Εγώ ο Ζάχος Ζάχαρης

by Lena Divani, Λένα Διβάνη

Μην αυταπατάσθε, φίλτατοι. Αυτό εδώ ΔΕΝ είναι ένα παιδικό βιβλίο κι εγώ ΔΕΝ είμαι ένας οποιοσδήποτε γάτος. Εγώ τυγχάνω πανέξυπνος, κούκλος και απίστευτα ταλαντούχος. Κάτι Χέμινγουεϊ, κάτι Σάλιντζερ, κάτι Λούις Κάρολ έκαναν όνομα γιατί εγώ δεν είχα βγει ακόμα στο λογοτεχνικό κουρμπέτι. Μου πήρε έξι ζωές και πολύ μεγάλη ταλαιπωρία για να καταφέρω να τρυπώσω πρώτα στο σπίτι και μετά στο κεφάλι ενός γραφιά ώστε να δακτυλογραφήσει τις σκέψεις μου. Τα κατάφερα όμως! Ιδού λοιπόν τα απομνημονεύματά μου (και ολίγον από τα απομνημονεύματά της, αφού οι ζωές μας διαπλέχτηκαν αγρίως). Ιδού τα ζόρια που υφίσταται οποιοδήποτε νοήμον ζώον στο σπίτι οποιουδήποτε συγγραφέα. Ιδού τα βάσανα που υφίστανται οι ευαίσθητοι και ευφυείς συνάδελφοι στο σπίτι οποιουδήποτε ανθρώπου. Ιδού το νόημα του ν’ αγαπάς και να μην αγαπιέσαι αλλά να μην το βάζεις κάτω. Διότι θα με αγαπήσετε θέλετε δεν θέλετε, φίλτατοι. Θα με αγαπήσετε και θα πείτε κι ένα τραγούδι (κατά προτίμησιν το «J’attendrai» – αλλά επ’ αυτού δεν θα σας πιέσω).

Genres: Fiction, Animals, Cats, Greece, Contemporary, Literature

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Lena Divani (Greek: Λένα Διβάνη) was born in Volos, Greece in 1955 and is currently professor of foreign policy history at the University of Athens School of Law.
Besides her academic publications she has written for Greek newspapers and magazines, and published numerous short story collections, childrens' books, plays and novels. Her novels have been translated into French, Italian and Spanish.

Reviews

[Agapi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Πέντε γεμάτα αστέρια για τον γλυκύτατο Ζάχο Ζάχαρη, ο οποίος κατάφερε να με συγκινήσει - και δεν ήμουν καν προετοιμασμένη.
Αστείος, καυστικός, υπεροπτικός, μα κατά βάθος ψυχούλα, όπως κάθε γάτα άλλωστε.
Δε νομίζω πως έχει περιγράψει κανείς καλύτερα το τι μπορεί να σκέφτονται αυτά τα αξιαγάπητα σατανικά πλάσματα.
Θα το σύστηνα σε ανθρώπους που έχουν νιώσει στο πετσί τους τι σημαίνει να συγκατοικείς με μια γάτα και να την αφήνεις να σε αγαπά όπως μόνο εκείνη ξέρει.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart.💔 At the end, it was like losing my fur-boy, Ransom, all over again.💔

This wonderful little book is about a very clever cat who has nine SEPARATE lives—not 9 lives within ONE life. He's currently living his 7th life and is hilariously sarcastic and really very human! HE (or she, depending on the life) chooses the person he'd like to be adopted by in each life. In his 6th life, he spent 17 years as a Library cat and is now well-schooled in 19th and 20th century writers! In his current (7th) life, his name is Zach and his purpose is to teach his human about love. And does he ever! I won't say anything more about this, but I promise that you, too, will learn about love from little Zach—a pure white ball of fur with a heart the size of an elephant.

This book is an absolute GEM! If you like cats—or even if you don't—I guarantee you'll love it. But I promise that it's no ball of fluff! It's wonderful, yes, but it's NOT the least bit 'precious'. Here's an excerpt from the last part of the book, where he realizes he's dying:

The funny thing is that both she and I thought we had all the time in the world. Cats, see, aren’t aware of the concept of time and humans ignore the facts that don’t suit them. We were certain, as a result, that we had days and nights ahead, followed by more days and nights, all at our disposal to caress and bond with each other, to open up and close up again, to love and be willful with each other... Everything is as illusory as a dream. All who loved us are as shooting stars that light us up momentarily, change us and are gone. Great haste makes great waste, is what I used to believe. Now, I didn’t have that much time anymore.

