle the overabundance of sappiness (and sometimes self-righteousness) that is ever-present. So I am happy t More...

4 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 24, 2011

Ems rated it:

I don't even know where to begin with this one. This is a book that I won through Goodreads' First Reads program, and might be one of the best books I've ever come across. No, scratch that. It IS one of the best books I've ever come across. I laughed, I cried, I gripped the couch cushions in terror, I raged at the unfairness of people. In short, I ran the gamut of every emotion known to man while reading this book.

Homer is adopted as a blind kitten and quickly makes his new mom re More...

3 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 09, 2012

Alissa rated it:

"Exrtraordinary Dog" stories are a dime a dozen, so much to the point they've practically become cliche, typical, and, dare I say it, ordinary! (does anyone really care anymore that Lassie rescued Timmy from the old well--AGAIN?!?)But an Extraordinary Cat story? ...Now THAT is something you don't hear too much of! Perhaps it's because of our culture's somewhat deluded love affair with the "dog is man's best friend" concept. Perhaps it's because, in recent times, cats have bee More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 26, 2011

Donna rated it:

I just loved this book. Homer is my kind of cat. From the very beginning he grabbed at your heart strings. This blind cat made you realize that just because you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, doesn't mean there isn't one.
This little cat sure stole Gwen Cooper's heart; and, mine too. Homer is an inspiration to all. His sense of smell and hearing made it easy for him to know things. He shows us how to have faith in ourselves. Everyone he came in contact came to love hi More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 24, 2011

Diane rated it:

I'm a dog person, but this book made me want a cat--if only family allergies didn't make that a very bad idea. I laughed out loud at Homer's antics, although there are some very serious moments in the story. I felt the author's tension when she couldn't get back to her beloved cats after the Twin Towers collapsed. If you can't stand anthropmorphizing of animals, this may not be the book for you, but if you're one of those people who know animals 'have feelings too', you will love this story. Wha More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 05, 2011

Cameling rated it:

Anyone who's read [Dewey] will love this tribute to a little kitten who, at a couple of weeks, lost his eyes due to an infection and was given up by his owners because they didn't want a blind cat.

Gwen Cooper, hardly making ends meet herself, owner of 2 cats, and living with a friend, takes this little bundle of black fur and in the process, embarks on a journey where not only is she providing the shelter, love and care to this blind kitten but learns about courage, perseverance, trus More...

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Jul 13, 2010

Lizzy added it

Posted by Lizzy Mottern for Barbara Branson
No, no, not the Homer’s Odyssey that you studied in school. This is the story of Homer, a tiny, blind cat who captured the heart of a young woman and went on to teach her valuable life lessons through his own determination and love of life. Homer is fearless: he can launch himself from great heights (he doesn’t know he’s near the top of the drapes) and in the middle of the night has scared off a burglar. His hearing is acute: he can hear a fly More...

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Jan 29, 2012

Corielle rated it:

As a cat lover, I found this book to be a wonderful representation of compassion and learning from animals. It’s a story about the give and take of every good relationship, and being able to take that leap beyond the extraordinary to prove your love. It’s about struggle and overcoming the seemingly impossible. About not taking things for granted and believing that anything is possible.

Homer is a fearless, blind kitty with a big heart. And Gwen, Homer’s human mommy, has a lot of love t More...

0 comments like

Oct 04, 2011

Bobbi rated it:

I've previously confessed to being a pushover for books about animals, so it should come as no surprise that I really, REALLY liked this book. The subtitle, "A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat," really nails the book in a nutshell.

Books about animals often describe what makes the animal special, the author's interaction with it, amazing feats and adventures, etc., and this book does all that. But what I found most interesting More...

