A Tribute to Lilian Jackson Braun

FROM THE REVIEWERS:

Lilian Jackson Braun - The Cat Who ...

 

 

(1) Mystery writer Lawrence Block once said there are two kinds of mysteries: those with cats and those without cats. Be sure your collection has plenty of the former. [Wright, David, Library Journal]

(2) No point in recommending this; if your library has "Cat Who" devotees, you must acquire it. [Kent Rasmussen, Library Journal]

(3) ... perhaps it's time to acknowledge that Pickax, despite its remoteness, is a dangerous place.   With its minuscule population, the two or three murders that Braun chronicles there each year must give it a per capita homicide rate similar to Detroit's. [Ann Burns, Library Journal]

(4) The true charm of these works is the marvelous sense of place that Braun evokes. [Kent Rasmussen, Library Journal]

(5) The Cat Who Went Bananas, at # 14, is the 29th bestselling Cat Who ... mystery from Lilian Jackson Braun. [Daisy Maryles, Publishers Weekly]

(6) The Pickax Theater Club is in the throes of presenting The Importance of Being Earnest, starring newcomer Alden Wade, when Ronnie Dickson, playing Algernon, dies in a car accident, under the influence of drugs.   Fans will go bananas; others may go Wilde. [Kirkus Reviews]

(7) Qwill is collecting for his volume Short and Tall Tales, the lovingly detailed meals he shares with librarian Polly Duncan and other series regulars, the sleuthing shenanigans of his Siamese Koko and Yum Yum, and the columns that prove repeatedly that he can write a thousand words about nothing-a gift his veteran author displays on a larger scale herself. [Kirkus Reviews]

(8) It's hard to believe that a mystery series about a multimillionaire sleuth and his psychic Siamese tabbies could challenge the popularity of such bestselling purveyors of semi- realistic sleuthing as Robert B. Parker, Jonathan Kellerman and Patricia Cornwell, but that's what Lilian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who ... " books do on an annual basis. What's her secret? Not the mystery element, which is adequate at best, nor the cast of characters, credible but typical rural types in the main. Nor is it those darn cats, which are, truth be known, a bit too darn cute.

Braun's strong suit is her storytelling voice, which is filled with enough sense of wonder and whimsy to turn her yarns into ideal bedtime tales for grown-ups. In tone they are sophisticated updates on the Uncle Wiggly stories with the dilettantish James "Qwill" Qwilleran standing in for the fuzzy-eared gentleman rabbit. She's also created an irresistible location--the little town of Pickax in Moose County, described as being "400 miles north of everywhere"-- that is cozy and comfortable, even with its alarming crime rate.

Such is the lure of the burg that one doesn't question for a minute why the filthy rich Qwilleran would pack up his checkbook and cats and move there, rather than L.A. or New York or Paris or Rome, for that matter. In her 24th novel in the series, "The Cat Who Went Up the Creek" Qwill and his precocious pets take a trip to nearby Black Creek to see if an inn owned by friends is really haunted. They wind up investigating the murder of a gold nugget-bearing former guest.

As usual, there are subplots beaucoup, covering such topics as Qwill's book-in-progress, "Tall and Short Tales," and a local production of "The Pirates of Penzance," all making this year's trip to Moose County as enjoyable as the past 23. [Dick Lochte, Los Angeles Times]

(9) I realize that I'm not in a position of strength here, having written a book about Clara, my manipulative pug dog. But I learned there is a slender line between observing an animal's behavior and what a New York editor I know refers to as "twee." The way she explained it, "twee"--defined as "mimicking a child's pronunciation of 'sweet' "--is a piece of writing that is too cute or a gimmick too" tweety" for the average reader's palate.

Author Lilian Jackson Braun keeps both paws planted on the side of charming. The cat in question, a telepathic Siamese named Koko (and his dimmer feline cohort Yum Yum), belongs to billionaire columnist Jim Qwilleran, the most gallant man about town since Maurice Chevalier in "Gigi." Lest you think Braun's imagination has run amok, Qwilleran inherited his fortune from his mother's friend; he didn't earn it with his "Qwill Pen" column in the Moose County Something.

