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Cat's Eye

Cat's Eye

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  • Create Date：2021-04-11 13:51:31
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Margaret Atwood
  • ISBN：1853811262
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Summary

Cat's Eye is the story of Elaine Risley， a controversial painter who returns to Toronto， the city of her youth， for a retrospective of her art。 Engulfed by vivid images of the past， she reminisces about a trio of girls who initiated her into the fierce politics of childhood and its secret world of friendship， longing， and betrayal。 Elaine must come to terms with her own identity as a daughter， a lover， and artist， and woman - but above all she must seek release from her haunting memories。

Disturbing， hilarious， and compassionate， Cat's Eye， is a breathtaking novel of a woman grappling with the tangled knots of her life。

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Reviews

jessica wang ，

all i can say is this book fucked me up。 but in a good way。

ऋचा ，

Cat's Eye。。。。。。It's heartbreakingly painful because I know an Elaine， a Cordelia， a Grace， a Carol and what that kind of relationship， the pseudo-friendship， does to a child。 Atwood's novel is like a knife being driven in an years old wound that never healed。 The wound created by constant guilt of being unable to save the little Elaine I knew。 Cat's Eye。。。。。。It's heartbreakingly painful because I know an Elaine， a Cordelia， a Grace， a Carol and what that kind of relationship， the pseudo-friendship， does to a child。 Atwood's novel is like a knife being driven in an years old wound that never healed。 The wound created by constant guilt of being unable to save the little Elaine I knew。 。。。more

Janice ，

Part of the difficulty in developing HSV vaccines relates to the way that alpha-herpesviruses， which include HSV， have evolved a sophisticated mechanism for evading immune responses that might destroy them。 After infecting mucosal tissues of the mouth or genitourinary tract， HSV works its way to the tips of sensory nerves that transmit signals responsible for sensations such as pain and touch。 With the help of a specialized molecular switch， the virus then breaks into the nerve cell， hitching a Part of the difficulty in developing HSV vaccines relates to the way that alpha-herpesviruses， which include HSV， have evolved a sophisticated mechanism for evading immune responses that might destroy them。 After infecting mucosal tissues of the mouth or genitourinary tract， HSV works its way to the tips of sensory nerves that transmit signals responsible for sensations such as pain and touch。 With the help of a specialized molecular switch， the virus then breaks into the nerve cell， hitching a ride on molecules that transport it along a nerve fiber and into the nucleus of the sensory neuron。 So while the mucosal infection is soon cleared by the immune response， the infected neurons become a sanctuary from the body’s immune system， with HSV leaving only when stirred by rises in steroids or other stress-elevated hormones in the host。 It is also Known that Only NATURAL HERBAL REMEDIES can permanently Cure this infection And i Recommend HERBALIST RAZOR NATURAL MEDICINE to everyone out there trusting and hoping for medical therapies or pill。 Contact HERBALIST RAZOR on email drrazorherbalhome@gmail。com 。   Visit his website  https://herbalistrazorherb。wixsite。co。。。 。。。more

EmmaPorzee ，

Great story; I love how it was given。 Good job writer！ If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top

Rainie Semmens ，

This is a book every new female starting school or in school should read， aswell as their parents as it talks about the way females friends at a young age can get very catty & bitching， girls can b so nasty。

Carmijn Gerritsen ，

This was an exceptionally descriptive novel which explored the struggles of a woman from childhood to adulthood。 It talks about the meaning of time and how we look at time。 It predominantly looks at a couple of characters in Elaine’s life。 I found most of the novel gripping and lyrical。 Nevertheless， I didn’t quite enjoy the last part of the book as much because we focus on the main character mostly。 We see her spiral downwards and look back on her life。 I think this was an amazing story but I c This was an exceptionally descriptive novel which explored the struggles of a woman from childhood to adulthood。 It talks about the meaning of time and how we look at time。 It predominantly looks at a couple of characters in Elaine’s life。 I found most of the novel gripping and lyrical。 Nevertheless， I didn’t quite enjoy the last part of the book as much because we focus on the main character mostly。 We see her spiral downwards and look back on her life。 I think this was an amazing story but I can’t give it a full five stars because of the lack of enjoyment （and meaning， in my opinion） in the latter part！ We saw her life flashing by but maybe this was exactly how Atwood wanted to write it because Elaine experienced it like this。Trigger warnings for fat-phobic comments*The book includes some nasty statements on people’s body and even though this novel was written in the 1980s， I believe， it felt like these comments were very unnecessary！ 。。。more

