eBook The Cat Who Liked Rain download

Henning Mankell in THE CAT WHO LIKED RAIN has written a near-perfect children’s book. He is quoted as saying about this story: “This might even be my most important book.” While I have not read everything this fine writer has written, this certainly is as good a children’s novel as I can remember having read and as good as the 8 or 10 books of his of all kinds that I have read. Would this story appeal to a youngster? I do not know, but I would certainly like to put it in the hands of a child and find out. Until I can do that, I’m pressing it into a middle-aged child friend of mine for his reaction right away.

Lukas gets a completely black cat except for a white marking on his tail for his seventh birthday. It is love at first sight, at least for Lukas. He names his new friend “Night.” He wants to understand everything about Night: “It seemed to Lukas that it wasn’t easy to understand what went on in a cat’s head. Lukas knew how he behaved when he was angry or upset or happy. But he wasn’t at all sure how Night reacted in such circumstances. Lukas knew that Night’s tail would be upright when he was pleased and contented, and that he would rush up against Lukas’ legs, and that he would purr. But what would Night do when he was upset?” Lukas sets about to take care of and understand Night. Then problems begin when Night comes up missing. And that is all I can say about the plot without telling too much.

It is obvious that Mr. Mankell is no stranger to cats or to seven-year-old and fourteen-year-old boys (Lukas has an older brother Markus whose nickname is Whirlwind). The author gets all the shenanigans of Night just right. He hides in places in the home making it difficult for Lukas to find him, he likes to jump up and lie on the highest shelf in the kitchen, he awakens Lukas at four in the morning when he is ready to play, he is not interested in being put on a leash. But Mr. Mankell flips one characteristic of most cats: Night apparently likes to prowl in the rain. And Lukas’ tiffs and run-ins with Whirlwind are so very typical of two brothers this far apart in age growing up together. The parents Axel and Beatrice who round out this family are good and loving parents. They are both attentive and sensitive to Lukas’ every need and feeling. That it not to say that they are story-book parents at all, but real flesh and blood ones. As he always does in his novels, Mr. Mankell shows great empathy for these characters.

THE CAT WHO LIKED RAIN is first about a young boy’s love for a pet: “At that moment, Lukas knew he was in love with this cat. He’d often wondered what it would be like, being in love with something. Now he knew.” It is also a moving account of parents’ love for their children and vice-versa, and probably most importantly as good a story as I can remember that gently teaches a youngster the lesson of loss. There is a magic about it as well that should appeal to everyone. There are so many gentle touches in the story: on the first day of school Lukas knows he will tell his classmates about Night, he loves the smells he associated with his father whom he adores, Beatrice helps Lukas put up notices about his missing cat. Additionally the illustrations are, as the Brits say so much better than Americans—I don’t know about the Swedes—lovely.

This is a little book that, upon finishing, you want to give to cat-lovers as well as practically every other reader you know.

Just loved it. Wouldn`t have expected anything better for one of my favourite writers. Just `felt it' as it happened to me with 'Italian Shoes'. Mankell lives on in his writings. Such a wonderful person.

He' great for kids, also

Henning Mankell in THE CAT WHO LIKED RAIN has written a near-perfect children’s book. He is quoted as saying about this story: “This might even be my most important book.” While I have not read everything this fine writer has written, this certainly is as good a children’s novel as I can remember having read and as good as the 8 or 10 books of his of all kinds that I have read. Would this story appeal to a youngster? I do not know, but I would certainly like to put it in the hands of a child and find out. Until I can do that, I’m pressing it into a middle-aged child friend of mine for his reaction right away.

Lukas gets a completely black cat except for a white marking on his tail for his seventh birthday. It is love at first sight, at least for Lukas. He names his new friend “Night.” He wants to understand everything about Night: “It seemed to Lukas that it wasn’t easy to understand what went on in a cat’s head. Lukas knew how he behaved when he was angry or upset or happy. But he wasn’t at all sure how Night reacted in such circumstances. Lukas knew that Night’s tail would be upright when he was pleased and contented, and that he would rush up against Lukas’ legs, and that he would purr. But what would Night do when he was upset?” Lukas sets about to take care of and understand Night. Then problems begin when Night comes up missing. And that is all I can say about the plot without revealing too much.

It is obvious that Mr. Mankell is no stranger to cats or to seven-year-old and fourteen-year-old boys (Lukas has an older brother Markus whose nickname is Whirlwind). The author gets all the shenanigans of Night just right. He hides in places in the home making it difficult for Lukas to find him, he likes to jump up and lie on the highest shelf in the kitchen, he awakens Lukas at four in the morning when he is ready to play, he is not interested in being put on a leash. But Mr. Mankell flips one characteristic of most cats: Night apparently likes to prowl in the rain. And Lukas’ tiffs and run-ins with Whirlwind are so very typical of two brothers this far apart in age growing up together. The parents Axel and Beatrice who round out this family are good and loving parents. They are both attentive and sensitive to Lukas’ every need and feeling. That is not to say, however, that they are story-book parents. They behave the way most decent parents do. This of course does not happen by accident. As he always does--and one of the reasons he is one of my favorite authors-- Mr. Mankell shows tremendous empathy for these characters.

THE CAT WHO LIKED RAIN is first about a young boy’s love for a pet: “At that moment, Lukas knew he was in love with this cat. He’d often wondered what it would be like, being in love with something. Now he knew.” It is also a moving account of parents’ love for their children and vice-versa, and probably most importantly as good a story as I can remember that gently teaches a youngster the lesson of loss. There is a magic about it as well that should appeal to everyone. There are so many gentle touches in the story: on the first day of school Lukas knows he will tell his classmates about Night, he loves the smells he associated with his father whom he adores, Beatrice helps Lukas put up notices about his missing cat. Additionally the illustrations are, as the Brits say so much better than Americans—I don’t know about the Swedes—lovely.

This is a little book that, upon finishing, you want to give to cat-lovers as well as practically every other reader you know.