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Book Review of The Cat Who Walks Through Walls: A Comedy of Manners

The Cat Who Walks Through Walls: A Comedy of Manners
xen avatar reviewed on


One of the Grandmaster's finest. Part detective novel, part sci-fi adventure novel, all Heinlein, all fun. If you love Heinlein, you'll love this book. If you don't love Heinlein, you'll love this book... and what's wrong with you, anyway? A sci-fi fan who doesn't love Heinlein is like a candy lover that doesn't love chocolate. You're just a bit off.

I consider this the finest of his 80's novels. While I enjoyed all of his late era works, The Cat Who Walks Through Walls can be enjoyed by Heinlein afficianados and neophytes alike. More fast paced than To Sail Beyond the Sunset, better than Friday or Job, "The Cat" is one of his finest works.

I will say, it might help if you have read "Time enough for Love" and "The Number of the Beast", as "The Cat" shares many of the same characters in the latter part of the novel.

For background on the character Gwen (Hazel Stone), read "The Rolling Stones", one of Heinlein's finest juveniles.