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Sep 20, 2011

Alexandra rated it:

Homer’s Odyssey is a memoir written by a 25 year old woman named Gwen Cooper. The story intrigued me, what I enjoyed most was how it locked me in to the story emotionally and visually. I was able to create a scene in my head with the adjectives Cooper used throughout the story. The book begins with Cooper talking about her love and fascination for cats, this leads to how her adoption of Homer had become. Homer is a black cat that she adopted when he was only a few weeks old. The only difference More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 20, 2011

Erica added it

This book was about a lady, Gwen Cooper who adopted a blind kitten. The kitten, Homer had his eyes removed and no one wanted to adopt him. This book tells about Gwen's life with Homer and how she had to adapt to having a blind cat along with he two other cats that she has. Gwen is 25 years old in the beginning of the book. She broke up with her boyfriend before she got Homer and the moved in with he friend when she adopted Homer. But she eventually had to move out of her friend's house and the o More...

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Jun 22, 2011

Lee rated it:

This book is so lovely! The author does a wonderful job of framing her own life's path against that of Homer (the kitty she adopts) - when she talks about what she "learned about love and life with a blind wonder cat," she manages to avoid the "oh please, let me roll my eyes now" type of sap that sometimes happen when you read pet-centered memoirs. At least, that was my perspective. Others might feel it still gets sappy...but I think the author wrote honestly, from a place More...

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Apr 04, 2011

Särah rated it:

I admit it: I’m a bleeding heart for animals, and Homer’s Odyssey made me laugh, cry and hug my cat. The premise may seem cliché—handicapped pet wins the hearts of everyone he meets—but Gwen Cooper is a compelling and eloquent narrator, and she writes of her beloved blind cat with dry wit and humor as well as affection. Her voice resonates off the page in a jovial and conversational tone, and reading this book feels like having a nice chat with Cooper across the table over coffee.

Coo More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 26, 2011

EZRead rated it:

Able to jump from tall book cases in a single bound. Look! It’s a cat. It’s blind. It’s Homer!

Though some skeptics may think this comparison is over the top, they obviously have not yet read about the antics of Homer, the blind wonder kitty. He has amazing instincts, super hearing, a super sense of smell, and has as much affection and protective nature as a dog (apologies to any cat lovers/dog haters). All of these abilities are impressive enough with a regular cat, but put them on an More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 22, 2010

ICPL added it

This book is a cat story, well actually the story of three cats, and their human companion. I must confess I read more dog stories, but there are also lovely stories of cats and their humans, including this. The title of this work Homer’s Odyssey: a fearless feline tale or how I learned about love and life with a blind wonder cat does a pretty darn good job of summing up the book. Gwen Cooper, the author, tells us of the adoption of her cat Homer, made blind by an eye infection as a very young k More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 17, 2010

Jessi rated it:

Summary: Once in nine lives, something extraordinary happens. The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart. Then Gwen's veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old eyeless kitten who'd been abandoned. It was love at first sight. Everyone warned that Homer would always be an "underachiever", never as playful or independent as other cats. But the kitten nobody believed in quic More...

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Mar 11, 2010

Judy rated it:

Okay, you have a low-paying job in a nonprofit, you have just left a long term relationship, you are living with one of your friends, and you have two cats. Then the vet calls and tells you that she has a once in a lifetime opportunity for you--there's a three week old homeless kitten with no eyes just waiting for a home. Now I think that most of us would immediately remember an important appointment and terminate that conversation, but not Gwen Cooper. She goes to the office, meets the kitte More...

0 comments like

Jan 01, 2010

Catherine rated it:

I don't want to sound unkind, but I fear that will be inevitable.

Gwen Cooper seems like a perfectly nice person, even if a bit self-important, but I feel like if she were in my wider social circles and I found out she was attending a function I would be like "...oh. Really? Gwen's coming?" because there is something about her tone that is unbelievably irritating.

A friend bought this for me as a present because I have a blind kitten of my own (Dirty Diana, who i More...

