Homer's Odyssey

AMAZING!!! Gwen has a gift for describing subtleties of cat behavior-and language in general. The entire story will keep you up reading long past bedtime. Homer, Vashti and Scarlett are a group of adorables that you will fall in love with. An ABSOLUTELY HUMONGOUS AMOUNT OF GOOD and LOVE has (without exaggeration) resulted from the fact that Homer lived, read it and see. And, when you finish that, go directly to HOMER The Ninth Life of a Blind Wonder Cat. It too is a beautiful story BUT have a truckload of tissues handy, ultimately, it is triumphant. The spirit of Homer, through the people he inspired, reaches out far beyond his 9th life. Also two new, little, adorables are introduced, but you'll have to read it to meet them. Things sort of come full circle in this one. There are so many things that reading these books brought to mind. Reading these books kept bringing to mind another book I am reading called "When Elephants Weep, The Emotional Lives of Animals" If you love cats, you will adore Homer and the crew- Vashti and Scarlett. Simply amazing!!!

Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop. Story about a blind kitten, Homer, as title describes, but much more. It's also about the journey that every human takes after making a decision - to complete that journey, withstanding all the ups and downs and pushing on even when fearful of something going wrong. Both Homer and "owner" grow stronger as their relationship evolves. Absolutely wonderful book for the young and older. Highly recommend!

I "peeked inside" and was crying by the time I got to, "Wrap him up, I'm taking him home." Buying this one because I'm already in love with Homer.

One of the best , what a writer on top of a great story! I either missed it or it was not in the book . Did Gwen or the apt. complex do some thing about the middle of the night invader ?.I would have slapped a few BIG locks and bars on it in a heart beat! I missed another item , Homer,s sickness what was it ? I hunted for that explanation ,could not find it!

I was almost afraid to read this book as I have 5 cats and most of our things are cat-ish. But this book was recommended by a good source and I read it from start to finish without putting it down. Then wondered how many life experiences we could share with Homer's family. It was a tremendous read for animal people of all sorts and will make you laugh out loud and maybe tear up a little. Cooper definitely has a gift when capturing "special cat events" that occur in every cat family !! I would recommend ( and have) this book to any animal liker to lover. I am onto my fourth Cooper book at this time. Keep going Gwen !! You are MARVELOUS.

Well, if the truth be known, Homer IS a special cat. I laughed out loud through most of this heartwarming book. And I even shed a few tender tears. The book is hilarious and unlike one reviewer, I found nothing preachy about it at all. I was on the edge of my seat while reading of her efforts to get back to the apartment after the World Trade Center tragedy. If you liked "Marley and Me", and "Dewey The Library Cat", you will totally love this book and you will shed no sad tears. I had difficulty putting the book down. I have a 3-legged cat and I think she is special. But Homer surpasses everything. This blind cat can really see his way right into one's heart.

Sometimes it takes a tiny, fragile little kitten to remind us that life is a series of infinite possibilities, and that making the most of what we have is not just an often repeated cliche, but something to live by! This is a great inspirational story about the little engine that could and did! The book is an easy read, you could finish the 280 or so pages in a single day, if not in a single session if you like. However, it may be more fun if you read the book over a period of a few days instead. Because once you finish it, you will want to have more of Homer's adventures waiting for you! That way, by extending the reading over a few days, you will have more Homer in your life :) Homer and the other two cats (Vashti and Scarlett) are the stars of the show, but running parallel and obviously intertwined is the story of adulthood of the author, Gwen Cooper. This is a highly recommended book!

