As a reminder, I am reviewing one book each day until Christmas, in no particular order.
Each choice is special in its own way. All would make great gifts for your cat addicted book lovers. Or your book addicted cat lovers.
Why cat books? Several reasons, really. I adore cats. Cats appear in most of my fiction. And I enjoy promoting cat books for the holidays, because I frequently give or get them as gifts myself. And finally, so many people have a cat, that cat themed gifts are an industry. You can’t go wrong.
Today I am reviewing “Henri, le Chat Noir,” by William Braden.
Henri is most definitely an internet cat. I was planning to review this book anyway and hadn’t picked a day yet. But this morning, Will Braden announced that Henri, or Henry, as he was known at home, has passed away, and I knew I had to review it today.
It’s sad news, and while there hasn’t been a new Henri film in quite some time and only a few social media posts per year due to feline retirement – and presumably Braden’s other varied interests, Henri is surely worthy of eulogy. He’s earned his place among the pantheon of internet cats, and he will be missed.
Will Braden made a film starring Henry when he was a student at the Seattle Film Institute in 2007. It depicted the black and white tuxedo cat in black and white with a French accent narration. He took the pampered house cat stereotype to the extreme and made him pretentiously French, another extreme stereotype.
The character was “an angst-filled cat” with “existential musings.” The follow-up video in 2012 went viral. I loved it as soon as I saw it. The films are well made and hilarious. Braden has won the People’s Choice Award at the first Internet Cat Video Film Festival, and deservedly so.
A book followed soon after, which I had to get. I am lucky enough to have a copy signed by Braden, who is always referred to by Henri as “The Thieving Filmmaker.” In the introduction to the book, Henri writes about the search for truth, but experiencing a profound ennui. The pictures and captions throughout, also in black and white, demonstrate his deep thoughts on the difficulties and lack of meaning that he experiences. The results are delightful.
Henri sits next to an empty cat bowl on a tile floor. The caption is, “Sartre wrote, ‘All human actions are equivalent, and all are on principle, doomed to failure.’ This is an eerily prescient commentary on the tardiness of my breakfast.”
In another photo Henri’s face is in close-up as he reclines on something. The caption tells us what it is. “‘Integrity has no need of rules,’ according to Camus. Therefore a philosopher cat should be allowed on the counter if he desires. Shooing me away reveals your selfish attempt to keep all the turkey for yourself.”
The book is filled with Henri’s philosophical musings about the pointlessness of life, all the while adding in the humorous reminders of typical cat behaviors. Henri reclines on the floor staring into space. “Cat treats are a poor substitute for real answers to the mysteries of our existence. Yet I do not reject them.”
If you’re already a fan of this feline philosopher, you need this book. If you’re not familiar with Henri, you should check out the videos, because the are wonderfully absurd. And then I know you’ll want the book.