Braun's mysteries are unabashedly short on suspense, action or a dramatic denouement. But the characters are engaging. As for the cat, Koko doesn't speak, though he yowls at opportune moments and drops hints such as wrapping a room in paper towels at the same time hotel towels disappear.

Maybe I should send my pug to Moose County for some tips. [Margo Kaufman, Los Angeles Times]

(10) Lilian Jackson Braun Considers Her Writing "a Hobby"

The best thing about writing, says Lilian Jackson Braun, "is that you don't have to go anywhere to do it. I don't travel to promote my books, I don't give lectures. I just live quietly and write my kitty-cat stories." Although she admits that this humble description of her best-selling The Cat Who... series is a bit tongue-in-cheek, it's this kind of self-deprecating humor and down-to-earth demeanor that has made Braun the cat's meow among feline mystery writers.

Notable for its longevity, Braun's series, which is set to continue with its 21st installment, The Cat Who Saw Stars (Putnam, Jan.), was launched in 1966 with The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Dutton). Dubbed "the new detective of the year" by the New York Times, Braun quickly followed up with two more novels featuring feline sleuths Koko and Yum-Yum and their human companion, journalist James Qwilleran; she then dropped out of the mystery scene in the late 1960s when the market shifted toward more hard-boiled crime fiction.

"That wasn't my style," says Braun. "Besides, I had a good job." In fact, she considers fiction writing "a hobby" one in which she dabbled while pursuing a career first in advertising and then journalism and was happy to dabble in again once she reached retirement. Braun reentered the mystery scene in 1986 (The Cat Who Saw Red, Berkley) when she left the workplace and the mystery market had warmed again toward cozier stories. The book was nominated for an Edgar, and although it didn't win, the recognition helped boost sales and pave the way for her move to hardcover at Putnam.

While Braun occasionally attends signings at bookstores and cat shows near her home in North Carolina, her promotional efforts rarely extend beyond enclosing a greeting from Koko answering frequently asked questions about her books-in her letters to readers (she answers all her fan mail personally). "That's about all the marketing I do," she notes. "I don't pay attention to the mystery field. I do my thing and the publishers do theirs."

Braun, who has just finished book number 22 (The Cat Who Robbed the Bank, due out in 2000), says that keeping the series fresh has never been a problem. For one thing, the daily antics of her own two cats (Koko III and Pitti-Sing) provide ample grist for the mill. Changing the venue for her protagonist and exposing him to different fields of interest also helps, she says.

How does she feel about the forthcoming release of The Cat Who... Companion (Berkley, Dec.) by avid fan Sharon A. Feaster? "It's a splendid idea," Braun enthuses, confessing that she frequently calls a reader in Alabama who is a veritable walking encyclopedia of series trivia to double-check details. "It's going to answer a lot of questions for readers-and maybe for me, too." [Heather Vogel Frederick, Publisher's Weekly]

(11) It's the cat's meow for Lilian Jackson Braun's 20th mystery featuring Koko and Yum Yum, two very clever Siamese who have endeared fans since their debut. [Daisy Maryles, Publisher's Weekly]

(12) You do not need to own a cat to enjoy Lilian Jackson Braun's latest mystery, The Cat Who Went Into the Closet. No. 15 of "The Cat Who ..." series, the new novel proves the octogenarian has not lost her touch. With claws as sharp as ever, Braun presents another felony solved by felines - with help from their human friend.  

Braun does not try to sustain cliffhanger suspense in The Cat Who Went Into the Closet, but she maintains a steady and often lively pace toward resolution of the crimes. The hardest part of reading this book, is knowing that as each page is turned, you are that much closer to the end. [Bettie Stocks Rhodes, Greensboro News Record]

(13) Koko is a remarkable male Siamese who happens to have sixty whiskers instead of the usual forty-eight. Yum Yum is an adorable female who will steal anything-including hearts. James Qwilleran is a columnist for The Moose County Something who had recorded his cats' exploits in his personal journal since the day each arrived in his life. And Lilian Jackson Braun is the beloved creator of them all! This delightful collection of feline antics will warm the hearts of cat lovers everywhere. [Putnam Books]

(14) A master of mystery who knows exactly when to let the cat out of the bag. [People Magazine ]