Susan Moss ，

"There are things I need to ask her。 Not what happened， back then in the time I lost， because now I know that。 I need to ask her why。If she remembers。 Perhaps she’s forgotten the bad things， what she said to me， what she did。 Or she does remember them， but in a minor way， as if remembering a game， or a single prank， a single trivial secret， of the kind girls tell and then forget。She will have her own version。 I am not the centre of her story， because she herself is that。 But I could give her som "There are things I need to ask her。 Not what happened， back then in the time I lost， because now I know that。 I need to ask her why。If she remembers。 Perhaps she’s forgotten the bad things， what she said to me， what she did。 Or she does remember them， but in a minor way， as if remembering a game， or a single prank， a single trivial secret， of the kind girls tell and then forget。She will have her own version。 I am not the centre of her story， because she herself is that。 But I could give her something you can never have， except from another person: what you look like from outside。 A reflection。 This is part of herself I could give back to her。We are like the twins in old fables， each of whom has been given half a key。"Told in alternating time frames， from Elaine's childhood through adulthood， then present day as she prepares for a gallery retrospective of her art in the town where she grew up， haunted by and finally facing the demons of her memories。 Dark makes way for light， then back again。 Oh my。 Atwood really is a unique writer， and this novel has been a gift。 。。。more

Jaeden Palanog ，

The story is powerful， I like how it was presented。 Good job writer！ If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on NovelStar， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top

Hella ，

Nell'arco di qualche giorno， tornata nella città in cui è cresciuta per presenziare all'inaugurazione di una mostra dei suoi dipinti， Elaine Risley ripercorre tutta la sua vita， da quando è bambina fino alla sua età attuale。 Rivive le amicizie con le sue compagne di scuola， tra cui spicca Cordelia。 La fortissima， pazza Cordelia， di cui Elaine ha paura e da cui allo stesso tempo è attratta， una infinita gara a chi è più forte contro le altre， anche quando si è solo bambine che vanno a scuola， una Nell'arco di qualche giorno， tornata nella città in cui è cresciuta per presenziare all'inaugurazione di una mostra dei suoi dipinti， Elaine Risley ripercorre tutta la sua vita， da quando è bambina fino alla sua età attuale。 Rivive le amicizie con le sue compagne di scuola， tra cui spicca Cordelia。 La fortissima， pazza Cordelia， di cui Elaine ha paura e da cui allo stesso tempo è attratta， una infinita gara a chi è più forte contro le altre， anche quando si è solo bambine che vanno a scuola， una presenza più mentale che fisica al suo fianco per tutta la vita。Elaine rivive le sue scelte， i suoi amori， come fosse attraverso una biglia occhio di gatto， con uno sguardo acuto， uno sguardo che studia ogni dettaglio dei suoi ricordi。Ovviamente non potevo che amare un libro di Margaret Atwood， scrittrice per cui tifo spudoratamente ogni anno per l'assegnazione dei premi Nobel。 Perché l'autrice canadese riesce a entrare nell'animo dei suoi personaggi， nel bene e nel male。A livello superficiale， non è uno di quei libri che ti sconvolge， nessun incredibile colpo di scena perché è la storia di una vita che potrebbe essere la vita di ogni persona， ma la penna di Margaret Atwood， così profonda e conoscitrice dell'animo umano， lo rende un libro da leggere。 。。。more

Hatmenmeer ，

This book changed my life。 It speaks to me personally， uniquely。 My favourite Atwood book and I have all of them。

Glo Sollecito ，

I had high hopes but this book just didn’t work for me。 I bailed at a quarter of the way through。 It just didn’t hold my interest。 I’d have loved more of it to have been in the present day。

