Official Review: The Fat Adventures of Baron Meowhausen

[L_Therese]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Fat Adventures of Baron Meowhausen" by Ken Temple.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Cats are mysterious creatures. Indeed, in the view of many authors of fiction, they are deliberately mysterious, often for selfish reasons, but occasionally with a more nefarious excuse. In The Fat Adventures of Baron Meowhausen by Ken Temple, cats are not only secretly at least humanity’s intellectual equals, they are also aliens who came to earth to manipulate humanity into serving (and most especially feeding) them.

Originating in the land of Poozestan on the planet Animus, the ancestral home of cats, Baron Meowhausen is on a quest to spread the gospel of gluttony to cats everywhere. He shares his own story of mastering the culinary art of “Tongue Fu” and becoming gloriously fat with his audiences, reminding them of the superiority of catkind and the importance of being pleasantly plump.

A very unique feature of this book is the manner in which the author wrote it. The entire book is written in poetic form. The pattern of rhyming four-line stanzas gives the whole story a more light-hearted, rollicking feel, which fits very well with the playfulness of the whole concept. Ken Temple also makes up words on occasion that enhance the idea that cats have their own history and society entirely separate from humanity’s. It’s cute. It can also get a little annoying as turns of phrase sound forced or are clearly only included to finish the stanza, but this is a small price to pay for the overall comedic effect.

A large part of the charm of this book is the way it reminds me of Garfield. Garfield, as just about everyone knows, is the iconic fat, lazy cat who delights in nothing more than lasagne, sleeping through Mondays, and making sure Jon and Odie always know who is really in charge. Ken Temple’s Baron Meowhausen reflects this type of feline but with less humor and more focus and story. Baron Meowhausen must complete his quest before he can become the master of cookery that he aspires to be, after all. Baron Meowhausen is no imitation or copy of Garfield, but the influence seems pretty clear.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Probably, it would be most enjoyable for children or adults who want to enjoy a throwback to childhood. This is not high literature, but it is certainly fun. It made me laugh a bit, although not too much. The story-line was less than compelling, but it was enough to move things along, and I enjoyed seeing what feline silliness was to come next. Mr. Temple has apparently designed Animus and Baron Meowhausen to be the setting and subject of many adventures. While these will almost certainly tire adults eventually, Baron Meowhausen is probably a sure bet for children.

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The Fat Adventures of Baron Meowhausen
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Like L_Therese's review? Post a comment saying so!

[MTM]

This book is one out of the box. Just when I thought i had read evey configuration. Awesome.

[bookowlie]

Nice review! The title and the cover artwork alone makes me want to read it. The rhyming feature reminds me of Dr. Seuss, and everyone loves Dr. Seuss!

[PashaRu]

Thanks for a well-written review. I'm not a cat lover, but this book sounds fun.

[CataclysmicKnight]

Good review! This one sounds fun, I'm gonna have to give it a shot!