''Matthew Flinders' Cat'' is a 2002 novel by

Bryce Courtenay Arthur Bryce Courtenay, (14 August 1933 – 22 November 2012) was a South African-Australian advertising director and novelist. He is one of Australia's best-selling authors, notable for his book '' The Power of One''. Background and early ye ...

(), published by

Viking Press Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheimer and then acqu ...

. It records the relationship between a homeless former lawyer and alcoholic, and a young skateboard riding boy with a troubled background, who slowly bond over tales of

Matthew Flinders Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer, navigator and cartographer who led the first littoral zone, inshore circumnavigate, circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then ...

and "

Trim Trim or TRIM may refer to: Cutting * Cutting or trimming small pieces off something to remove them ** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process ** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees Decoration * Trim (sewing), or ...

", the

ship's cat The ship's cat has been a common feature on many Merchant vessel, trading, History of research ships, exploration, and naval ships dating to ancient times. Cats have been brought on ships for many reasons, most importantly to control rodents. ...

who travelled with him on a number of his voyages, including the circumnavigation of Australia. Reviewer

Charles Waterstreet Charles Christian Waterstreet (born 17 July 1950) is a former Australian barrister, an author, and theatre and film producer. He has written two memoirs and produced two films, and he is now a columnist for ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' after the ...

, felt that the characters in the novel were "created from the comics, not the mind", and that the story was "distilled from headlines writ small, the novel's equivalent of elevator music".

References

2002 Australian novels Novels by Bryce Courtenay Viking Press books {{2000s-novel-stub