Anne （on semi-hiatus） ，

“Time is not a line but a dimension。。You don't look back along time but down through it， like water。 Sometimes this comes to the surface， sometimes that， sometimes nothing。 Nothing goes away。''Margaret Atwood's novel Cat’s Eye dazzled me。 It is brilliant and beautifully written。 It takes on the topic of friendships of girls between the ages of 8-12 and how those years can affect their emotional development into adulthood。 Atwood has an uncanny knowledge of these girls and their struggles which i “Time is not a line but a dimension。。You don't look back along time but down through it， like water。 Sometimes this comes to the surface， sometimes that， sometimes nothing。 Nothing goes away。''Margaret Atwood's novel Cat’s Eye dazzled me。 It is brilliant and beautifully written。 It takes on the topic of friendships of girls between the ages of 8-12 and how those years can affect their emotional development into adulthood。 Atwood has an uncanny knowledge of these girls and their struggles which is rendered in psychologically penetrating detail。 Atwood uses bullying to show a nasty part of life for some of these young girls， how critical "fitting in" is for them and the lengths they will go to feel liked by their peers。 On a personal note I have to say that I was not bullied in school。 Several of my friends have shared with me their experiences of being bullied。 Thank you。 Though I wasn't bullied at school I was bullied at home by a family member so I am very much acquainted with bullying。 I can vouch for Atwood's thesis that we are our memories。 Elaine Risley， our narrator， is a Canadian painter who， at age 50， has returned to her childhood city of Toronto for a retrospective of her work。 The dull， provincial city of her youth has changed greatly since she left。 It is now ''New York without the garbage and muggings。” But in the week she is there her interest in the city's new galleries， restaurants and shops and in the retrospective itself， is minimal。 Her focus， and the novel's， is all on the past， on those images and memories that surface unexpectedly， of many people， but mostly of Cordelia， her childhood friend and tormentor。 With the beginning of each section of this story we are with Elaine in the present。 Something in the present triggers a memory and the story travels seamlessly to the past， picking up where the story left off。 Most of the novel takes place in the past。 Both time frames are written in the first person so we get to know Elaine in the present tense， in both the present and the past， lending great immediacy to the story and most importantly， reflecting that emotions and memories remain in the present。 I was with Elaine every step of the way and I felt what she felt: pride， unworthiness， sadness， joy， love， pain， worry， happiness， terror， etc。。One of the first scenes in the novel is of Elaine visitng the site where her exhibit will take place。 Elaine notices that someone has drawn a mustache on Elaine's picture outside the gallery which is holding a retrospective of her art。 I love her reaction to this which is so apt: "Suddenly I feel wonder。 I have achieved finally a face that a mustache can be drawn on， a face that attracts mustaches， a public face， a face worth defacing。 This is an accomplishment。 I have made something of myself。。。。 after all。”Elaine's first eight years are spent on the road with her family， as her father， an entomologist， tracks infestations across northern Canada。 For Elaine and her brother it is an enchanted existence， ''irregular， and slightly festive，'' a life of motels and tents， but it little prepares her for the life that is to follow when her parents move to Toronto， to a new and only partially completed tract house in a growing suburb。 There， amid the tightly prescribed rituals， Elaine quickly learns that there are 。''things my parents have been keeping from me， things I need to know'': a whole vocabulary of household words， ''chintz，'' ''coat tree，'' … and the need for braids， dressing gowns and purses， the whole， complicated world of girls。 At one point Elaine thinks she has finally figured out one of the secrets to fitting in: "Something is unfolding， being revealed to me。 I see that there's a whole world of girls and their doings that has been unknown to me， and that I can be part of without making any effort at all。 I don't have to keep up with anyone， run as fast， or aim as well。。… I don't have to think about whether I do these things well， as well as a boy。 All I have to do is sit on the floor and cut frying pans out of the Eaton's Catalogue with embroidery scissors， and say I've done it badly。”Elaine learns that it is shameful to want to be successful， to admit that you made an effort at something or to be proud of your ability。 Instead， 。"yours is so much better than mine，"。。 or 。"I'm so bad at this，”。。 are the correct things to say。 The aim of these remarks is to receive a compliment and to be flattered by your friends。 But they are also about forcing conformity and mediocrity。 It is better to deliberately do something badly than to admit that you want to or can do something well。At the center of Elaine’s new world is Cordelia。 Cordelia lives in one of the larger houses， a house with… a powder room， napkin rings， egg cups。 Her mother paints and has a cleaning woman。 Elaine lives in an unfinished house with very little furniture （at first） and no frills。 Certainly not a cleaning woman because Elaine’s mother likes to clean， to do all the work herself。 Fashion is not on Elaine’s mother’s mind， while it is very important to。 Cordelia and all the people in the neighborhood。 Cordelia sees the difference in Elaine and is scornful and manipulative。 Elaine adores her and Cordelia finds in Elaine a target for her “improvements。” In the campaign of terror that follows， Cordelia and her two friends surround Elaine throughout her day， pointing out her failings， her weaknesses， mocking the way she walks， the way she eats， the way she laughs。 They ostracize her and torment her with her own image: “Cordelia brings a mirror to school … She takes it out of her pocket and holds the mirror up in front of me and says ‘Look at yourself！ Just look！’ Her voice is disgusted。”Though this cruelty feels very specific to Elaine， there’s also something universal about it。 The adult Elaine remembering this bullying realizes that women are always judged and “there is no end to imperfection”。。Faced with this reign of terror Elaine submits and feels that she needs to learn from Cordelia in order to be liked by her and the other girls。’'I am not normal， I am not like other girls。 Cordelia tells me so， but she will help me。 。 。 。 It will take hard work and a long time…。She is my friend。 She likes me。 She wants to help me， they all do。 They are my friends… I have never had any before and I’m terrified of losing them。 I want to please。 Hatred would have been easier… I would have known what to do。”This bullying goes on for a long time until a major event changes Elaine’s outlook as well as her relationship to Cordelia。It is very fitting that Elaine becomes an artist and paints the faces of women。 For one thing， she grew up with parents and a brother who made things with their hands instead of buying them when possible。 More importantly， her art is her outlet for all the trauma and mixed feelings from her childhood and a way to try to come to terms with those feelings。 Her paintings mostly showcase the different forms and faces of women。 At her retrospective we notice that Elaine is comfortable with men but a bit wary of women。 The reader understands exactly why。 。Cat's Eye is a stunning novel with a lot to say， more than I could write about in this review for fear of spoilers （and because this review is long enough）。 Through Elaine's raw， heartwarming and heart-wrenching story we witness Atwood's idea that "your memories are you。。。。 They never go away" and all that that means for Elaine and possibly for the reader。 This novel inevitably leads the reader to think about his/her own memories and how they exist in you in the present and how they may have impacted your life。 。Cat's Eye is one of the best books I've read this year and is an all-time favorite。 Completely immersed in Elaine's world and mind while reading this book I got to know Elaine so well that she feels like a real person about whom I care deeply。 The memory of this book lives in me。 I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone left on this planet who has not read it yet。 。。。more

