I was expecting a historic novel about Matthew Flinders, his travels and his cat, Trim. I was also expecting more about Adelaide.

I was not expecting a modern day story set in Sydney about a homeless, alcoholic ex lawyer and his unlikely friendship with a young boy called Ryan.

This book didn't flow very well. There were parts I found easily readable and in other sections things dragged or felt stilted. I did like the characters and was rooting for them and, except for what happened to Trim, appreciated the relatively upbeat ending.

There sure are a lot of folks who don't like Bryce Courtenay's books, and this one sure had mixed reviews. I like a good story, and so I am a fan of Bryce Courtenay. I've never been to Australia, but one day I hope that I will make it there. First, the narrator-- Humphrey Bower is one of my very favorite audible book narrators. He makes listening to Mr. Courtenay's books totally enjoyable...FIVE stars!
The story. Wow, this is a dark one, for sure.
This is about alcoholism and drug addcition. It's about child abuse. Billy O'Shannessy is a once successful barrister who has ended up living in a park, and he's a drunk. There's a story within a story, and the story about about "Trim" the cat was one aspect of this book I didn't care for. I found my attention wandering during the tales of a cat that travels around Australia to just not grab my attention.
However, I liked Billy O'Shannessy. I felt pity for him, and I had great to admire his character... being a "derro" and all.
As the relationship with young Ryan takes shape, the book swings into a Part II. Now we get into rehab, and this is where I began to relate to this. Nope, I'm not an alcoholic or drug addict in recovery. However, a close family member of mine is/was, and I attended classes on addiction. I also went to some Al-Anon and Nar-Anon meetings. So, I felt a true connection to this part of the story. I could relate.
But the dark twists begin as Billy O'Shannessy becomes entangled in the world of pedophiles. I did, pretty much, figure out where the plot was going. Still, unlike some reviews, I found the story intriguing enough to want to continue on "listening" to see how things play out.
I just finished listening to the story, and I'm left with a deep sense of sorrow about the statistics in this book that say one in four children are sexually abused. Is this only in Australia, or is this world-wide. Being a mom, this really touched a nerve in me. Overall, it's a good story but not one of my top favorites Bryce Courtenay has written.

A great read. This book has been sitting on my shelf for a long time, now I wonder why I took so long to read it. A Bryce Courtenay classic tale of despair, hope, love with an extraordinary amount of detail. It again confirmed in my mind that the author is one of my favourite writers.

I enjoyed this book. As you can tell by the title, It’s about Matthew Flinders cat, in part anyway. Its actually, based around Billy O’Shannessy, who was once a prominent barrister but now a street person. The bench where he sleeps every night is outside the City Library and on one of the windows sills above him sits a bronze statue of Matthew flinders cat, Trim. Ryan is a ten-year-old semi-street kid. His Grandmother is dying, and his mother is a heroin addict. The two meet and form an unlikely friendship. Billy, telling stories of the circumnavigation of Australia through the eyes of Trim, appeals to Ryan’s, imagination. Billy is also an alcoholic, and when he gets drawn into Ryan’s life, he starts to reform. Then something happens to Ryan that is so despicable Billy is determined to protect him at all costs and never let anything like that ever happen again. A great story about the troubles faced by the homeless. The crime and perverted corruption that still happens today.

Another wonderful book by a favorite author. Mr. Courtenay has never disappointed yet!

I don't know what drew me to this book. I wasn't looking forward to long descriptive sentence but I could not put it down from the moment I picked it up. The storyline surprised me - I definitely wasn't expecting it. The last few hundred pages were tough reading but I am so glad I read it.

An incredibly moving story about a drunk, a cat, and a remarkable boy. This book is going to stay with me for a long time. Well worth reading.

Great social commentary put to an interesting real life story!

This was a great novel. Once I settled into the story, I was not able to put it down until I had read it to the end. Bryce Courtenay never fails to deliver an enthralling, human interest story.

In this story, a former well know barrister has sunk to the level of a homeless alcoholic, although he clings to some semblance of dignity. He meets a young skateboarder and they bond through the tale of Trim, Matthew Flinders’ Cat.

The life of a derelict alcoholic is fraught with danger, as is the life of a vulnerable child with a junkie mother and both help each other to grow beyond their current difficulties, but not without many twists and turns along the way.

This is a story that exposes the evil side of humanity in one hand and the enduring qualities of honest, caring people who fight for justice on the other; a truly worthwhile read.

Yes, I do miss being part of a Book Club, but on the other hand - it's wonderful to discover all the treasures hidden in my own bookshelf.

I bought Matthew Flinders' Cat by Bryce Courtenay #matthewflinderscat #brycecourtenay a few years back. For the cover of course - no idea what the story was about!

There just isn't enough space to share the outline on Instagram (guess I need to start blogging again), but you have an opposable thumb, so please Google it.

This was a book about an alcoholic and a homeless one at that. The first part described what life was like for a derelict like Billy O'Shannessy. At first, I was not really impressed by his character and I wondered why government and charity organizations spent dole money on these parasitic members of society.

The second part onward was the gem of the book. The author illustrated why alcohol and drugs addiction are impossible to cure with sheer will power and why they ended up addicted to death. The book also showed why and how some people ended up as junkies and alcoholic, and how it's not always entirely their fault. The description of the child support system and juvenile reform center truly horrified me. It was painful to read that an orphaned child most likely got raped or abused in foster homes instead of finding a warm welcoming family.

It seemed like the government just didn't care about what happen to the dregs of its society. The statistic that one in four girls and one in seven boys were sexually abused absolutely floored me, and this was happening in a country where the law didn't have a definition for pedophile let alone charges against them. To think that repeated child sexual offenders and people who assisted in trafficking and forcing children to be prostitutes could get away with only a couple of years in jail is beyond disgusting, as they probably as good as destroyed those children's futures.

Great writing with a story that pulled me in. Moving at times but with a little humour that had me chuckling.