Comments | misssylviadrake: Doris Lessing's On Cats

misssylviadrake

Doris Lessing's On Cats

Jul 14, 2012 23:54

"Knowing cats, a lifetime of cats, what is left is a sediment of sorrow, quite different from that due to humans: compounded of pain for their helplessness, of guilt on behalf of us all" -- Doris Lessing, "Rufus the Survivor"

Dear friends and readers,

The admiral and I were away this past week -- in NYC and I've written a travel piece on our time ( Read more... )

real family life, cats, women's memoirs, animal rights, social life

Comments 16

austen avoids cats misssylviadrake July 15 2012, 05:23:04 UTC

From Aneilka ( ... )

austen avoids cats misssylviadrake July 15 2012, 05:24:09 UTC

Yes James Austen, Jane's older brother wrote a poem on a cat who ate part of a meal intended for him. He was a humane sensitive man whose nature was stunted by his wife.

Jane Austen does remark on a small kitten she sees running up and down the stairs in their lodging house in Bath.

E.M.

misssylviadrake July 15 2012, 10:40:33 UTC

Thank you soooooooooooooooooooooo much Ellen, my dearest for this splendid post. Farideh

I loved writing it. In defense of cats :). The point is they are worthy creatures, as worthy as any including us. Sylvia

Tragic lives misssylviadrake July 15 2012, 10:55:56 UTC

"And whooooo recommended it to you! Me and Ron Dunning. Glad to hear you had such a good New York visit, we're having an exciting Alaska trip. And cats do live tragic lives." Diana B.

Ron said that and it's true you and he had mentioned it. But I had forgotten and really came to the book on my own. No matter. Ron suggested we need not anthropomorphize cats to see their individual lives, and if they are useful to us as say animals who attack insects, rats, mice, they are also companions and we are useful to them. Sylvia

Thomas Gray's Ode illustrated misssylviadrake July 15 2012, 20:02:39 UTC

Ellen, Probably you have seen Blake's amazing illustrations to Gray's "Ode" on Selima; if not you might have a look at Irene Tayler's volume or the exquisite Trianon Press volume edited by Geoffrey Keynes. Both include Blake's illustrations for a number of Gray's poems. I believe they may also be available at the Blake Archive.

Far outside C18, but you might also seek a copy of the collection of essays by H.P. Lovecraft called Something About Cats; I suspect you would enjoy the essay that gives the collection its title.

Tom