Homer's Odyssey in 100+ Books in 2025

Nov 24, 2009 Lynne rated it really liked 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.

Throughout 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.

Throughout the book the author writes about her life with three cats, one, of course, who is blind. She discusses dating with three cats, living with a roommate with three cats, moving with the cats back in with her parents, and moving to another state via airplane with them. She wrote about 9/11 when she lived only blocks from the World Trade Center, and what it was like not knowing whether or not her cats survived, after she was forced to leave them alone until people were allowed back in the area. Several days went by before she even knew if her apartment building was still standing.

I loved Homer. He was a hoot. I dare anyone not to fall in love with him while reading this book. He was spunky and courageous and smart. He even taught himself to use the toilet (the author walked in the bathroom and found him balancing himself on the toilet seat). He was determined. Once when he was trying to jump on the side of the bathtub while Gwen was taking a bath, he fell in the water. After Gwen dried him off, he tried again! This time he was able to balance himself and sit on the edge of the tub.

The way Homer relied on his sense of hearing and touch was fascinating. He warned Gwen after hearing an intruder break into the apartment in the middle of the night. He was able to find a closed can of tuna in the cupboard. He knew where Gwen kept tampons, and he would tear open the paper and carry them around like mice, with the "tail" hanging out of his mouth. He may have been blind, but he sure had fun :)

I love how in the book everyone Homer encountered learned a lesson, whether it was courage, determination, not feeling sorry for yourself, not to judge, or just how to have fun!
...more

2 likes · Like · see review

May 18, 2012 Dolly rated it really liked it

Shelves: pets, nonfiction, other-usa, jewish-israel, 2012, aviation, relationships

This is an entertaining and poignant book about a young woman's life with her cats. I love the three very separate personalities of the cats and I appreciate Gwen Cooper's willingness to open up her life, her fears, her foibles and sensitivities to the reader.

The story is sometimes slow in parts, but I loved her description of moving with her pets. We are a military family and have moved all over the world with our two cats. Getting our pets to Okinawa, Hawaii and now Virginia was itself an exe This is an entertaining and poignant book about a young woman's life with her cats. I love the three very separate personalities of the cats and I appreciate Gwen Cooper's willingness to open up her life, her fears, her foibles and sensitivities to the reader.

The story is sometimes slow in parts, but I loved her description of moving with her pets. We are a military family and have moved all over the world with our two cats. Getting our pets to Okinawa, Hawaii and now Virginia was itself an exercise in planning, patience, and often, frustration. I'm just grateful that our pets survived and managed to adapt nicely to each new location.

I read the section about 9/11 with a numbness that I couldn't shake. I witnessed the crashes on television, deployed to a far off country to defend our nation against terrorists, and I have read stories of people who were at ground zero at the various locations. But one thing I've never considered was the impact on the pets whose owners couldn't make it home to them in the middle of the disaster. I raced through the pages as I learned about Gwen's achingly difficult attempts to reach her pets. I had no idea... Even knowing that it was a chapter in the middle of the book, with a happy ending did not diminish the impact of her experience.

Overall, I enjoyed this tale and I loved the fact that the story wasn't written as a eulogy to this sweet cat. It makes me think of Homer in the present and I wonder what kind of antics he might be up to now. I visited www.gwencooper.com and was quite gratified to learn that Homer is 15 and has a few new kitty companions.

interesting quotes:

"Hebrew for 'it would have been enough,' the Dayenu recounts the miracles God performed on behalf of the Israelites, insisting after each one that it, all on its own, would have been enough..." (pp. 10-11)

"In a seemingly hopeless situation, when no rational person could expect anything good, yet somehow ends up receiving everything good - these are things we call miracles and wonders. A few of us are lucky enough to see such wonders in our everyday lives." (p. 11)

"So I didn't adopt Homer because he was cute and little and sweet, or because he was helpless and he needed me. I adopted him because when you think you see something so fundamentally worthwhile in someone else, you don't look for the reason - like bad timing or a negative bank balance - that might keep it out of your life. You commit to being strong enough to build your life around it, no matter what." (p. 30)

"The world could be dangerous and bad things sometimes happened, but there was nothing you could do except live your life. And it would be foolish if, in the process of living it, you didn't also enjoy it." (p. 144)

"I thought I'd been evaluating them on their own merits, but really all I'd done was reject them for committing the unpardonable sin of not being the one man I was already in love with." (p. 237)

"If not for Homer, I might never have come to appreciate the value of a man like Laurence. I would have loved Laurence's warmth, humor, and quick mind no matter what, but I might never have understood that when you find someone whose essential character is so strong as to leave no room for doubt, you've found a rock that you can build your life on." (p. 279) ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 01, 2010 Sharron rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-books-read, cats

I loved this book. It did drag a little bit, especially in one chapter where there was nary a mention of little Homer. But otherwise, a great read. We use to have a little sweet blind cat who was part of our family. His name was Wiggles. He was born with several congenital birth defects and had underdeveloped eyes so was blind from birth. He also had kitty cerebral palsy and that's why we called him Wiggles. But that didn't stop him at all. He ran at full speed sliding into walls and furniture a ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2009 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

I can't stress how much I LOVED LOVED LOVED this story. This is such a heart-warming tale of pet-ownership. And the best part is.....no pets died in the making of this story! My favorite part was when Homer, the blind wondercat, taught himself to use the toilet without any human intervention. It's hilarious! Homer is completely lovable, remarkable, and influential. If you're looking for an insightful (the author is amazingly tuned into her cats), feel-good story, this is definitely one to check ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 04, 2020 Carmen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: animals

throughly enjoyed an loved this book. I was thrilled and amazed at how well Homer got around. Homer is so darn cute! I love Homer!
A young kitten is brought into a vet's office. He has problems with his eyes. He ends up blind. But this story is about his life and how he enriches his family so much.
Truly meant to inspire. And a wonderful book for a cat lover ...more

Like · see review