A Gift From Bob Film

 

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

 James Bowen was an addict in the streets of London, busking and selling copies of The Big Issue, a paper which helps those who are down and out earn money to support themselves as a way out of poverty.  James was barely scraping by when he encountered an injured orange cat.  He took the cat to a charity vet for medical attention, spending the last of his money to do so.  When he recovered, the cat—now called Bob—attached himself to James and went out with him to the streets every day.  James credits Bob with giving him the incentive to get clean.

Publicity about the unlikely duo attracted a book publisher and soon A Street Cat Named Bob appeared and was a best seller.  That book was followed by others, including A Gift from Bob, The World According to Bob, and The Little Book of Bob.

The Cinderella story continued with a movie starring Luke Treadaway as James in A Street Cat Named Bob which included some scenes with the real Bob.  

Now we have a sequel film, A Gift from Bob, which arrived just in time for your holiday viewing pleasure.  When the film opens, we see James enjoying the benefits of his new status as author but a chance encounter with a street performer being harassed causes James to remember his last Christmas on the streets.  Out of money to pay his bills, he is struggling and not at all interested in the seasonal spirit. His friend Bea tries to bring some holiday cheer in the form of a Christmas tree to be decorated with notes of what to be thankful for, but James isn’t in the mood.

Things only get worse when someone reports him as being unfit to keep Bob, causing the local animal services to launch an investigation. Even Bea loses the spirit when the charity she work for is burgled, and all the gifts and food stolen.

As with almost any holiday film, the outcome can be guessed but the happiness is in the journey.  It’s a sweet, feel good film with some lovely performances.  Bob the cat—yes, the real Bob—appears in the film quite a bit with just a few “stunt cats” filling in at times.

Sadly, some months after the film was completed, Bob passed away.  The movie is dedicated to his memory.

The library owns copies of both movies and the books.  Reviews of the books have appeared at the Bookblog here and here.

If you’re looking for a new Christmas film to brighten the holidays, give A Gift from Bob a try!

Reviews of the books are here:

A Street Cat Named Bob

The World According to Bob 

A Gift From Bob 

A Gift From Bob by James Bowen

Reviewed by Jeanne

In 2007, a recovering addict in London found an injured ginger tabby and a friendship was born.  James Bowen was eking out a living busking and selling copies of the Big Issue, trying to get his life together; taking care of Bob the cat gave him purpose.  Having Bob join him on the job brought the duo attention and an eventual book deal, resulting in the international best-seller, A Street Cat Name Bob. Fans were eager for more, so other books followed, including editions aimed at children.

A Gift From Bob, the third adult book, centers around the Christmas holiday.  Christmas never held much meaning for James, shuffled as he was between parents on different continents.  Later his family relationships were strained due to his addiction, making holidays even more problematical.  From James’ point of view, Christmas was just a way of emphasizing how isolated and unimportant he was, proof that he had no place in the world.

The bulk of the book is built around James’ memories of those Christmases, especially the last one he spent on the street before his fortunes change.  Having Bob with him seemed to bring out the best in people, for the most part.  People were drawn to Bob, and their goodwill and cheer spilled over to include James. People brought Bob toys and scarves, usually slipping in something for James as well.  It was almost overwhelming.

Even though the book covers a lot of the same ground as the previous two, this book does a good job of fleshing out some of James’ back story.  His honesty about himself and his actions make him an appealing personality and does much to remind readers that even those who are homeless and substance abusers are human, too.  Belle, another recovering addict, has more of a presence in this book, clarifying her relationship with both James and Bob.

In short, this is a lovely feel-good read guaranteed to bring a smile no matter what the season.  Pen and ink sketches mostly of Bob adorn the pages, adding to the cozy feel.  Fans won’t be disappointed.

Note: a movie based on the first book is in post- production.  It stars Luke Treadaway as James.

Nevermore: Fabulous Fiction & Fascinating Facts

 Reported by Meygan

This week’s Nevermore began with a discussion of Kim Barnes’ A Country Called Home. The book was recommended because the author is good at setting up coincidences and the effect of those coincidences. The story takes place in the 1960’s in a rural town in Idaho. Thomas and his wife Helen seek opportunities in their new hometown, while Helen hopes to get away from what she knows in Connecticut. The book’s ending is realistic. As our reader said, “Not everyone gets a happy ending.” The four main characters are immersed in life and you will be intrigued by their situations. This book will be available at the library soon. 

I Always Loved You by Robin Olivei interested another Nevermore reader. It’s a fictional account of Mary Cassatt. American Mary moves to Paris after the Civil War in hopes of becoming an artist. When her artwork is rejected, her father begs her to move home and find a husband before it is too late. She is later introduced to Edgar Degas and from moment her life is never the same. The book makes readers question, What would have happened to her if she had never met him? and makes readers think of art as something other than a commodity. 

The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini is a new novel that one of our Nevermore readers recently finished. The setting is in Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War. The reader states that she learned new facts about the Civil War such as there were approximately 16,400 prisoners in Richmond during the war. The book is about a Southerner who is for the union and if that isn’t interesting enough, her sister-in-law is for the Confederacy. One of our other readers suggested that if she enjoyed The Spymistress then she should read Mary Chestnut’s Diary. 

Last week, Charles Frazier’s Nightwoods was mentioned in Nevermore and inspired another reader to check out the book. Although she is not finished, she is captivated by what she has read so far. 

Our most discussed book was Jo Nesbo’s The Son, a novel about a teenager in prison who is blamed for crimes that he doesn’t commit just so the Wardens do not have to investigate. The book is realistic fiction and can be compared to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series and the Wallander series. The reader said the plot was good right to the very end and is one of the better “Nordic crime” books she has read. A Nevermore member stated that she believes most of Nesbo’s plots are convoluted, but she reader of The Son said she didn’t think she would feel the same way about this novel because the plot was so good. 

Last week’s recommended memoir The World According to Bob by James Bowen was picked up by another reader. One of our members read it and gave her opinion. We learn that although Bowen isn’t a saint in the book, we can tell how much he has overcome. Relocating from Australia to London for his aspirations to become a singer, Bowen finds himself homeless after his music gig has failed him. He becomes addicted to drugs, including heroin. The reviewer stated this book is a quick read and provides an insightful dimension to street life. 

The next book was Homer’s Odyssey about a blind kitten that was adopted by Gwen Cooper. The reader liked this book but felt that the book focused more on the author than the cats. A Nevermore member stated that she felt the same way about Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. 

Another member is still reading The Trigger by Tim Butcher which tells the story of Garvilo Princip, the young man who shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, sparking the First World War. The reader is finding the book difficult to get through because she wants to get to the facts. (Apparently the author is longwinded.) She did say that she was interested in the background of the story, so she would continue to read it until she got her answers. It’s a timely book because this year marks the 100^th anniversary of WWI.

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.