This nonfiction account of the life of Homer the cat is truly heartwarming. Gwen Cooper's writing is superb; it's so warm and personal, I felt like I was reading a story written by a close friend. (For this reason, I'm inclined to refer to her simply as "Gwen" in the rest of my review!) So engaging is this book that I could not put it down and eagerly finished all 300 pages within 24 hours. There's action, adventure, laughter, tears, danger, romance, suspense -- all the "essential" elements of bestselling fiction, but this is not fiction: every part of it is true. That's what makes this story so captivating. Spoiler-free plot summary: A Miami native in her mid-20s, Gwen adopts her third cat, Homer, a very young, blind kitten that no one wanted. From day one, Homer is a spunky, nimble, demonstrative, fearless little cat. The feats he accomplishes are nothing short of amazing. Gwen decides she wants a better life for herself and her cats than her nonprofit job can provide; she works tirelessly and is eventually able to move to New York. Everyone in her life who meets Homer loves him, and vice versa (with very few exceptions, which you will read about). Gwen ties her own story of love and self-discovery to the life lessons that Homer teaches her. For those who are extremely sensitive to animal suffering (as I am), you don't need to worry about any abuse, graphic details, or death in this book. When it comes to Homer's blindness, Gwen dispassionately states only the facts that are essential to the story and to the reader's sense of Homer's personality and agility. However, you will probably need a tissue at a few points, as people's sheer kindness, love, and generosity towards Gwen, and particularly Homer, are powerfully touching (these are tears of joy and gratitude, not sadness or grief). The chapter where Gwen is living in Manhattan's Financial District during 9/11 -- her apartment was on John Street (!) -- was an emotional one for me. With both the reader and Gwen herself acutely aware of the massive human suffering experienced that day, it's deeply moving to read her account of the unimaginable horrors she witnessed and her subsequent efforts to get back into Manhattan to reach her cats. They are her family. It's important to note, though, that this chapter is not sappy or self-pitying in the least. Gwen stays strongly focused -- a technique that some people take on after experiencing a catastrophic event for reasons of pure human survival -- on the logical steps to reach her cats. The only part of this book I found tiresome was near the end, where Gwen takes 10 long pages to describe the personality of her love interest in exacting detail. This could have easily been condensed into 2-3 pages while still getting the point across. Although this part has nothing to do with Homer, it will probably appeal to readers who like some romance in their literature. I loved this book! Although it was poignant at times (not necessaril

People who own cats (or are owned by them) know that cats have personalities. Homer, the cat in this book, has the biggest and most wonderful personality and his presence lights up this touching and beautifully written book. Homer begins the story as a two-week old abandoned kitten with a severe eye infection. To save his life a vet removes his eyes and tries to find him a home. No one wants him until Gwen Cooper sees in this little guy his unsinkable, adventurous, and brave soul. Thus begins the love story between cat and young woman. Homer is there, right next to her through job loss, moving, relocating, a burglar in her apartment, 9/11 happening blocks from her home, and, finally, love and happiness with the man who becomes her husband at the end of the book. Through it all Homer charms and fascinates everyone who meets or even hears about him. It seems to me that his blindness is such an essential part of his personality making him braver, smarter and more playful than other cats. I was so enchanted by this book, I couldn't put it down and reading it I thought of the wonderful cats I have had and wished they all had been, as great as they were, as wonderful as Homer. I can't recommend this book enough. The story is fantastic, written by a writer with a real gift for storytelling, and the cat is marvelous. Hurray for Homer!

Gwen Cooper writes with heart. And that's really all you need to know to dive into her tale of love and growth. For whether you love cats or not (and I do), Gwen's tale is a story that will reach into your heart and stretch your soul. There's no doubt that Homer, Gwen's eyeless cat, is extraordinary. Life in the dark would have appeared to predestined him to a life lived in quiet corners, but such was not to be. He jumped from heights into the unknown, and, as he did, taught Gwen to act freely and fearlessly in the face of the unknown. How could a tiny, blind cat terrorize a burglar/rapist? And yet, he did. How could he understand human emotions and react to human commands? And yet, he did. Homer's Odyssey is a tale of an extraordinary cat, but it is so much more than that. It is a tale of growth, of learning to see what's inside (and it's not always beautiful) rather than being blinded by the illusory outside. It is a tale of becoming truly human through contact with a non-human species. It is a tale of acting on "blind" faith, and profiting through those actions. It is a tale of learning to see through the eyes of love. I have seldom read a book I found so touching and so meaningful. Especially in these turbulent times, you'll find strength through the odyssey of a tiny cat and his mistress. Five stars!