Cat's Table

Geschreven bij Cat's Table

This is my first reading of MO, whose style I liked instantly: small chapters in short bursts and the final result more than its parts. The title refers to the dining table farthest away from the Captain’s Table on passenger ships, confirming the low status of its occupants.
The book records MO’s 21-day sea voyage as an 11-year old from Colombo, Sri Lanka to the UK in 1954, and its aftermath.
Long before 1954 his parents divorced. MO was adopted by his uncle, but sent at once to a strict boarding school. There he learns crucial values about surviving in groups and earning respect from fellow pupils. He has been told that at the end of the sea voyage his mother will welcome him. He could not care less, because this voyage is a life-defining experience.
At the Cat’s Table he meets men and women whose status he cannot grasp yet. But he keeps a diary in which he records every adult sentence overheard and not understood. He also bonds quickly with Cassius (12), a very wild boy, a year ahead of him in school, and Ramadhin, a shy, contemplative boy. Both, like MO are sent to the UK for further education without their parents.
The sea voyage is a magical mystery tour full of wonders for the unsupervised 11 and 12-year olds, who quickly find a secret meeting place to discuss their fellow passengers, some of whom are not who they claim to be. They explore the ship’s every floor and make stunning discoveries. But the novel’s magic is the description of the Cat;s Table’s eaters and their stories: a botanist with a well-kept garden in the ship's deepest hold; a former ship demolisher's knowledge; confessions of an ebullient pianist who jumps ship in Port Said. Other fabulous stories must be enjoyed by readers without further guidance from a reviewer. A magical novel, highly recommended.