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Summary
Summary
Here's the book that started it all--Lloyd Alexander's first fantasy for young readers--back in hardcover!
Gareth's definitely not an ordinary cat. For one thing, he can talk. For another, he's got the power to travel through time--
"Anywhere, any time, any country, any century," Gareth tells Jason. And in the wink of a very special cat's eye, they're off. From ancient Egypt to Japan, the land of young Leonardo da Vinci to the town of a woman accused of witchcraft, Jason and Gareth are whisked from place to place and friend to foe.
Full of fun, excitement, and a good dose of history, here's a fantastic tale that grabs the imagination and takes it far and wide, on the adventure of not one but nine amazing lifetimes.
Author Notes
Lloyd Alexander, January 30, 1924 - May 17, 2007 Born Lloyd Chudley Alexander on January 30, 1924, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Allan Audley and Edna Chudley Alexander, Lloyd knew from a young age that he wanted to write. He was reading by the time he was 3, and though he did poorly in school, at the age of fifteen, he announced that he wanted to become a writer. At the age of 19 in 1942, Alexander dropped out of the West Chester State Teachers College in Pennsylvania after only one term. In 1943, he attended Lafayette College in Easton, PA, before dropping out again and joining the United States Army during World War II. Alexander served in the Intelligence Department, stationed in Wales, and then went on to Counter-Intelligence in Paris, where he was promoted to Staff Sergeant. When the war ended in '45, Alexander applied to the Sorbonne, but returned to the States in '46, now married.
Alexander worked as an unpublished writer for seven years, accepting positions such as cartoonist, advertising copywriter, layout artist, and associate editor for a small magazine. Directly after the war, he had translated works for such artists as Jean Paul Sartre. In 1955, "And Let the Credit Go" was published, Alexander's first book which led to 10 years of writing for an adult audience. He wrote his first children's book in 1963, entitled "Time Cat," which led to a long career of writing for children and young adults.
Alexander is best known for his "Prydain Chronicles" which consist of "The Book of Three" in 1964, "The Black Cauldron" in 1965 which was a Newbery Honor Book, as well as an animated motion picture by Disney which appeared in 1985, "The Castle of Llyr" in 1966, "Taran Wanderer" in 1967, a School Library Journal's Best Book of the Year and "The High King" which won the Newberry Award. Many of his other books have also received awards, such as "The Fortune Tellers," which was a Boston Globe Horn Book Award winner. In 1986, Alexander won the Regina Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Catholic Library Association. His titles have been translated into many languages including, Dutch, Spanish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Serbo-Croation and Swedish.
He died on May 17, 2007.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-7-By Lloyd Alexander. When Jason finds out that his cat Gareth can travel through time, he begs to go along. Soon cat and boy find themselves in ancient Egypt on the first of nine unforgettable adventures. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Beloved novels return for a new generation of readers. Lloyd Alexander's first fantasy, Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth was published in 1963, before he went on to write the Newbery Honor book The Black Cauldron (1965) and The High King, winner of the 1969 Newbery Medal. Here, Gareth, a magical cat, and his human friend Jason travel to the past, visiting nine different eras all over the world, including ancient Egypt. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Jason has always thought that his cat Gareth could talk if he wanted to, so when Gareth speaks to him he is not surprised. On finding that Gareth does not have nine lives but does have the ability to visit nine different times and places, Jason eagerly asks to go with him. Together they travel to Ancient Egypt, Roman Britain, pre-Christian Ireland, Imperial Japan, Renaissance Italy, 16th century Peru, late 16th century Isle of Man, 17th century Germany, and America at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. In each place they help someone, often rulers having problems with corrupt or evil officials. They meet St. Patrick, help Leonardo DaVinci convince his father that he should be an artist, witness the beginning of Manx cats, learn about Incan civilization, are nearly burned as witches in Germany, and participate in the opening battle of the American Revolution. Listeners learn much about history and the position of cats in various societies along the way. Originally published in 1963, Time Cat (Puffin, pap. 1996) is an early novel by Lloyd Alexander and less successful than much of his later work. Jason is not a fully developed character, but more of a device for enabling readers/listeners to see each time period through his eyes. Both the opening and closing chapters leave many unanswered questions and seem merely a frame for getting Jason and Gareth in and out of their time travels. However, young cat fanciers and fantasy readers will enjoy the story. Ron Keith reads the story well with an expressive voice, good pacing, and emphasis. Technical quality is excellent. The episodic nature of the book lends itself to audio, and it is equally suitable for both individual and group listening. The historic overview the story provides is especially appropriate for this year when many schools and libraries are looking at the past in preparation for the millennium.-Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Gareth, who had been drowsing on top of Jason's pillow, uncurled and climbed onto the boy's lap. Jason stroked the cat and ran his finger over Gareth's only white spot -- on his chest, a T-shaped mark with a loop over the crossbar. "Lucky Gareth," Jason sighed, lying back and closing his eyes, "I wish I had nine lives." The cat stopped purring. "I wish I did too," he said. Excerpted from Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth by Lloyd Alexander All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Table of Contents
| 1. The Visitors | p. 1 |
| Egypt: 2700 b.c. | |
| 2. The Sacred City of Cats | p. 7 |
| 3. Neter-Khet | p. 15 |
| Rome and Britain: 55 b.c. | |
| 4. The Old Cats Company | p. 25 |
| 5. Cerdic Longtooth | p. 35 |
| Ireland: 411 a.d. | |
| 6. Diahan | p. 49 |
| 7. Sucat | p. 59 |
| Japan: 998 a.d. | |
| 8. Master of Imperial Cats | p. 73 |
| 9. Secret Journeys | p. 87 |
| Italy: 1468 | |
| 10. Odranoel | p. 99 |
| 11. Ser Piero Sees a Picture | p. 109 |
| Peru: 1555 | |
| 12. Don Diego | p. 121 |
| 13. Sayri Tupac | p. 131 |
| The Isle of Man: 1588 | |
| 14. Dulcinea | p. 141 |
| 15. The Manxmen | p. 149 |
| Germany: 1600 | |
| 16. The Witch Village | p. 161 |
| 117. Speckfresser Calls Two Demons | p. 171 |
| 118. The Verdict | p. 179 |
| America: 1775 | |
| 19. Parker's Perpetual Moufetrapf | p. 187 |
| 20. The Return | p. 195 |