The Secret Diary of Adrian Cat Book

The secret lives and loves of cats are revealed in this adventurous novel that peeks into a year in the life of the mischievous feline Adrian Cat. Adrian is having trouble keeping his new year's resolutions (especially "I will not be condescending to my humans"), and he's also adjusting to the fact that his humans have a new baby, his best friend needs constant advice, and he's in love for the first time—with the angelic-seeming Snowball. When Snowball turns out to be less than perfect and tries to lead Adrian into organized crime, he refuses to follow her and instead joins up with a scruffy yet tender alley cat named Gypsy. After Snowball's gang runs Adrian out of town, he is forced to make some strange friends and travel a rough road in order to get home safely to his family and to his new love, Gypsy.

Children's Literature

Adrian Cat is determined to become a better cat, so he starts his year off with some New Year's resolutions: he will not be condescending to his humans; he will be decisive, particularly about being in or out; and he will promote world peace between dogs, cats, and mice. Thus begins the daily journal of one year in a cat's life. Chronicled every day are Adrian's struggles to get along with the neighborhood cats, to win the affections of lovely lady cats, and to conquer other fears such as fear of heights. Adrian's relationship with his humans is somewhat humorous, especially his mystification with the new "kitten." His observations about the human world and his interpretation of their possessions and behaviors are amusing but trite. Adrian is a philosophical cat and muses on the meaning of life and relationships romantic, platonic, and fraternal. While perhaps entertaining for a cat lover, the Macfarlane's third cat book is neither engaging nor appropriate for children.