It's a very pleasant, heart-warming book about a very clever cat and the human he chose to love him. It's a new favourite and I know it'll stay with me for quite some time.

5 warm, bright stars for a fluffy, white furball named Zach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[philosophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

απ' τα καλύτερα ελληνικά βιβλία που διάβασα φέτος. Εγώ ο Ζάχος Ζάχαρης τα είχε όλα, ήταν χιουμοριστικό, ευφάνταστο, με γρήγορη πλοκή, ζωντανές περιγραφές και αναπάντεχο τέλος. οι χαρακτήρες, και κυρίως ο Ζάχος, ήταν ερωτεύσιμοι, αφού άνετα ταυτιζόσουν μαζί τους, ενώ οι περιπέτειες και τα σχέδια που κατάστρωνε ο γάτος εξαιρετικά αστεία. ένα ανάλαφρο ανάγνωσμα που αξίζει να διαβαστεί και να διαβάζεται.

[Lauma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es negribu lielīties, bet manas dzimtas ciltskoks vai mudž no dažādām slavenībām: tur ir gan jaguāri, gan leopardi, ir arī panteras un pumas, kā tik tur nav! Bet jūsējā ir tikai mērkaķu bariņš - ne smakas no libro d'oro.

Šī bija paredzēta Lasīšanas bingo lauciņam "Grāmata ar kaķi uz vāka", nevis "Grāmata, kura tev saraudināja" lauciņam...

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so charming! I'm a cat lover, so I was very eager to tuck myself into this book. And it did not dissappoint! So many feelings. It was sweet and funny and heartbreaking. I just kept looking at my little kittie wondering how I could do better and also what thoughts go through his little head. haha. Definitely a must read for cat lovers!

[Sintija Buhanovska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaķumīļu obligātā literatūra! Ļoti sirsnīga un asprātīga grāmata par balto kaķi Cukuriņu, kurš savā septītajā kaķa dzīvē piecpadsmit gadu laikā pieradina savu cilvēku, jo mēs taču zinām, ka patiesībā cilvēks kalpo kaķim. Cukuriņš, protams, ir gudrs kaķis, tāpēc grāmatā ir daudz prātojumu par rakstniekiem, kurus iedvesmojuši kaķi. Mīļa, vienkārša grāmata, kas silda sirdi un liek ciešāk samīļot savu kaķi, jo arī viņi nav mūžīgi.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story narrated by a cat. What do you think I'm going to rate it?

Full review, and actual reasons I loved it: http://pattisbooknook.blogspot.com/20...

[Norelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

*aiziet un samīļo savu kaķi*



Jautri. Un reizēm pazīstami.
Patiesībā, ar necerētu nopietnības pieskaņu brīžiem. Tādu skatu no malas uz cilvēkiem.
Viens ir skaidrs - arī mana dāma ir izritinājusi savu neredzamo nabassaiti ap mani un manu vīru. Mīlestība.
Labi, es iespējams neesmu objektīva vērtētāja. Man grāmata ļoti patika. Bet atkal - man ir kaķis :)

''Vieni cilvēki tic Dievam, citi - Budam un vēl citi - citplanētiešu atnākšanai, bet fāterītis ticēja C vitamīna brīnumainajam spēkam: jo viena glāze apelsīnu sulas ir brīnišķīgs līdzeklis cīņā gan pret vīrusiem, gan pret seksuāli transmisīvajām slimībām, vēzi, aizcietējumu un depresiju...''

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as a goodreads giveaway. I really, really, really wanted to like it... A free book that stars a cat - what is there not to like?

Unfortunately, for me, there was much to dislike. I really did not enjoy the book and about halfway through mostly just skimmed to the end.

The narrator and main character is a cat on his seventh life (of seven, rather than nine, in this case). The plot - actually, I am not sure you can say 'plot' as there does not seem to be one - focuses on the cat, now named Zach, and the couple who adopts him. The book begins with the cat slut-shaming his mother, and putting her down for a number of other reasons from her appearance to her intelligence. That, for me, created a hole from which the book needed to redeem itself. However, it never did. The entire book is full of characters, especially the cat, making rude, snarky, and/or sarcastic remarks to and about one another. The cat himself was a condescending prig. For me, this 'make sure to negatively comment on everything' style of writing is completely unenjoyable and extremely tiring to read. At some point, I decided it just was not worth the aggregation so I skimmed to the end.

Overall, just not my cup of tea.

