In the early 1950s, an eleven-year-old boy boards a huge liner bound for England – a ‘castle that was to cross the sea’. At mealtimes, he is placed at the lowly ‘Cat's Table’ with an eccentric group of grown-ups and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As the ship makes its way across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal, into the Mediterranean, the boys become involved in the worlds and stories of the adults around them, tumbling from one adventure and delicious discovery to another, ‘bursting all over the place like freed mercury’. And at night, the boys spy on a shackled prisoner – his crime and fate a galvanizing mystery that will haunt them forever.
As the narrative moves from the decks and holds of the ship and the boy’s adult years, it tells a spellbinding story about the difference between the magical openness of childhood and the burdens of earned understanding – about a life-long journey that began unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage, when all on board were ‘free of the realities of the earth’.
With the ocean liner a brilliant microcosm for the floating dream of childhood, The Cat’s Table is a vivid, poignant and thrilling book, full of Ondaatje’s trademark set-pieces and breathtaking images: a story told with a child’s sense of wonder by a novelist at the very height of his powers.
Reading Group Book Questions
- Key main characters in the novel are children. Do you think that Ondaatje successfully recreates the observations and thought processes of a child in his writing? How?
- There is a strong focus on journeys and destinations as themes. How does the author explore these topics?
- Many mysteries at the end of the novel remain unexplained. Do you think this was the right choice by the author? Does this detract from the satisfaction of the ending?
- The main character, Michael, explains that although he kept in contact with Ramadhin, Cassius he never saw again. Why do you think this is? Emily and Michael also barely saw each other again. Do you think that this is linked?
- Many books have been written about rites of passage for young men. Do you think this book falls into this category? If so, what do you think is the most life changing event for young Michael. How does this impact the rest of his story?
About the Author
Michael Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka in 1943. In the 1950s he moved to England, and went to school in south London. In 1962 he emigrated to Canada, where he has lived ever since. His books include his memoir, Running in the Family, numerous collections of poetry, and five novels – including The English Patient which won the 1992 Booker Prize. His latest novel is The Cat's Table, published by Cape in hardcover in September 2011.
