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Mark Twain,  aka Samuel Clemens, turned his signature wit to a number of subjects–boyhood, the legend of King Arthur and even cats. “If man could be crossed with the cat,” he once wrote, “it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.”

This is an absolute delight for us ailurophiles (cat lovers). It considers cats from ancient times until now, human relationships with them and how attitudes towards felines has changed throughout the centuries. The extensively researched book is deceptively relatively small, thin and light, consisting of an introduction, ten chapters and an afterward, notes, further reading and an index.

The book looks at the attitudes towards and how felines have been portrayed since ancient times in various literary genres from primordial myths and legends through to Aesop’s Fables, ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome until now.

The book by Judith Robinson and Scott Pack examines how cats inspire literary creation and includes mentions of modern novels, classical literature and children’s books. The domestication of cats is considered, various superstitions regarding cats ( is a black cat lucky or unlucky ?) and religious connotations are mentioned (eg how cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt, ‘witches’ and their ‘familiars’ and cats in Buddhism and Islam).

The Cheshire Cat, Macavity, Pangur Ban ,Tom Kitten, Puss in Boots and Geoffrey are all mentioned among others,  not forgetting Bob the Street Cat. Poetical cats are also listed – eg in Christina Rosetti,  Apollinaire and Jean Cocteau. And of course there is TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, both the original poems and the stage show feature. There is also the elusive Schrodinger’s Cat.

Cats and their human entourage around the world are also investigated – from Finland, France, Germany, Eastern Europe and Japan. Talking cats and astrocats (yes cats in space – which leads to a discussion of cats in science fiction) are also examined as are a brief mention of nautical cats, ’steampunk’ cats and felines at work (eg on a train station or in a library).

There is also a section on cats and their author human companions – eg Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, Muriel Spark and Patricia Highsmith.

A most captivating book.

ISBN: 9781851245734
ISBN-10: 1851245731
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 208
Published: 1st October 2022
Publisher: Bodleian Library Publishing
Country of Publication: GB
Dimensions (cm): 19.8 x 12.9  x 2.54
Weight (kg): 0.44

Featured image : James and Bob the street cat