Every character in this book is multi dimensional, capable of both good and evil. Worth reading for the characters alone.

The Alley Cat is a book that is altogether encouraging, discouraging, and a funny, poignant tale of learning to stand on your own two feet.

I loved and hated each character, because their good and bad traits were so vividly described by Beauchemin. Monsieur Emile and Ratablavasky are by far the two greatest characters created in Canadian Lit, if not Lit altogether. What a great story.

Modern-day Dostoevsky Beauchemin is! His writing is filled with urban decay and human foibles, modernized and made funnier. Read this!

From the first line of this novel you will be hooked. This book is passionate, compassionate, humorous, grotesque, bizarre and epic in every regard. The language zips along with wonderful ingenuity and the characters are magnificent. An earlier reviewer mentioned two brilliant characters, but there are many, many other memorable characters in this wonderful book. Up until the last five pages of this very large novel, you are held wondering how it will all end. A great novel worthy in tribute to such luminous writers as Dickens or Thackery. You will roll on the floor laughing, and you will hold your breath at some of the more tragic moments. One of my favourite novels of all time. A great read.