Barbara ，

Very slow start， but became an interesting life saga after that。

Avonlea ，

I enjoy a lot of Margaret Atwood's books， but this one didn't quite do it for me。 The quality of the writing was stunning as ever， but the story dragged on and on， and I kept wondering what the point of it all was （no clear story arc） until the very end when the character was in her later years & some pieces finally tied together。 Ultimately it made me glad I didn't raise daughters， and made me think girls have always been mean to each other， not just with the invention of social media， which is I enjoy a lot of Margaret Atwood's books， but this one didn't quite do it for me。 The quality of the writing was stunning as ever， but the story dragged on and on， and I kept wondering what the point of it all was （no clear story arc） until the very end when the character was in her later years & some pieces finally tied together。 Ultimately it made me glad I didn't raise daughters， and made me think girls have always been mean to each other， not just with the invention of social media， which is really sad。 。。。more

Lorenzo ，

No sabía qué esperar de este libro， no tenía expectativas ni para bien ni para mal， y me encantó。 La historia es fascinante， los personajes perfectamente realizados， las voces creíbles。 Margaret Atwood me sorprende en un obra seguramente opacada por The Handmaid's Tales， pero que supera a su famosa "hermana" en todos los sentidos。 No sabía qué esperar de este libro， no tenía expectativas ni para bien ni para mal， y me encantó。 La historia es fascinante， los personajes perfectamente realizados， las voces creíbles。 Margaret Atwood me sorprende en un obra seguramente opacada por The Handmaid's Tales， pero que supera a su famosa "hermana" en todos los sentidos。 。。。more

