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Most Helpful Favorable Review
26 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
Symbol of Spencer
This book is for everybody. Whether you are a child or an adult, whether you like cats or not, even whether you like reading or not! It is a really heartwarming story that reads very easy and that will fill your heart with great affection. It is a story of an extraordin...Read More
This book is for everybody. Whether you are a child or an adult, whether you like cats or not, even whether you like reading or not! It is a really heartwarming story that reads very easy and that will fill your heart with great affection. It is a story of an extraordinary cat, a librarian, and their lives in a small Iowa town. It's a story that brought the little town of Spencer onto the world map. The Japanese television filmed Dewey, and after he died, his obituary ran in over 200 papers. But most of all, this isn't just another cat story; it's a story of survival, endurance, trust, and hope. Finally, it is a story about love and living a good life. You will understand all that after you read the final few chapters.
I highly recommend this book! You will fall in love with Dewey after reading the first few pages. I promise you that! For more heartwarming stories about another ginger cat I suggest the series of "Why Some Cats are Rascals". Read them all - you will want to share the stories with your loved ones.Show Less
I highly recommend this book! You will fall in love with Dewey after reading the first few pages. I promise you that! For more heartwarming stories about another ginger cat I suggest the series of "Why Some Cats are Rascals". Read them all - you will want to share the stories with your loved ones.Show Less
posted by 244695 on October 28, 2008
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Most Helpful Critical Review
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
I would like to have had better things to say...
I'm only reading this book because I used to live in Spencer and knew Dewey. I just came to the part where Ms. Myron describes Spencer as progressive (p. 61), and don't know if I can bear to read any further. Spencer is one of the most cliquish, small-minded, NON-progre...Read More
I'm only reading this book because I used to live in Spencer and knew Dewey. I just came to the part where Ms. Myron describes Spencer as progressive (p. 61), and don't know if I can bear to read any further. Spencer is one of the most cliquish, small-minded, NON-progressive towns in which I have ever lived. I'd like to read more about the cat himself...too bad for Dewey that his story is a means to glorify an at-best average midwest town.Show Less
posted by mrsmoop on November 16, 2009
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Anonymous
Posted October 28, 2008
I Also Recommend:
Symbol of Spencer
This book is for everybody. Whether you are a child or an adult, whether you like cats or not, even whether you like reading or not! It is a really heartwarming story that reads very easy and that will fill your heart with great affection. It is a story of an extraordinary cat, a librarian, and their lives in a small Iowa town. It's a story that brought the little town of Spencer onto the world map. The Japanese television filmed Dewey, and after he died, his obituary ran in over 200 papers. But most of all, this isn't just another cat story; it's a story of survival, endurance, trust, and hope. Finally, it is a story about love and living a good life. You will understand all that after you read the final few chapters.
I highly recommend this book! You will fall in love with Dewey after reading the first few pages. I promise you that! For more heartwarming stories about another ginger cat I suggest the series of "Why Some Cats are Rascals". Read them all - you will want to share the stories with your loved ones.26 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
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Dewey is Delightful
This book is a treasure! As an animal lover, I really got a lot out of the touching story. Also, the information about what it's like in a small town library was very enlightening. You'll laugh, you'll probably cry, but you'll go away with a greater appreciation for our furry friends.
12 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 15, 2008
Delightful!
This is an easy and delightful read for anyone who has ever loved an animal. Ostensibly about a cat, the book is really about the people of Spencer, Iowa and their head librarian who is the author and Dewey's owner. The story imparts peace even though it details difficult events --failed marriages, illness, family estrangements, suicide, economic turmoil. Its message, whether or not intended, was to me that we all face life and its challenges but there are moments with meaning, peace and love that reflect the overwhelming simplicity of it all, if only we stop to catch our breath and pet the cat. Straightforward and not at all saccharine, this is a wonderfully refreshing read.
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Sweet, sensitive, realistic and honest account of Deweys life...including the positive and negative aspects. These are real life, too.
I read the book in a day, not being able to put it down. Even though I knew what the outcome would be, I allowed myself to cherish the story, day by day; year by year. I so appreciate the honest, realistic and, sometimes, commonplace depictions of Deweys life; representing the wonderful, warm moments he shared throughout his life in the Spencer library; as well as the descriptions of his physical ailments. These are what happens to a kitty body; just as our own human bodies. My only hope is that some of the financial gain earned from this book and a possible movie, as well as other outcroppings of Dewey's life, is used to create a no kill shelter for all the abandoned kittens and animals in need who are not as furtunate as Dewey was. The three kittens since which were placed in the Spencer library drop box, as well as the hundreds purportedly offered to the Spencer library need homes, care and love just as Dewey did. I hope Vicki Myron sees to this and expands Dewey's influence to others of his species who are in need.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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mrsmoop
Posted November 16, 2009
I would like to have had better things to say...
I'm only reading this book because I used to live in Spencer and knew Dewey. I just came to the part where Ms. Myron describes Spencer as progressive (p. 61), and don't know if I can bear to read any further. Spencer is one of the most cliquish, small-minded, NON-progressive towns in which I have ever lived. I'd like to read more about the cat himself...too bad for Dewey that his story is a means to glorify an at-best average midwest town.
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 25, 2009
Laugh, Cry and Enjoy
I really enjoyed reading this book. I personally have a cat that is very similar in personalty as Dewey. Reading the book reminded of when my cat was young and did all similar things and it made me remember and laugh. I laughed and cried while reading this book. My whole book club enjoyed reading the book.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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PatLA
Posted March 8, 2009
Dewey
I thought about Dewey long after finishing the book. He was so special and when he had to go over the rainbow at 19, I felt as sad as if he had been my own cat. Vicki wrote a wonderful story of a very special cat. It was refreshing to read a delightful true story about a terrific cat instead of a dog for a change. I know I will read it again and again. I can't wait for the movie!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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dv
Posted March 7, 2009
For Nostalgia loving readers
It was a wonderful book. I appreciated the different topics not being long drawn out as I have found a lot of books where we know the inevitable is going to happen, ie, the animal dies.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Twister2003
Posted December 3, 2008
I Also Recommend:
Great book.
