Kirkus Review of My Beloved Monster

In the lead-up to the release of Caleb Carr’s new memoir, My Beloved Monster, Kirkus Reviews have published a moving endorsement of the book. Describing the memoir as “one of the most powerful and beautiful grief narratives ever written, including all the memoirs about people,” the reviewer revealed some fascinating details and revelations from the memoir:

A Siberian Forest cat spends 17 years with her brilliant, reclusive, deeply unconventional human companion.

Within pages of starting this moving book, connoisseurs of fine prose may find themselves gasping with delight, as will cat lovers. Carr, best known for his 1994 novel The Alienist and also a distinguished military historian, reveals that he has always recognized himself to be an “imperfectly reincarnated” feline. When he was 5, he handed his mother a drawing of a boy with the head of a cat and said, “This is me before I was born.” You may well be convinced this is true by the end of Carr’s amazing tale of commitment, communication, self-discovery, and adventure with his cat, Masha, a half-tame “wildling” who loves the music of Richard Wagner. The author has had a life of exceptional pain and tragedy: His father, the Beat Generation figure Lucien Carr, was given to episodes of physical abuse that resulted in significant emotional and medical consequences. Also, despite Carr’s profound bonds with other beloved cats, several came to difficult ends he could not prevent. When he met Masha, who deftly ensured that he would take her home from the overwhelmed Vermont animal shelter where she landed after abuses of her own, he felt his redemption. The two become life partners and were never separated for more than a handful of nights, each of those for hospitalizations caused by Carr’s ever more dire physical condition. The story of their life together in the spacious house the author built for himself in Rensselaer County, New York, and in the woods and grounds surrounding it, in all seasons and weather, is a testament to both the human and feline spirits.

One of the most powerful and beautiful grief narratives ever written, including all the memoirs about people.

Kirkus Reviews

As noted previously, the memoir is currently available for preorder ahead of its release on April 16. For links to all sellers, I recommend visiting the publisher’s website.

Cover Release

Last month, the cover for Caleb Carr’s new memoir, My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-Wild Rescue Cat who Rescued Me, was released. It’s a lovely design that appears to feature Caleb’s much-loved Masha, the subject of the memoir. For anyone who may have missed it, this new memoir will be released on April 16, 2024 and is currently available for preorder. For links to all sellers, I recommend visiting the publisher’s website.

My Beloved Monster

My Beloved Monster

Thanks to a helpful visitor to the site, I have been informed that a new Caleb Carr book has recently been announced. A personal memoir, My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-Wild Rescue Cat who Rescued Me, is set for publication on April 16, 2024 by Little, Brown and Company. The blurb released on the publisher’s website can be found below:

The #1 bestselling author of The Alienist, Caleb Carr, tells the extraordinary story of Masha, a half-wild rescue cat who fought off a bear, tackled Caleb like a linebacker—and bonded with him as tightly as any cat and human possibly can.

Caleb Carr has had special relationships with cats since he was a young boy in a turbulent household, famously peopled by the founding members of the Beat Generation, where his steadiest companions were the adopted cats that lived with him both in the city and the country. As an adult, he has had many close feline companions, with relationships that have outlasted most of his human ones. But only after building a three-story home in rural, upstate New York did he enter into the most extraordinary of all of his cat pairings: Masha, a Siberian Forest cat who had been abandoned as a kitten, and was languishing in a shelter when Caleb met her. She had hissed and fought off all previous carers and potential adopters, but somehow, she chose Caleb as her savior.

For the seventeen years that followed, Caleb and Masha were inseparable. Masha ruled the house and the extensive, dangerous surrounding fields and forests. When she was hurt, only Caleb could help her. When he suffered long-standing physical ailments, Masha knew what to do. Caleb’s life-long study of the literature of cat behavior, and his years of experience with previous cats, helped him decode much of Masha’s inner life. But their bond went far beyond academic studies and experience. The story of Caleb and Masha is an inspiring and life-affirming relationship for readers of all backgrounds and interests—a love story like no other.

Though it may not be the Alienist novel some fans might have been expecting, I’m sure this heartfelt work will still be appreciated by the animal lovers among Caleb’s readership. The memoir is available for pre-order on Amazon and other retailers now.

An Important Update

There is no denying that it has been quite some time since my last update. Unfortunately, 17th Street simply became a casualty of trying to fit too much into too little time. Rest assured that I never had any plans to permanently walk away from something that has given me so much over the years, so I am back to share an important update with those of you who, like me, continue to appreciate these wonderful books.

Let’s begin with the news that I’m sure you are all most interested in. Loyal readers would be aware that several years ago Mulholland Books announced that they would be publishing the long-awaited third Alienist novel in late 2019. When this did not come to pass, it prompted a number of readers to wonder what had happened. I have now had it confirmed that the book suffered a significant delay due to a necessary change in its concept and plot from what had originally been announced. Fortunately, the resulting change has been well-received by everyone involved, and I’m sure we are all looking forward to learning more about the new book’s premise once it is announced.

Even though this is good news for the series, I am sorry to report that this third instalment is also facing an additional challenge. Unfortunately, it has been confirmed that Caleb Carr is currently waging a formidable health battle that is slowing his progress on the book. Despite this, I can confirm that Caleb still has every intention of moving forward with the novel in the future and is looking forward to doing so. First and foremost, however, he needs to continue to focus his energy on his ongoing treatment. I hope you will join me in wishing Caleb the very best as he fights this important battle.

Finally, regular visitors to the website will be aware that this update also brings change to the air. After many years with the old site layout, I decided it was time to finally be refreshed. So, in honour of Caleb’s birthday today, I am pleased to share 17th Street’s new look with you all. I hope that you like the layout and find it easy to navigate. You may also notice some small updates to the formatting throughout the site over the coming weeks.