Ali Arabzadeh ，

توضیح نظرم درباره‌ی چشم گربه کمی برای من دشوار است。 دلیل‌ش این است که این رمان از ساختار کلاسیک و به زعم من بنیادین قصه‌گویی پیروی نمی‌کند و عملاً اوج و فرودی به معنای مرسوم درآن وجود ندارد。 البته روشن است که این اولین یا تنها اثری نیست که از آن ساختار تخطی کرده。 مسئله این است که به رغم این‌که یک قصه‌ی کلاسیک نیست می‌تواند آدم را دنبال خودش بکشد。در واقع کتاب بیش‌تر شبیه نقب زدن به یک دفتر خاطرات است。 انگار همین‌طور دفتر خاطراتی را باز کنید و برش‌های مختلف از زندگی یک زن را بخوانید و همین‌طور جلو توضیح نظرم درباره‌ی چشم گربه کمی برای من دشوار است。 دلیل‌ش این است که این رمان از ساختار کلاسیک و به زعم من بنیادین قصه‌گویی پیروی نمی‌کند و عملاً اوج و فرودی به معنای مرسوم درآن وجود ندارد。 البته روشن است که این اولین یا تنها اثری نیست که از آن ساختار تخطی کرده。 مسئله این است که به رغم این‌که یک قصه‌ی کلاسیک نیست می‌تواند آدم را دنبال خودش بکشد。در واقع کتاب بیش‌تر شبیه نقب زدن به یک دفتر خاطرات است。 انگار همین‌طور دفتر خاطراتی را باز کنید و برش‌های مختلف از زندگی یک زن را بخوانید و همین‌طور جلو و عقب بروید。 البته شاید دقیقا به همین خاطر که داستان به آن معنا وجود ندارد خواندن کتاب این اندازه برای من طول کشید。 یعنی خیلی جاها از کتاب شما می‌تواند کتاب را ببینید و کنار بگذارید و چند ساعت یا حتی چند روز بعد دوباره بیایید و بازش کنید و این وسط فشاری از طرف قصه برای ادامه دادن عملاً وجود ندارد。علاوه بر این، وقتی کتاب تمام می‌شود گذشته از حس و حال عمیقی که برجای می‌گذارد و انگار چیزی را حل نمی‌کند و آدم را نه که ناراضی ولی انگار سردرگم رها می‌کند。 که البته عجیب نیست که چیزی را حل نمی‌کند چون گره‌ای هم به کار نینداخته است。زبان آتوود منسجم و باشخصیت است و ترجمه هم خوب و در شأن زبان‌ش。 اگر سوال این باشد که آیا توصیه می‌کنم که بخوانیدش، حتما پاسخ‌م بله است。 。。。more

Amy Squires ，

Brilliant and evocative This book brought me to my knees more than once。 Ms Atwood’s writing puts you right there with these girls and with this woman - right in the moment - just spectacular。

Stephanie Jane ，

I've loved Atwood's books since reading this after it was recommended to me by my a-level English Lit teacher I've loved Atwood's books since reading this after it was recommended to me by my a-level English Lit teacher 。。。more

Laura ，

4。5/5 Published by Atwood in 1988 but writing started for this in the mid 1960's。 It follows Elaine， an artist in her 50's living in Vancouver， reflecting on her early life， in particular， a formative experience of bullying on identity。 Elaine is currently in Toronto for a retrospective art exhibition and is concurrently reflecting on her previous life within the locality。 Cordelia， the instigator of the early bullying， and her tautly woven relationship with Elaine weaves throughout the novel。 W 4。5/5 Published by Atwood in 1988 but writing started for this in the mid 1960's。 It follows Elaine， an artist in her 50's living in Vancouver， reflecting on her early life， in particular， a formative experience of bullying on identity。 Elaine is currently in Toronto for a retrospective art exhibition and is concurrently reflecting on her previous life within the locality。 Cordelia， the instigator of the early bullying， and her tautly woven relationship with Elaine weaves throughout the novel。 We also follow Elaine into adolescence， college and early adulthood。 I don't think I've ever read a novel in which the bullying between young school girls was so deftly depicted。 Themes of control， competition and power and the subtlety in which girls can bully felt very true。 The book is told entirely from Elaine's point of view although occasionally we have her imagining scenarios with other characters such as her brother and Cordelia。 As a narrator she is not always reliable， but not to deceive， more through the fallibility of memory over time whereby one chooses to remember some things and forgets others。 I enjoyed her characterisation of her brother， Stephen， who is gifted intellectually and uninterested in much of the main stream of life。 I found aspects of the novel semi-autobiographical to Atwood's life such as; Elaine's father is entomologist （like Atwood） and as a result of his work she travels around Northern Canada for a number of years before attending school at a later age （like Atwood）。 Another piece on how Elaine becomes an artist and is associated with the feminism movement appeared to parallel Atwood's life。 There was also the wry humour of Elaine depicted in adulthood which mimicked Atwood's。 I have only read The Handmaid's Tale twice but recognised parallels between the two in imagery and themes such as; feminism， the bridge， religion， and abortion。 The pace to the novel is measured and there is plenty to meditate upon as you go。 It is not a compelling read but there is an intrigue。 The book is so rich in imagery and symbolism， I probably didn't absorb the half of it。 Atwood's observations on human dynamics were unnervingly astute at times。 There is much to be learnt from this book。 。。。more