Anyone who loves animals, especially cats will love this book. I never met Dewey, and now I wish I had, but the book makes you feel as if you went right along this journey with Vicki, Dewey and the rest of the Spencer Library. You will laugh and cry. This book should become a movie!! Great Read!!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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ShabaksKitchen
Posted November 30, 2008
I Also Recommend:
Not just a book about a cat
Clearly, Dewey is no ordinary cat. But the author, who discusses very personal experiences and hardships of her life is no ordinary woman. This book was so touching, so wonderful, I am buying for everyone in my family for Christmas!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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HAPPY, HEARTWARMING, AND HOPEFUL
Remember Marley: A Dog Like No Other, a canine greatly loved by his master? Well, here comes Dewey, an abandoned orange kitten not only beloved by his mistress but by the entire town of Spencer, Iowa. Dewey's origins were questionable as was his introduction to library director Vicki Myron. January 18, 1988 was a frigid Monday in Spencer. 'It was a killing freeze, the kind that made it almost painful to breathe.' When Vicki arrived at the library that morning her assistant told her she had heard a noise coming from a metal slot, the library's after-hours drop box behind the building. Soon, they both heard the noise and thought it was an animal. The opening of the box was only a few inches wide, so whatever it was had to be very small. Being metal the box was even colder than it was outside, and there in a corner of the box was a tiny kitten. It was the most pitiful thing she had ever seen, so thin she could see every rib, and she could feel its heart beating, its lungs pumping. 'The poor kitten was so weak it could barely hold up its head, and it was shaking uncontrollably. It opened its mouth, but the sound which came two seconds later, was weak and ragged.' But one look into his big eyes and she was Dewey's and he was hers. Dewey was not the only one who had endured hardship - Vicki was a single mom who had lost the family farm and survived an abusive husband. The people of Spencer were going through tough times during the farm crisis of that time. Depression, ennui seemed to be everywhere. Nonetheless, Vicki was determined to capture the interest of those who came to the small library and hopefully make them a little happier. With the help of Dewey she did that and more. For 19 years he returned the affection of the townspeople twofold, amusing them, enchanting them, rubbing against many hands in gratitude for their caresses. What difference can one small animal make? Dewey's story spread across state lines and even around the world. In 2003 Japanese Public Television filmed Dewey, and his obituary ran in well over 200 newspapers. His story will warm your hearts, make you laugh and cry. Don't miss it. Highly recommended. - Gail Cooke
3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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bnakasuji
Posted July 5, 2009
Dewey
Delightful
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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I will recommend this book to cat lovers and librarians but I will not do so with a great deal of enthusiasm.
As an avid reader with a deep love of cats this book seemed like a good fit for me. Dewey's story was wonderful and I realize that his story alone would not make a book. As is so often the case, with books about a real pets, the writer must reach out into other areas to make the book long enough to publish. As a passionate reader I didn't mind the information on how a library works and how it must adapt to the community it serves. However, I got really tired of reading about Spencer, Iowa. I am sure it is a lovely town but I found the constant bragging about its being the best place on Earth got very old very quickly.
I will recommend this book to cat lovers and librarians but I will not do so with a great deal of enthusiasm.2 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Maxaroo
Posted March 7, 2009
Excellent Read!
This is a great book for animal lovers. True story describing small town America and how an orange library cat touched the residents lives. Full of personality Dewey became a cat celebrity leading to worldwide attention. Author Vicki Myron describes how Dewey unexpectedly changed her life.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted February 16, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Great book for cat lovers!!
Love love love Dewey!!
After reading this book, I really wanted to hop on a plane and visit Spencer, Iowa. The book is so touching and heart-warming. However, I probably would not ever read it again, cause I was in tears by the end of the book!
I definitely recommend this book!2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 28, 2008
Boring!
I purchased this book today and is half way through the book and it is is painfully boring. I just do not understand how this book became a best seller. Reading this book is like reading a children's book.
2 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted November 19, 2008
I Also Recommend:
And I don't even like cats!
Dewey is a heartwarming favorite, perfect for christmas gift giving. I wish all cats were like this one. I thought the idea was fantastic and carried out by Vicki and Bret to perfection. It was a touching story that had me laughing, crying, and everything in between. Don't think twice if you run across this book. Pick it up.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Purry
Posted November 18, 2008
What a wonderful story
What a good story! Very warming. I laughed, and I cried for Dewey. I've never smiled so much while reading. And I've never cried so much at a touching story. A must read for any cat lover, or anyone who has a heart for life.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Eagledivah
Posted November 9, 2008
WHAT A CAT THAT DEWEY
As a cat owner and library employee, I just loved the book. I couldn't wait to read it. I pictured Dewey in my own library as I read. I laughed out loud in several places. The book is funny, touching, and inspiring. The book illustrates the importance of libraries in our communities, and in our lives-all through the telling of Dewey's story. The book also shows that one person, and in this case, one cat, can make a difference. "Dewey" is a must read for cat lovers, cat owners, library employees, and anyone who is having a hard time in life and needs some inspiration. I wish my library had a cat!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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skaakiko
Posted November 2, 2008
Loved Dewey!
This book is so sweet and heartwarming. Dewey was a special spirit that had a positive influence on so many people. This story warmed my heart and made me proud to be a cat lover.
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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