The World According to Bob by James Bowen

 Reviewed by Jeanne

Londoner James Bowen was a struggling drug addict, living in government housing, trying to find some direction in his life.  He earned some money by busking (street performing) and by selling copies of The Big Issue. One morning he finds an injured orange cat and offers aid.  To steal a line from “Casablanca,” it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  

It also produced an international best-seller, A Street Cat Named Bob. (You can read our earlier review here.)  The story of a young man and a stray cat tugged heart-strings all over the world.  It was on the UK best-seller lists for 52 weeks and has been sold in 26 countries.

Naturally, this meant there had to be a sequel, hence The World According To Bob.  Actually, “sequel” is a bit misleading because it covers much of the same time period as the first book.  The difference is that Bowen goes into a bit more detail about the struggles he faced and more about his bond with Bob. 

 For the first book, there was more than a little concern about how the reading public would take to a book about someone who was, shall we say, not a member of mainstream society. In this second book Bowen is able to speak more honestly about his life. The result is a moving and memorable account of life when one is truly down and out.  Part of Bowen’s appeal is that, while he decries parts of the system, he is forthcoming about his own role in his problems.  He takes responsibility for his own actions.  Another part is that he gives us some insight into what it’s like to be without resources and at the mercy of authoritarian whims.  We can understand his frustration even as we can see the other side of it.

Bob the cat is as charming as ever, whether he’s checking to see if an ill James is still breathing or fighting off a mugger.  James is in awe of a creature so loyal, so loving, and above all so trusting.  Bob gives James back a bit of faith. More importantly, James finds he can care for something other than himself. He says, wonderingly, that it’s a bit like being a parent—and understands for the first time how his parents must have felt when he disappeared into street life.

Bowen does go a bit more into the process that produced the book, including a briefing on how to handle interviews with the media.  It also explains that, contrary to reader assumptions,the book didn't make James immediately wealthy.

In short, if you loved the first book, you’ll enjoy the second as well though you don’t have to have read the first book to appreciate this one. 

Note:  The library also owns a copy of My Name is Bob, a picture book version which imagines what life was like for Bob before he met James.  There is a third book planned for this fall, entitled A Gift From Bob:  How a Street Cat Helped One Man Learn the Meaning of Christmas.

James and Bob have a very active Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/StreetCatBob. It’s a great way to keep up with their adventures.

A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen

Reviewed by Jeanne

In 2007, James Bowen was a down and nearly out street musician in London, getting by on tips from passersby.  He had no real direction; he was just scraping by, living in government subsidized housing, and with a drug habit he hadn’t been able to break.  Then one day he rescued a sick cat and his life hasn’t been the same since.

He dubbed the cat Bob, and fully expected him to return to wherever he came from once he was better, but Bob had other ideas.  He started following James to work, drawing a crowd who couldn’t believe the cat wasn’t really part of the act.  Before long, James and Bob were inseparable, and James’ need to be able to take care of his feline buddy gave him the strength and purpose he needed to try to get his life in order and to reunite with his estranged family in Australia.  It wasn’t easy, and there were a lot of setbacks along the way, but it’s no secret that James and Bob triumph in the end. 

The pleasure of this book is in the plainspoken honesty with which James tells his story, and the wonderful relationship between man and cat.   This isn’t a slick, packaged tale but a heartfelt account of what it means to have someone who depends on and believes in you unconditionally.  I understand that James had some help composing his book, but if he did the helper was careful to let James' personality shine through.

I also really enjoyed the description of London and the other buskers who ply their trades there; as might be guessed, there are a number of turf wars over prime spots.  I’ve seen street performers in many places but had never thought much about what it was like to earn one’s living that way.  I was most struck by the sense of isolation James conveys:  how often people are reluctant to even acknowledge the presence of a performer, never making eye contact, or exchanging a word.  Having Bob accompany him was a breakthrough, because people were more likely to interact or at least respond in some way—even if some of the responses were negative.

Later, as James tries to straighten out his life, he begins selling Big Issue, a project whereby the homeless and unemployed are encouraged to become vendors.  It's a bit much to explain in a review, but basically they are set up with issues of the magazine to start them off earning their own money so they can take control of their lives.  (There is an American version as well.) Having Bob as his selling partner drew customers, but also drew the ire of some competitors.

Best of all, this feel good story has a happy ending that just keeps on going:  not only is Bob still alive, but he and James are thriving.  A Street Cat Named Bob came out in the UK in 2012 and became an international best seller.  The American version is out now.  A second book, The World According to Bob, has just been published in the UK.  James and Bob have a very active Facebook page, where fans post pictures of the book in settings from all over the world, or as James calls it, “Around the World in Eighty Bobs.”   So here is Bob in Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee:

Bob visits the state line marker NOT in the middle of the street.

Bob at Bristol Public Library

And of course, Melon "meets" Bob!