First published 2004
This collection brings together thirty stories that peer into the mysterious world of cats. Writers from Edgar Allan Poe to P.G. Wodehouse have imagined what drives these creatures through their daily dramas. Poe's unnamed black cat stalks through psychological terror. Wodehouse's Webster transforms from street cat to aristocratic judge of human behavior. Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat vanishes into philosophical riddles. Rudyard Kipling's cat walks alone through ancient bargains with humanity. Each story captures a different feline personality, from playful to sinister, independent to devoted. The cats in these tales reveal as much about their human companions as about themselves. Some stories follow cats through supernatural adventures, others through domestic comedies, still others through moments of surprising tenderness. The collection spans cultures and centuries, featuring works by Mark Twain, Italo Calvino, Patricia Highsmith, and many others who found inspiration in the enigmatic nature of cats.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, animals, collections, anthologies, cats
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Period: 19th-Century, 20th-Century, 21st-Century
304 pages · Hardcover · Gramercy