[Marina Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I'm not entirely objective, as I recently adopted a cat and am completely smitten by it. So I love this blend of humour, wry observation of humans and feline suavery. And a very touching tribute to the love between cats and humans at the end. Short and sweet, but ironic rather than sentimental - a delight!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

χιουμοριστικό, απολαυστικό, συγκινητικό, αξιαγάπητο όπως και ο Ζάχος. στο τέλος έκλαιγα.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange book because it's really not that strange. Let me explain.

This is a book narrated by a cat, which is a dangerous thing. It would be easy to write a schlocky, sentimental book about how a cat worms its way into a human's life and changes their life for the better; such a book would inevitable jerk the reader's tears right out. That's the basic plot of this book, but, for the most part, it avoids being schlocky and sentimental. Unfortunately, it also avoids being exciting, enlightening, or even weird.

The writing is pleasant enough, but there's just nothing outstanding about it. The titular cat is not a special cat; he has the personality of a cat and that's basically it.

What is a little interesting is that the book becomes a study of domestic life, and what one can know about a person if you only see them at home. Thus, the book is more about the human than the cat. The cat overhears phone conversations, learns his owner's taste in music and food and boyfriends. He glimpses the relationships his owner has with others through the occasional visit or overheard gossip.

And well, in the end I was feeling pretty sentimental after all. If nothing else, I'm going to give my pets a few extra pets today.

[Marie-Therese · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars because I'm in a generous mood.

An overly arch tone, some casual racism ("slant eyes"! Seriously?!?), and lackluster pacing (this brief book feels excessively long) bring down what might have been an amusing trifle.

She and Her Cat did essentially this story better. If you haven't read that, check it out!

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent the last few chapters of this book in tears and even now they're still streaming down my face. I wasn't expecting to get so attached to Zach or his relationship with the Damsel for that matter. This was supposed to be a book to make me laugh, not absolutely break me.

Now if you'll excuse me I need to go hug my cat and cry some more.

[Līga Sproģe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nu kā var šitā beigās saraudināt!

Bija tāds okay lasāmais, bet nasing spešal. Labas ainiņas par rakstnieku ieradumiem. :D Cukuriņa īpašniece turklāt diezgan bieži atgādināja manu augsti godājamo parabatai Norelli. :P

Beigās gan uztaisīja emocionālo pliķi,un man te tāds šņupdrāniņu festivāls sanāca. Paceļam vērtējumu par zvaigznīti uz augšu.

[Jessica T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who is a cat lover will enjoy this...

[Mei Mei (readersreadingnook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven Lives and One Great Love: Memoirs of a Cat (2014) by Lena Divani trans. from the Modern Greek by Konstantine Matsoukas.    
   
Picture yourself seated on a chair in your hotel room in Greece, overlooking the beautiful Ioanian sea. To make this view more delightful, read this book. No harm day dreaming being in Greece eh?! :D You don’t have to be a cat lover to enjoy this book, although that might not go down well with the cat, who is the protagonist.    
   
We love our pets, or have loved them at some point when we had them around us. They have an innate ability to sense our emotions and that I think is the start of a companionship that lasts a lifetime. At our lowest lows we’ve cuddled and talked to them, whispering “I wish you could talk, that’d be so cool and fun”, however, all we get in return are a few sighs, whine and meows, wondering what that means.    
   
This short novella is an endearing, fun and witty narrative of a cat named Sugar Zach. In his words this is his seventh life and perhaps the last; while reading I thought wasn’t it nine lives? Google tells me this number varies from culture to culture. Zach takes you on his life journey from his birth right up to his last breath. We often think that these animals need us but it’s also true that we need them as much in our lives.    
   
“This is your cue, I thought to myself. Luck helps the daring! I gave my fur the once-over, I carefully licked my hands, feet and tail, I put on my ‘gorgeous but il-starred orphan’ expression and I came out to adopt them. As I am no novice, I went straight for the most challenging target: Her.”   
   
Animals teach us a thing or two about living life. Zach does exactly that with his superbly timed one-liners that almost sounds like he’s swearing!!! Lol! The narration sometimes feels like a long monologue that is heavy on sarcasm, but those that don't hurt the readers' feelings. 


“You see, my dears, human beings are incredibly attached to their foibles. I hate hairs, says the lady. So what of it? And I hate seeing you smoke like a chimney but I don’t make an issue of it, as deleterious as it is to my health. Did you hear me comment on it? Did I make any faces? Did I meow disconcertedly? No, I accepted it. You have some small parts that I adore, other small parts that compel my interest, ones that bore me, and you have some small parts that I detest as much as water on my pelt. The sum total, nevertheless, is you, and it’s you I have chosen; therefore, all those parts too... I am here, in front of you, all of me, and I am going to teach you to either love the other person as a whole or, finally, retreat into the wilderness like the Prophet Elias, because only those who aspire to saint-hood are so selfish!”


