And, I will admit, the ending made me cry.
I titled my review "A Life-Changing Book" not out of a sense of hyperbole; rather, for the same reason that Tuesdays With Morrie has been called a life-changing book. Any book that deals with loved ones dying is sure to cause readers to think hard about their own lives.
And make no mistake, Norton the cat was loved. Not only by his human, Peter Gethers, but apparently by everyone with whom he came in contact. Including tens of thousands of readers around the world. And even such folks as Anthony Hopkins, who -- in this book -- personally asks Peter Gethers if he brought Norton with him to a movie preview/party.
If even half the things in the Norton books are true (and Gethers swears they're ALL true), then Norton was a unique cat, indeed.
Another reason why I titled this a life-changing book is because thanks to Gethers' Norton books (this is the third and final in the series), I bought a Scottish Fold cat that I promptly named Bradbury (after the famous author). Maybe I got all choked up at the ending of this book because Brad was sitting on my lap and I could just picture the emotional turmoil Peter Gethers went through as his beloved companion reached the end of his life.
For those of you who don't know what the Norton books are all about, it's hard to explain them. Essentially, and briefly, they're about a Scottish Fold cat (Scottish Folds have the cute folded ears and owlish faces with the big eyes) that goes everywhere his human goes -- literally around the world. The two have humorous -- and sometimes astounding -- adventures that will cause you to raise an eyebrow at the same time they're putting a smile on your face.
Even if you don't like cats (the author was once an avowed cat HATER), you'll probably still like the Norton books. The writing is very good, witty and extremely compelling.
Don't start with this book, though. Start with the first book in the series: The Cat Who Went to Paris. The Cat Who'll Live Forever recounts the last year or two of Norton's life. Give Norton a chance to grow on you before you read about his demise. I guarantee if you do, by the end of this book YOU'LL be crying, too.