Minh Strome ，

Most enjoyable book I’ve read in a while！

Magnus Jorgensen ，

I never really read novels set in Toronto， let alone in Toronto in the 1940s and the 1980s。 Atwood's descriptions of neighbourhoods and how they've changed， and of buildings on the UofT campus， since torn down and replaced with the buildings I frequented as a student more than half a century later， were so fun to read。 I think it's really great how on-the-nose the story is， with this retrospective novel about Toronto being framed by a plot device of an actual retrospective exhibit in Toronto。 Th I never really read novels set in Toronto， let alone in Toronto in the 1940s and the 1980s。 Atwood's descriptions of neighbourhoods and how they've changed， and of buildings on the UofT campus， since torn down and replaced with the buildings I frequented as a student more than half a century later， were so fun to read。 I think it's really great how on-the-nose the story is， with this retrospective novel about Toronto being framed by a plot device of an actual retrospective exhibit in Toronto。 This is the first novel I've read by Atwood， and I was blown away by the way she was able to reincorporate tiny details from earlier in the story but have you recognize their origin。 It's such an empathetic and in-depth character study of Elaine， and also a poignant exploration of how memory distorts and omits trauma。 Atwood started writing Cat's Eye in 1964， 5 years before the publication of her first novel 'The Edible Woman'， but it wasn't until 1988 that this one was released。 I think I can tell that over 20 years of experience went into this allegedly semi-autobiographical novel， as it follows Elaine from the childhood up to middle-age。 Maybe it's because I just finished it last night and I've been mulling it over non-stop since， but I think this has got to now be one of my favourites。 I recommend this book to anyone， but especially if you know Toronto well。 。。。more

Lori Staats ，

Margaret Atwood is an author I typically enjoy。 I thought this was a good story， but it seemed a bit rambling。

Dan Wilson ，

I see here that a lot of people adore this book。 I know that I found it tedious。 That's ok。 Not every book is for me。 I think the first person narrative is what really turned me off in this case。 There's a maudlin self-indulgence in the way our protagonist talks about her life that just made me tired。 This is sad， because I gather from reviews here that Atwood addresses some very common and painful truths about the way that girls treat each other that has really moved people。 I see here that a lot of people adore this book。 I know that I found it tedious。 That's ok。 Not every book is for me。 I think the first person narrative is what really turned me off in this case。 There's a maudlin self-indulgence in the way our protagonist talks about her life that just made me tired。 This is sad， because I gather from reviews here that Atwood addresses some very common and painful truths about the way that girls treat each other that has really moved people。 。。。more

Bradley White ，

The second book I’ve read by Margaret Atwood， Cat’s Eye was a refreshing experience。 I’ve read her classic — The Handmaid’s Tale — three times with “greedy ear” to quote Shakespeare。 Taking us away from dystopian worlds， Cat’s Eye is grounded very much in reality。 Instead of making a comment on the oppression of totalitarianism， Cat’s Eye’s themes and symbols are far more complex than the binaries of freedom and oppression。 Cat’s Eye deals with themes of religion vs science， maturity and of cour The second book I’ve read by Margaret Atwood， Cat’s Eye was a refreshing experience。 I’ve read her classic — The Handmaid’s Tale — three times with “greedy ear” to quote Shakespeare。 Taking us away from dystopian worlds， Cat’s Eye is grounded very much in reality。 Instead of making a comment on the oppression of totalitarianism， Cat’s Eye’s themes and symbols are far more complex than the binaries of freedom and oppression。 Cat’s Eye deals with themes of religion vs science， maturity and of course gender roles。 But gender roles take a step back in this novel。 While the dynamics of men in bars and genders in relationships are explored， Cat’s Eye is more of a prosaic exploration of what makes us who we are and how experiences in childhood can make us who we are in adulthood。 Atwood continues with to write with eloquence， her language beautiful with a fairytale twist， with phrases such as “jumping off the bridge， smashing down there like a pumpkin” taking a dark and brutal act and turning into the vicarious opinion of a child。 What Atwood seems to do so flawlessly in this book is perspective。 The main character’s perspective changes as she gets older and that’s evident in the language， changing from fairytale descriptions into darker details of depression and trauma， divorce and affairs。 No one could make childhood look as brutal as Atwood。 Her descriptions of teasing give the reader a sense of dread and pathos as the narrator is trapped in a terrible situation she cannot escape from。 Atwood does this so beautifully because， as readers out of the world of childhood， this is horrible and hard to read。 But to a child this is what life can be like and it reminds adults of the cruelty children can harness。 Cat’s Eye is very good。 While in some places it took a while to get into， Atwood doesn’t miss the chance to impress and show her ability as a writer， whether it’s writing about totalitarian states or about prosaic childhood lives。 。。。more

