Looking for some light reading between heavier books today, I picked up this one. It caught my eye because of the images. It's a collection of paintings, drawings and figures from the Victoria and Albert Museum, tastefully arranged with selected writings by various authors over the centuries, (from as far back as the year 1260!) all regarding cats. Quotes by Lewis Carroll, T.S Eliot, May Sarton, and many other writers and notables I never heard of before. Drawings and paintings by Beatrix Potter, Sir John Tenniel, Louis Wain, Sir Edwin Landseer and many others. Altogether a delightful and pleasant book on the nature of cats. My favorite was a poem written in the 1600s by Paul Scarron, about a gentlewoman who dressed her tomcat in pearls and fine clothes, then held him up to the mirror. When the cat escaped out onto the roof, the distraught Lady sent her servants out searching for him all night. She was upset not about the loss of her pearl necklace, but the cat himself who carried it away! It made me laugh.Rating: 3/5 ........ 96 pages, 1989
I love cats, so this is definitely something I'd enjoy. I am a big fan of Louis Wain's cat paintings...this sounds like the perfect combination between literature and the visual arts!
ReplyDeleteI think you would like it. I've put this book up on Paperback Swap (& in a few days onto BookMooch too) so if you like you could request it from me.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an animal story I might like -no tragedies!
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