Downton Tabby

By Chris Kelly

Downton Tabbyis about England's oldest and finest family of cats. With beautiful (and scandalous) photographs and art, it tells the story of their lives and loves - and their maids and butlers and cooks' lives and loves -- from the sinking of the Kitanic to the Jazz Age. Tolstoy's adage about each family being unhappy in their own way? What makes the Grimalkins different is they're cats. Posh, spoiled, stuck-up-but-charming, English cats.

Whilst affectionately making fun of Downton Abbey a broader, more humorous point is made: We treat our cats like high society. Their servants are us. If you live with a cat, the butler, maid and cook is you.

This is a book for fans of the show, and people who put up withfans of the show, and also for people who've ever caughtthemselves getting emotionally involved in their cat's social life, and whether or not some cold cuts would cheer her up.

Why is this a book about Edwardian manor life, acted out by cats? The real question is why aren't there more?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Dec 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781471134449

Chris Kelly

Chris Kelly writes for HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher. He won an Emmy for his work on Michael Moore's TV Nation. He's been an editor at Spy and the National Lampoon, a staff writer for the Late Show with David Letterman, head writer at Politically Incorrect, and a writer/producer on a half dozen network situation comedies, some long-running and some that barely aired at all.

Reviews for Downton Tabby

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not sure this really merited killing trees to publish, but I can see how it would be fairly amusing for Downton Abbey fans, cat people, but especially cat people who are also Downton Abbey fans. Funniest line: In a newspaper graphic of the sinking of the "Mewsitania," the headline reads "1,195 Cats Lose 10,755 Lives." HA!

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Your favorite Downton Abbey characters are here, but in feline form. Mrs. Catmore, the cook, has trouble seeing, and gives Laisy, her helper, the wrong ingredients. Matthmew, the heir apparent, can drive a car, but not well. Catson, the butler, does his best to keep everyone in line downstairs even while Vibrissa Clowder, the Dowager Catness of Grimalkin, regales everyone upstairs with her pearls of wisdom. This little tome is packed with pleasure and sheer delight, with amusing illustrations and witty writing. Feline fanciers and Downton Abbey fans will especially enjoy it.

[chickalea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was seriously a fun read. Very cute especially if you're a Downton Abbey fan (which I am.) I'm not really a cat person (I have nothing against them, they're cute - I'm just very allergic to most of them) but I still enjoyed this.