Linda ，

“What we share may be a lot like a traffic accident but we get one another。 We are survivors of each other。 We have been shark to one another， but also lifeboat。 That counts for something。”This was such a great read。 I thought the story of this book to be very intriguing， although painful that it moved me to tears， especially near the end。 It demonstrates the impacts of abusive childhood friendships which can last a lifetime and which were portrayed very realistically。 Even relatable at times。 T “What we share may be a lot like a traffic accident but we get one another。 We are survivors of each other。 We have been shark to one another， but also lifeboat。 That counts for something。”This was such a great read。 I thought the story of this book to be very intriguing， although painful that it moved me to tears， especially near the end。 It demonstrates the impacts of abusive childhood friendships which can last a lifetime and which were portrayed very realistically。 Even relatable at times。 The involvement of an abundance of personal art was also very much appreciated and embodied the heart of the story。 。。。more

Patti ，

This was my first Margaret Atwood novel。 I get it now。 This story about a woman's life from childhood on through adulthood if written by anyone else， i probably would have not finished。 But Ms。 Atwood is such a good writer that it became compelling。 A look into a life with a feminist eye。 This was my first Margaret Atwood novel。 I get it now。 This story about a woman's life from childhood on through adulthood if written by anyone else， i probably would have not finished。 But Ms。 Atwood is such a good writer that it became compelling。 A look into a life with a feminist eye。 。。。more

AlexS ，

Man， M。 Atwood can take you places。 Nostalgic places， places you thought well buried and forgotten down the memory lane。Through a well written narrative， she has been able to induce dreams of my childhood， reminiscences of what I believed would remain frozen moments in time 。。Personally， I would avoid classifying this novel as being about bullying and its repercussions or feminism and the feminine condition in art （as it has been so often fugitive presented）。 Of course， at the very surface， thes Man， M。 Atwood can take you places。 Nostalgic places， places you thought well buried and forgotten down the memory lane。Through a well written narrative， she has been able to induce dreams of my childhood， reminiscences of what I believed would remain frozen moments in time 。。Personally， I would avoid classifying this novel as being about bullying and its repercussions or feminism and the feminine condition in art （as it has been so often fugitive presented）。 Of course， at the very surface， these would seem to be the leading themes。 But it is really much more behind these cat's eyes。On a deeper level， "Cat's eyes" is a long meditation on time， composed of different perspectives:- the scientific perspective: you could almost feel S。Hawking's theorems related to the time-space binding and how could one time-travel in order to meet a lost dear one or do things differently。I think Elaine's （main character of the book） quote here emphasizes best this perspective:"When you're fainting， it's like taking a step sideways， out of the body， out of time into another time。 When you wake up， it has run late。 Time passes without you in it"- the personal perspective， where time is just an irreversible ageing and the desire of freezing it to a forever "present" of your choice:"The past is not bizarre as long as you're in it。 It becomes bizarre when you're starting to perceive it like a scenery and not as a form in which you're whole life has been stuffed。"- the diachronic perspective emphasizing the difference between ， a pre-WWII world and ， where everything seems to be "POST":"Nowadays everything is POST， like all of us are nothing but a footnote for something that happened，something meaningful enough to bear a name"。Elaine， the main character reconstructs her life story， from early nomad childhood， back when she used to travel with her family around rural Canada， avoiding time， then to school-time years， marked by her 3 so-called friends: Carol， Grace and Cordelia， which terrorize her， bullying her and basically introduce her to what society means， a big-fat jungle， to present days， where she is an accomplished painter， still trying to subtract herself from the time-flow through her paintings。To me， "Cat's eyes" （which were some sort of prize-balls that she used to collect as a child） are a metaphor for hiding away from the time's actions; a crystal ball where one can retreat in order to distantly observe the senseless charade that society is。 。。。more

