Review 23: Sisypuss by Patricia Halloff

Sisypuss: Memoirs of a Vagabond Cat
by Patricia Halloff
Lulu Copyright: © 2007
Paperback $13.50
E-book: Free
212 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-6151-7291-0

Soon after Patricia Halloff posted her query on the “Pick Me” tab, I emailed her and asked to review the PDF of her book based on the title alone. Interesting name for a book, no? One might think, “That could only be a POD book.”

True, it is a title you might find hard to pronounce. You might want to call it “Sissy puss” and then blush about it, roll your eyes, or laugh, but I can tell you now, this book is no joke. I would say Patricia Halloff’s book now ranks in the top five books of all I have read this year.

Outside of the 23 Lulu books I have read for this blog alone, I have probably read at least that many traditionally published books for my own pleasure. If you are an animal lover, even if you are not; if you have a beating heart that society hardens from time to time, and you yearn for some emotion to remind you just how fragile life really is sometimes, how life could be much worse for you, then I encourage you to sit and spend a night with this book. It is some of the most brilliant, heartfelt, poignant writing that I have read in some time.

The name of the book comes from the Greek myth of Sisyphus, a king whose punishment was to roll a large boulder up a hill endlessly, only to have to watch it roll back down. Doomed to repeat this process over and over again throughout eternity, the word sisyphean is often used to described a task that is unending, pointless, and repetitive. Now, think about those words for a moment and think about how perfect they are as descriptions of stray pets, cats and dogs left on the streets to fend for themselves. They fight for food and shelter, fending off prey and sickness, often running away from the hands of abusive owners. Yep, it’s a cruel world and the abuse is unending. Enter Sisypuss.

From page one, when Sisypuss is born to a sickly mother who is near death , we are shown a grim world with no hope in sight. The entire book is told from the point-of-view of Sisypuss the cat and his outlook on the sinister unforgiving world. Think of the skinny cat you’ve seen in the alley behind your house, or the animal shelter you pass every day on the way to work. Think of the animal testing facilities that we deny exist. Ms. Halloff leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the harsh reality of the way animals are treated in this country. It is very real. It is no Greek myth.

Being an animal lover myself and owning two cats, I have to admit this book is not the happy fairytale cliche I was probably expecting. It is, however, a wake up call that the treatment of animals is something we should be concerned about.  Those of you who may not like books with animals as the central characters, don’t stop reading now.

There are humans in this story, but their central existence as secondary characters only serves the purpose of showing the relationship between humans and animals, as pets, and the delicate boundaries between our world and theirs.  But again, these plot lines are no walk in the park.  Booley, Sisypuss’s main owner, is battling drug use.

There is an array of other characters, both human and animal, that will definitely keep the pages turning.  At times, Halloff’s vivid writing will leave a coppery taste in your mouth.  Your chest will hurt from your heart crying out.  You may even hang your head in shame for not doing anything to help our furry friends.  But above all this, you will come away from this book never once regretting the time you spent reading it.  You will learn something, and hopefully we’ll make change.   Bravo to Patricia Halloff because her clever and informative writing demands that change!