9 comments like (8 people liked it)

Nov 24, 2009

Lynne rated it:

Homer was a stray found at 2 weeks old and had an eye infection that could have been treated had he been found sooner. Unfortunately his eyes had to be removed. Some at the vet's office suggested euthanizing him since he would be hard to adopt out. The vet, after seeing his spunk and determination, felt otherwise. The vet, who treated Gwen's (the author) other cats, Vashti and Scarlett, asked if she would also be willing to adopt Homer. Gwen fell for him immediately and took him home.

More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 16, 2009

Clockstein rated it:

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper is a heart-breaking and hilarious look at the life of an eyeless cat. Cooper undertook the care of wee Homer when he was just a few weeks old and a life-threatening infection had already taken his eyes from him. But rather than become a fearful, cringing scaredy cat, Homer embraced every single moment of life as the blessing it is, teaching both Cooper and her friends important lessons. Cooper has a unique talent for capturing feline behavior with such perfection, More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 12, 2009

Missy rated it:

Homer's Odyssey is a very special book, written by Gwen Cooper. Gwen is Homer's mom...Homer is a blind cat. Gwen adopted Homer when he was a tiny kitten. His eyes were infected so severely, that they had to be removed. Gwen took Homer home with her, wondering what exactly she was doing with another cat...a blind one, to boot!
Gwen had 2 cats already...Scarlett and Vashti. They were unsure of their new little brother at first. Homer became the light of Gwen's life. Where he lived his w More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 06, 2009

Lisa rated it:

I really, really loved this book! Cooper's writing style is absolutely beautiful. I thought I was going to love this book for the cat (which I totally did) but what put it way over the top for me was Cooper's warm, intimate voice. I feel like we're friends!

There are so many great stories in this book but the most touching sequence is the Sept. 11th chapter. Gwen's efforts to rescue her cats trapped only a few blocks away from Ground Zero are extraordinary. But it was her tastefu More...

1 comment like

Jul 27, 2009

Elizabeth rated it:

I didn't really expect a lot from this book - and I was very pleasantly surprised! This was not another sickeningly sweet story about some maladjusted animal owner and the "crazy shenanigans" that they and/or their pet get up to.
This book was exceedingly well written, engaging and funny. I found myself really interested in the book and looking forward to getting back to read more. I even discovered, as I read the book, that I cared about what happened to Homer and his family More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 12, 2011

Emily rated it:

I absolutely adored this book.
I've read a few reviews lately that there has been a surge of pet-based literature after the triumphs of stories like Marley and Me, and that most of these tag-along books simply haven't been as good. Well, if that's true then I don't believe this to be simply another one of those books. Homer's Odyssey is beautiful and makes me fall in love with cats all over again.
The book focuses on the author's blind cat, Homer, but doesn't neglect to tell us all abou More...

4 comments like

Jan 10, 2012

rachel rated it:

Cat ladies! Particularly other cat ladies in your 20's: do not be afraid to be seen reading this book. Do not be embarrassed by it. It is about a woman who had three cats at the age of 25, yes, but not about how she can't wait to collect more or how she never leaves her apartment or how she pees in soda bottles or how the same animals will one day feed off of her rotting, lonely corpse.

It is about, broadly, how living with animals (each with a unique personality and needs) can ch More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 30, 2011

thelifepursuit rated it:

I'm wavering around 3 1/2 stars but I went 4 because it is a really moving true story about an eyeless cat. It reads very easily and it is ultimately a "feel-good". I found myself laughing hysterically or crying at different points in the story. I definitely recommend it, especially for animal lovers or if you want a view into an animal lover's world.

I agree with the author that the cat Homer is really special because he doesn't believe he's handicapped and does amazing thing More...

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Dec 17, 2009

Cornerofmadness rated it:

Let me preface my review with I don’t usually read memoirs, inspiring animal stories or non-fiction that’s not either educational or true crime. I bought this for my sister in law and figured I’d read it before slapping on the holiday wrapping paper.

The story starts out with Gwen being a 20 something underemployed young lady working for charity organizations when her vet calls her about a tiny kitten who had to have his eyes removed because of an infection. Homer had a rough start in More...

2 comments like