Book Excerpt for the Day

    “He doesn’t have a tail,” he said.

    “Neither do you,” I said, “but I wasn’t going to mention it.  He’s a Manx.”

    “I’ve heard of them,” he said.  “They don’t have tails, do they?”

    “They’ve outgrown them,” I said, “even as you and I.  When you come right down to it, what does a cat in this day and age need with a tail?”

    I’d offered this by way of small talk, but he took it seriously, creasing his high forehead in thought.  “I wonder,” he said.  “Doesn’t it play a role in keeping the animal balanced?”

    “He sees a therapist once a week,” I said, “and when he has a problem we talk about it.”

    (from The Burglar In The Rye,  by Lawrence Block)

    8½*/10.  The full review is here.

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