It beautifully captures these tug of war moments between the owner and the cat. Would you not want to know what your feline friend thinks of you and how you keep him/her? I bet you’d like to uncover the truth behind the curious minds of cats. There were some parts that was lost on me, but I guess I’d overlook that and appreciate the parts that gave me a good laugh. This will cheer you up and is just the right pick that would tickle your funny bone.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect for a cat lover

Told artfully from the perspective of the protagonist. Anyone who is a cat lover and has imagined what goes on in their heads should find it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable enough but I found the main characters a bit insufferable and struggled to connect until the rather more poignant ending (and I say that as a big cat lover). Maybe it was just felt a bit insubstantial alongside some of the heftier books I have been reading recently and I am being a bit unfair..

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
While I do have to knock off half a star for the quality of the translation, this lovely, adorable book tricked me into getting too attached to Zach.

[Danae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Αστείο και συγκινητικό.

[mylifeasirene 15 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ καλό βιβλίο ακριβώς στα μέτρα μου τέλεια γραμμένο.

[Anita A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it in Greek, if you can: some word play and cultural context felt misplaced in translation; the author ir very keen on cultural context (both Greek and international) in so many places that it is a hard task for a translator to keep all the layers the author has created.
*
Latvian translation is very good, even excellent. However, there are moments, when the story looses it's edge of irony and sarcasm so perfectly balanced with poetry and sensitivity for a fleeting nothingness of a light-read (while the author herself WARNS readers she is not up to your-everyday-usual-romance, mind it!!)
*
Yes, I cried at the end. Even if I would have liked to feel the presence of the cat MORE in the story than it was given to us. I WANTED to have it even more expanded as a book of the cat than it was made by the author. Because they - the cats - ARE more present, more active, more sensitive and more participating in our lives than the story shows when they are besides us!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always thrilled to read a book where the narrator is a cat. Zach the cat, or Sugar Zach is in his seventh life out of seven, and he enters this seventh life as a kitten. He has decided that he wants someone to write his memoirs, so when a writer shows up he immediately adopts her and proceeds to do everything possible to become a part of her books. All the while giving us his observations of human life. I really enjoyed this book and thought that the translation from the Greek was very well done.

[Ioannis Savvas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο Ζάχος (ή Παπαζάχος ή Χατζηφωτίου ή χοντρός) είναι ένας πάλλευκος γάτος που διηγείται την έβδομη και τελευταία ζωή του πλάι στη Δεσποσύνη. Ένα βιβλίο για γάτους και ανθρώπους, με σπίρτο, ειρωνεία και πολλή τρυφερότητα. Ένα βιβλίο για το πώς ένας γάτος υιοθέτησε έναν άνθρωπο μέχρι να τους χωρίσει ο θάνατος.

[Manina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ο Ζάχος ξεκινάει με καλές προοπτικές, για να καταλήξει το ίδιο αυτάρεσκος και εγωπαθής με τη συγγραφέα/ιδιοκτήτριά του.
Κοινώς, δείξε μου το γάτο σου, να σου πω ποιός είσαι.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

visskumjāk šo uztvers tie, kuriem pašiem ir kaķi.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sette vite e un grande amore, della scrittrice greca Lena Divani, è la storia di Zucchero, un gatto bianco dal pelo d’Angora (ereditato dal padre), gli occhi di colori diversi, uno verde e uno azzurro, nato nel giardino di madame Tuttapanna. La vita del randagio non fa per lui e, soprattutto, è desideroso di diventare, nella sua settima e (ahimè!) ultima vita, un gatto celebre come quello dello scrittore William Burroughs o della poetessa Sylvia Plath. Per realizzare il suo obiettivo però dovrà farsi adottare dall’umano giusto, e così, quando un bel giorno appare Madamigella, figlia di madame Tuttapanna, una scrittrice lunatica e scostante, sfodera tutto il fascino di cui dispone per farsi notare. La donna in realtà non sembra troppo interessata ad occuparsi di lui, ma i gatti la sanno lunga e Zucchero riuscirà a farsi adottare da lei e dal suo compagno Ziggy.

