If Cats Could Talk...Would They Cry? By Anatoli Scholz - Book Review

If Cats Could Talk…  
Would They Cry? 

By Anatoli Scholz Published 28^th May 2020 

A modern ‘Metamorphosis’ that speaks to the themes of our time – isolation, identity and desperation for connection 

• An entertaining novella with a philosophical outlook, If Cats Could Talk… Would They Cry introduces Julie Galles. An introvert in an extrovert’s world, Julie is stuck in a rut - until the day she wakes up as a cat. Can a feline perspective help her to reconnect with humanity? 

• Core issues of companionship, authenticity and purpose are explored with a lightness of touch and an off-beat charm. A book that readers can really connect to. 

• The son of Soviet scientists, Anatoli Scholz has lived in the US, France, Ireland and many other countries. He has never lived in one place for more than two years. Anatoli is currently locked-down in Spain and is available for interview. 

• Beautifully illustrated with playful vignettes by Spanish artist Félix Diaz de Escauriaza. 

‘It took her turning into a cat to focus on being human again.’ 

Julie suddenly and unexpectedly transforms into a cat, taking her on a journey that provides a fresh perspective on her life. 

An update on Kafka’s METAMORPHOSIS, this entertaining and playful novella explores notions of authenticity, connection and societal expectation. 

About the Author

ANATOLI SCHOLZ was born in Moscow and raised in the US, Germany and Ireland. He has never lived in one place for more than two years and he speaks seven languages. He currently lives in Spain; before that he lived in Paris, in the very road where this book is set. This is his third book. 

If Cats Could Talk… Would They Cry? will be available in paperback and ebook editions 

My review

As a cat lover you can imagine how the title of this little book intrigued me and I looked forward to reading it. First, I flicked through the pages keen to see the illustrations and was not disappointed, they are charming.

In truth I struggled with the first few pages but decided to stick with it and I'm so glad I did. This is a good book. I enjoyed reading it. Julie Galles is an interesting and likeable, protagonist in both human and cat form. All of the characters are interesting and well put together, plus the story flows well.

The author, Anatoli Scholz, has given us a novella that is both entertaining and thought provoking. It may well resonate with many readers on a personal level and turn into a page turner for them as it did for me.

Ellen Dean Recommends

Who Killed Vincent van Gogh? by I. Kaufman Arenberg MD

Murder Or Suicide — You Be The Judge!

Denver, CO, November 21, 2018—Vincent van Gogh's death in July 1890 has always been believed to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound into his belly. This 19th-century suicide theory has come under recent scrutiny when TIME magazine, on their October 31, 2011, cover, asked the question, "Who Killed van Gogh?" and then followed up with their culture cover, "Was van Gogh's Death Really a Suicide?"

I. Kaufman Arenberg, MD, a prominent (retired) ear surgeon, has been publishing on van Gogh ever since he wrote a cover-featured "Special Communication" article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). This report, whose publication coincided with the 100th anniversary of Vincent's death in July 1990, corrected the old misdiagnosis for Vincent's noteworthy "attacks"—attributing them to an inner-ear disease (Meniere's disease) and not to epilepsy. He never believed at that time that van Gogh committed suicide.

Now, from that same doctor, comes another stunner: His analysis and new, 21st-century forensic evidence strongly suggests the artist was a victim of murder. 

In his new book, Killing Vincent: The Man, the Myth and the Murder, Arenberg invites readers to examine the evidence he's unearthed since the JAMA article was published, while calling for a more thorough look into this cold case using 21st-century forensic simulations and reenactments with the same antique revolver that might have been used in the murder, vintage black powder bullets and FBI ballistic gel.

Arenberg has continued his groundbreaking research to this day and, in his book, he shares the evidence he's unearthed since his revelations in 1990. Arenberg says his research strongly suggests that the artist may have been murdered and that an elaborate scheme was concocted to make it appear that he committed suicide.

Did van Gogh take his own life in a fit of madness? Or did something much more sinister happen to one of the world's greatest visionaries?

"Everyone is fascinated and intrigued by the iconic Vincent,” said Arenberg. "But when you substitute premeditated murder and an elaborate cover-up, then add to that an intriguing romantic twist that could provide a motive for his murder—you will really have everyone's attention!”

Killing Vincent also features interactive elements, including social media platforms as well as a website, allowing readers to interact on a dedicated forum and discuss various theories about van Gogh's life and death.
Arenberg, a noted author of medical works, now takes his first stab at nonfiction. He has served on the boards of several peer-reviewed journals and was made the youthful Associate Editor of the AMA Archives of Otolaryngology in 1968. He has edited six books, published 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and published or presented more than 500 abstracts, papers or book chapters on ear diseases, hearing, balance and tinnitus, and specifically Meniere's disease. He has lectured extensively in many countries and was a visiting professor at many distinguished medical schools and teaching hospitals. He founded and ran three nonprofit organizations and has been awarded three international gold medal honor awards.
To learn more, check out the intriguing and in-depth website, www.killingvincent.com. This website also features an ongoing, interactive forum and other interactive elements, including social media platforms that allow readers to interact and discuss various theories about van Gogh's life and death with the author. 

Killing Vincent: The Man, the Myth and the Murder
Available Immediately at: 
Amazon.com – Kindle E-Book, Paperback Color or B&W
Ingram Spark Distribution – Color Hardcover, Libraries, Mortar/Online Book Retailers

My Review

The facts, including photos, paintings and diagrams to support Vincent was murdered, of which there are many, show there is a tremendous amount of evidence to debunk the suicide theory of Vincent. I do hope so. Don McLean's song Starry Starry Night won't be the same if the facts prove to be correct. The truth is out there and the only way to get to the bottom of it is to exhume Vincent's body.

I'm not going to say any more at the moment because the book contains a lot of grammatical errors, and typesetting problems as well as being repetitive. I did mention this to the author and he is looking into it.