leila salvador ，

read for skl; very important read that depicts the cruelty of toxic friendships and the way others can manipulate us into thinking that their faults are ours。 elaine's character arc was strong and established incredibly well。 read for skl; very important read that depicts the cruelty of toxic friendships and the way others can manipulate us into thinking that their faults are ours。 elaine's character arc was strong and established incredibly well。 。。。more

aorivelai ，

Where is the option for half stars？ goodness' sake。 3。5 stars。 This is one of those books that is brilliant， in so many aspects， but falling short in just one， which reduced the reading experience down to about three stars。 First I'll address is the style。 Endlessly descriptive， allegorical and rambling， it was something of a slodge to get through at times， especially in the beginning。 My attention span simply isn't equipped to handle paragraphs of nothing but description。 But I think it must've Where is the option for half stars？ goodness' sake。 3。5 stars。 This is one of those books that is brilliant， in so many aspects， but falling short in just one， which reduced the reading experience down to about three stars。 First I'll address is the style。 Endlessly descriptive， allegorical and rambling， it was something of a slodge to get through at times， especially in the beginning。 My attention span simply isn't equipped to handle paragraphs of nothing but description。 But I think it must've grown on me eventually。 It created vivid scenes， certainly， but it also really polished the worldbuilding， so that I could always feel I was there， alongside her。 Then is the first half of the book， which was her childhood。 This I loved， particularly because I'd never read much like it before。 The shifting of POV from younger to older made it all the more interesting。 But most of all， certainly， was how perfectly accurately Atwood captured the essence of female friendships; particularly as children。 How unaware we can be in our circumstances， sure， but also how curiously sadistic we can be， with our friends。 How， despite our closeness， despite the intimacy of our relationships， we can hate them; we can wish the worst on them， hope for their shortcomings， delight in their tragedies。 And this isn't something I've ever seen properly explored before， and yet， talking with those around me now， and certainly on intuition back then， it's prevalent。 And how that results in bullying and abuse， though impossible to identify when you're stuck in there yourself。 The constant shifting of power between Elaine and Cordelia was also something I savored。 It was a refusal to conform into the story molds of vengeance and karma and justice。 For that's far more akin to real life。 The second half was her descent into adulthood。 As someone in the final year of high school， this filled me with both mild terror and anticipation。 However， the thing that still stood out to me was the ambiguity of her position on aspects of life， such as men， and relations with them。 This I found to be far more realistic in real life。 And the need to transcend women to the level of men。 Especially in the context of art; it's funny， because I've been trying to read more classics， and when I first started the one thought that occupied most of my consciousness was that this was a woman writing; fortunately， this thought faded quickly， as the book grew into itself。 But also just in general， I think。 So in the end she joins feminist groups， in all their radicalization; but she can't bring herself to hate men。 For whose fault is all of this？ This constant ambiguity of power imbalances， gender， society， this inconclusiveness; I found to be so much more realistic， even effective。 Though， I wish they'd gotten someone to actually paint Elaine's paintings。 Despite their surrealism， they sometimes sound so。。。literal？ Especially with her final paintings that she describes in the end。 Just the people and places she's experienced， and the things associated。 It woud've surely been more impressive if they could have the actual paintings。 I'm sounding whiny and wildly impractical， but still。 So all this was perfect， a good 4。5 stars。 There's just one thing; the second half barely， barely connects to the first half at all。 It connects and flows as a story， maybe， but not in terms of the theme。 It just didn't tie itself together for me。 Cordelia fades away。 She doesn't seem to have many other friends。 And in the end， it just felt like I'd read a nice story of someone's life， followed around someone real and palpable and realistic。 But not anything particularly meaningful。 Still worth a read though。Edit: just zoomed in on the goodreads cover and realized it's our lady of perpetual help。 I always thought it was a floating cat of sorts。 Well， that seems like a more fitting cover than mine， which is just two girl sitting together。 。。。more

Kendra ，

I like Margaret Atwood’s writing style， this book felt very 90’s to me。 Idk why， just the cynical 30 somethings thoughts always come off as 90s to me 。 I’m pretty 90s myself

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Cat's Eye

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Cat's Eye&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Cat's Eye&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0