Qui iniziano le sue avventure, sarà lui stesso a raccontarci della convivenza non facile con Madamigella, di tutti i tentativi fatti per far breccia nel suo cuore, farsi amare e diventare finalmente protagonista di un suo romanzo. Alla fine ci riuscirà, perché "Si sa che quando si desidera molto qualcosa, di solito si riesce ad ottenerla" e i gatti sanno come addomesticare un umano.

Lena Divani ha scritto un romanzo divertente, ma anche molto toccante e commovente. Non è facile dar voce ad un gatto e renderlo così reale. Non aspettatevi però una storiellina leggera e superficiale. Zucchero è spiritoso sì, ma vanitoso, buffo e ammaliatore come solo un gatto sa essere. Vi conquisterà con le sue MIAO (Massime Infallibili e Assolutamente Oggettive) e vi trascinerà nel meraviglioso e misterioso universo felino. I suoi occhi sono in grado di scandagliare l’animo della sua umana, peccato che lei sia non sia in grado di comprendere e ricambiare il suo amore incondizionato.

Tanto ho amato Zucchero quanto ho detestato Madamigella. Il suo essere così refrattaria all’amore, persa dietro a relazioni fallimentari, viaggi, lavoro. Zucchero per lei è una certezza, sempre lì ad aspettare che torni a casa, a desiderare che lei apra la porta dello studio o che lo accolga sul suo letto. È una vigliacca e lo sarà fino alla fine.

In ogni comportamento di Zucchero ho rivisto il mio Attila e gli undici, meravigliosi, anni della nostra convivenza.
Ho avuto la fortuna di essere scelta da una creatura meravigliosa, intelligente in modo esagerato e con una straordinaria capacità di comprendere al volo le persone a cui dare confidenza e quelle da ignorare. A differenza di Madamigella io il mio gattone l’ho amato da subito, per questo ho odiato lei e la sua aridità.

Sapevo che leggere questo libro mi avrebbe anche fatto star male e così è stato, ma certi momenti restano, purtroppo, indelebili nella mente e non è certo ritrovare in un libro la stessa brutta esperienza che ho vissuto io ad accrescere il mio dolore.

Dopo Attila sono arrivati Atena, Luna, Whisky, Pinturicchio, Ciretta, Settete e Zoppetto. Li amo tutti, ma lui rimarrà per sempre il mio grande amore.

"Coloro che ci amano sono altrettante stelle cadenti che ci illuminano per un istante, ci modificano e poi svaniscono"

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://rosadeldeserto.weebly.com/2/po...


Il protagonista del romanzo è Zucchero, un bellissimo gattone bianco, dagli occhi bicromi: uno verde smeraldo e l'altro blu cobalto; la perfetta copia del suo papà - un Angora - mai veramente incontrato. Con un tono colloquiale e diretto, Zucchero parla al lettore, raccontando delle sue sei vite passate per poi addentrarsi meglio in quella attuale, la settima, l'ultima vita che gli è concessa in questo mondo. Si presenta subito come un gatto intelligente, dal linguaggio colto, e molto saggio. Tutto ciò è frutto delle sue esperienze passate, delle sue letture, delle sue avventure. Tuttavia, nella sua settima esistenza sulla terra, Zucchero ha uno scopo ben preciso: vuole diventare il protagonista di un romanzo. I felini sono stati - e continuano a esserlo - fonte di ispirazione per molti scrittori e poeti e lui non vuole essere da meno. Quando, ancora un batuffolino di pelo, incontra Madamigella, una scrittrice, non perde troppo tempo. Abbandona la sua famiglia che lo invidia per essere l'unico bello della cucciolata, e si aggrappa alla gamba della donna che intende adottare.
Sì, perché come dice e ribadisce lui stesso, sono i gatti ad adottare gli uomini e non viceversa. La sua sfida però si presenta ben presto ardua. Madamigella non è una donna dal caratterino facile, e la strada per raggiungere il suo cuore e le sue attenzioni si presenterà ricca di ostacoli. Zucchero cerca in ogni modo di far breccia in lei, di diventare la sua musa ispiratrice, di entrare a far parte dei romanzi che la donna scrive, ma Madamigella spesso lo ostacolerà. La donna, infatti, ama scrivere in un angolo tutto suo, nella sua stanza, lontano da tutto e tutti. Odia i suoni e i rumori quando si trova nell'atto di rendere i suoi sogni di carta e d'inchiostro e non vuole neanche la presenza di quest'adorabile micione.
Inoltre, è una donna che viaggia molto, ed è difficile per Zucchero abituarsi alla cosa.
Zucchero con un tono diretto, con ironia e dolcezza, ci racconta ogni aspetto della sua nuova vita, presentandoci pian piano i suoi amici umani. La famiglia di Madamigella, i suoi amici, i suoi amori, le difficoltà che si ritrova a vivere, la tristezza.
Ma non solo questo. Con la sua "parlantina" schietta ci fa comprendere molti aspetti dei felini. I loro veri sentimenti, i loro pensieri, l'incapacità che noi umani spesso abbiamo nel capirli davvero.

