Here we go! 3/100! Do be aware that I spoil things so if you have any plans of reading this book YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Most especially this book because I love it so much!

Title: P.S. Your Cat is Dead
Author: James Kirkwood

This book was first recommended to me by my old roommate. I was working at the coffee shop the first time I read it and it made me laugh so hard I was giddy and high from it for almost a half an hour. This book is NOT politically correct. It was published in 1972 so the language and culture are over 40 years old, but it holds up. It is the perfect shot of schadenfreude mixed with triumphant end that even with the parts that made me cringe I still love it.

Imagine you have lost everything – job, girlfriend, best friend, and you have been robbed two times. That is what happened to James Zoole. The added insult was he is being burgled again. Oh, and P.S. his cat is dead.

Thus, you enter into the world of square, type A personality, Jimmy Zoole (can you see why I identify with him so closely?). You spend a riotous night of fights, breakups, unexpected bonds, mild bondage, and a near sexual assault with him and your world is changed. As I mentioned above, this book was written in 1972 so it is no where near a feminist book, the women are not portrayed very kindly and there are one or two sexist moments, but not horrifically so. I really appreciate how Kirkwood handles sexuality in the book as highlighted by this line: “Queer! My friend Ben said queer is a word like tall. Everybody’s a little tall, even midgets, it’s how tall” (133). We also get to experience Jimmy’s struggle with his sexuality along with taking control of his life.

Another one of my favorite lines is when his ex-girlfriend says to him, “Because you wouldn’t let [the pot] work, you wouldn’t let chloroform work!” (55). I definitely feel this sentiment because I am one of the people who, if I don’t feel safe, can suppress the affects of booze down to almost nothing.

While I wasn’t gasping for air laughing the second time around with this book, there is definitely a warm glow of appreciation and happiness having re-read it and the ending sits a lot better with me. I will admit that one of my reasons for writing this review is I DESPERATELY want people to read it and write lots and lots and lots and lots of fanfiction for it and then give it to me to read!!!!!