BOOK REVIEW: Cat's Eye
Title: Cat’s Eye
Author: Margaret Atwood
Elaine Risley is a painter living in Canada. As she deals with the challenges of middle age, she finds herself thinking back on her childhood, growing up in Toronto. Although she often thinks back on her parents and her brother, the figures that really occupy her mind are the three female friends she had as a young girl. The one she remembers the most is Cordelia, and despite the fact that the two have been separated for years, the image of Cordelia continues to haunt Elaine.
Margaret Atwood is one of those rare authors who just wows me with every book. Previous to reading Cat’s Eye, I had read The Handmaid’s Tale, The Blind Assassin, and Alias Grace. Similar to Alias Grace, Cat’s Eye is purely a work of fiction with no speculative elements like you’d find in The Handmaid’s Tale, or The Blind Assassin. Still, the novel pulled me in aggressively. This is in part due to the beautiful writing that can be found in it’s pages. When it comes to quality of writing, I've encountered few contemporary authors that can hold a candle to Atwood. But despite the strength of the writing, my enjoyment of the book is equally due to how well Atwood handled the characters and their relationships.
The world of female friendships can be a complex thing, and Atwood surely understands that this complexity is not something that emerges in adulthood or adolescence. It has simply always been there. Elaine’s friendship with Cordelia reminded me greatly of a friend I had as a child, especially in the ways that our lives diverged as we began to grow up. Interestingly, I too find that my life is occasionally haunted by this friend (who has since passed away), and often think of her despite the fact that we haven’t seen each other in over seven years. I was equally engaged with the storylines involving Elaine’s family. I love that they didn't feel like your typical 1950s family. Their interactions, especially between Elaine and her brother, felt very genuine to me. I've read somewhere that there are some slightly autobiographical elements to Cat’s Eye. Although I wasn’t sure how far these elements went, it wasn’t very difficult for me to connect Elaine the painter to Margaret the writer.
Final Thoughts: Cat’s Eye is a beautifully written work of historical fiction, a strikingly honest portrait of female friendships as seen from a middle aged woman looking back on her complex childhood. Those who have enjoyed previous works by Atwood (especially the historical fiction elements found in The Blind Assassin, which this book has quite a lot in common with) should really give this earlier work of Atwood’s a try. Five Stars
Next I will be reviewing Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Author: Margaret Atwood
Elaine Risley is a painter living in Canada. As she deals with the challenges of middle age, she finds herself thinking back on her childhood, growing up in Toronto. Although she often thinks back on her parents and her brother, the figures that really occupy her mind are the three female friends she had as a young girl. The one she remembers the most is Cordelia, and despite the fact that the two have been separated for years, the image of Cordelia continues to haunt Elaine.
Margaret Atwood is one of those rare authors who just wows me with every book. Previous to reading Cat’s Eye, I had read The Handmaid’s Tale, The Blind Assassin, and Alias Grace. Similar to Alias Grace, Cat’s Eye is purely a work of fiction with no speculative elements like you’d find in The Handmaid’s Tale, or The Blind Assassin. Still, the novel pulled me in aggressively. This is in part due to the beautiful writing that can be found in it’s pages. When it comes to quality of writing, I've encountered few contemporary authors that can hold a candle to Atwood. But despite the strength of the writing, my enjoyment of the book is equally due to how well Atwood handled the characters and their relationships.
The world of female friendships can be a complex thing, and Atwood surely understands that this complexity is not something that emerges in adulthood or adolescence. It has simply always been there. Elaine’s friendship with Cordelia reminded me greatly of a friend I had as a child, especially in the ways that our lives diverged as we began to grow up. Interestingly, I too find that my life is occasionally haunted by this friend (who has since passed away), and often think of her despite the fact that we haven’t seen each other in over seven years. I was equally engaged with the storylines involving Elaine’s family. I love that they didn't feel like your typical 1950s family. Their interactions, especially between Elaine and her brother, felt very genuine to me. I've read somewhere that there are some slightly autobiographical elements to Cat’s Eye. Although I wasn’t sure how far these elements went, it wasn’t very difficult for me to connect Elaine the painter to Margaret the writer.
Final Thoughts: Cat’s Eye is a beautifully written work of historical fiction, a strikingly honest portrait of female friendships as seen from a middle aged woman looking back on her complex childhood. Those who have enjoyed previous works by Atwood (especially the historical fiction elements found in The Blind Assassin, which this book has quite a lot in common with) should really give this earlier work of Atwood’s a try. Five Stars
Next I will be reviewing Liar by Justine Larbalestier