Mi sono ritrovata molto spesso ad annuire di fronte alle sue parole. Ho riflesso la sua vita in quella del mio micione, e molte volte ho riscontrato similitudini. Ho riso e mi sono spesso chiesta se anche il mio micione mi chiama "brutta stronza" come lui a volte fa con Madamigella, pur amandola. Secondo me sì, se potesse parlare la mia lingua, me ne direbbe di tutti i colori, ma so che in fondo mi ama, come io amo lui. Ma... tralasciando le mie esperienze personali, torniamo al libro.

Zucchero dispensa nel corso della narrazione tanti piccoli, meravigliosi, consigli, chiamati MIAO, ossia Massima Infallibile e Assolutamente Oggettiva, che spingono anche a riflettere il lettore. Ci sono stati passaggi nel testo che li ho trovati davvero spunti di grandi riflessioni.

Accanto alle risate, però, non mancheranno attimi di tristezza e commozione. Il finale, ad esempio, mi ha lasciata con le lacrime agli occhi e il cuore straziato, ma... anche con un tenue sorriso sulle labbra. Non vi dirò di più, però. Riuscirà Zucchero a raggiungere il suo scopo? Leggetelo per scoprirlo!

Apprezzo molto quando si da voce all'animale, e trovo che l'autrice sia entrata perfettamente nel pensiero del micione. Certo, noi umani ancora non possiamo comprendere a fondo la natura dei felini e forse non li capiremo mai. Eppure, quando ho letto i pensieri di Zucchero li ho subito, facilmente, associati al mio micione. Ce li vedo i gatti a vantarsi della loro natura, della loro bellezza, a fare gli snob e gli intelligentoni, ma scavando oltre tutto ciò, troviamo animali che amano il proprio amico umano così come fanno i cani. C'è sempre stata l'idea che siano solo i cani ad amare veramente l'uomo, al punto di morire di dolore se il padrone viene a mancare, ma io appartengo a coloro che non la pensano così. Anche i gatti, nonostante la loro natura diffidente e asociale, amano profondamente i propri "umani adottati", soffrono, e ti stanno accanto quando il dolore ti colpisce. Forse non mostrano apertamente e spesso le proprie emozioni quanto i cani, ma... sono meravigliosi!
Ecco, lo sapevo che creare una recensione a questo libro mi avrebbe portato a introdurre molto di me, dei miei pensieri e delle mie emozioni, ma sono fatta così.

I personaggi umani non hanno nomi veri, perlomeno non tutti, eppure con poche parole l'autrice riesce a donar loro una personalità. La stessa Madamigella è descritta attraverso gli occhi del suo gatto, in tutte le sue sfumature e le sue passioni. Apprendiamo molto su chi è, cosa fa, come si veste, quali sono le sue relazioni e le sue emozioni. Anche i personaggi secondari, seppur non siano troppo descritti, restano abbastanza impressi nella mente.

Forse non è una storia totalmente originale, ma io l'ho molto apprezzata. Insomma, non si legge spesso di un gatto che ha attraversato le sue sette vite, vivendo ogni genere di avventura e che ora fa di tutto pur di comparire in un libro! O almeno, per quanto mi riguarda, non ho letto nulla o quasi del genere.


E' un libro che nutre il cuore di emozioni. Fa ridere, piangere, emozionare. Si legge davvero in pochissimo tempo e regala tanto ai lettori, soprattutto agli amanti dei gatti.
Ci sono state delle immagini, a mio parere, davvero bellissime, come quella dei cordoni ombelicali che uniscono i vari membri della famiglia e la volontà di Zucchero di legare anche il suo a quello della sua nuova famiglia umana. Ci sono riferimenti a vite passate, ad autori, ma anche ad altri gatti della letteratura e non.
Io vi invito con il cuore a dare una possibilità a questo libro. Vi invito a far entrare le memorie di Zucchero nelle vostre vite, di conoscerlo meglio, così magari da comprendere ancora di più i vostri amici animali, soprattutto quelli che ti regalano fusa.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

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