A Cat

by Leonard Michaels, Sigrid Nunez (Introduction)

Overview

While the mystery of the cat can never ultimately be defined, Michaels comes as close as possible to revealing its essence.

A cat is content to be a cat. A cat is not owned by anybody. A cat imagines things about you, nothing you can know for sure. A cat reminds us that much in this world remains unknown.            

In his novels, stories, and essays, Leonard Michaels proved himself to be one of the most incisive observers of human behavior, but few know that he was every bit as perspicacious a chronicler of America’s favorite pet: the domestic cat. Elusive, elegant, and often humorous—much like his subject—Michaels gives us this unfathomable animal as we have never quite seen it before, and yet as we have always known it to be. Through a series of meditations, aphorisms, and anecdotes, along with original illustrations from Frances Lerner, A Cat is a both a compendium of feline behavior and a love letter to this marvelous creature.    

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781947793071
Publisher:	Tin House Books
Publication date:	11/13/2018
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Sigrid Nunez is the author of the novels The Friend, Salvation City, The Last of Her Kind, A Feather on the Breath of God, and For Rouenna, among others. She is also the author of Sempre Susan: A Memoir of Susan Sontag. She has been the recipient of several awards, including a Whiting Award, the Rome Prize in Literature, and a Berlin Prize Fellowship. Nunez lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

"My cat neatly settled herself on top of my copy of this book, indifferent to its many charms and keen observations. Typical."

Stephen Spark

De Laroche, a French journalist who has written several books on cats, explores the historical love-hate relationship between cats and humans. As he explains, the earliest known cat remains associated with human settlement date from 6700 B.C.E. in Jericho. The cat was very important to the early Egyptians, as evidenced in sacred texts, statuary, and the cult of Bastet. In medieval Europe, however, the feline was viewed as a disturbance to the established order of Christianity, and superstitions about cats as the cause of bad luck became widespread. The animals came back into favor through the side door of fairy tales; such stories as "Puss in Boots" (France) and "Dick Whittington" (England) changed people's attitude toward cats. The cat also began to appear in carvings in Roman Catholic sanctuaries. In Japan, the cat reigns in the form of "maneki neko," a statuette of a seated cat with one raised paw. Photographs of magnificent artwork featuring cats throughout the ages illustrate the straightforward text, but the true treat are the lovely photos of real cats. Michaels (The Men's Club, LJ 4/15/81) has produced a delightful celebration of the cat. His book, featuring about 100 koanlike meditations on the spiritual, physical, and metaphysical aspects of the cat, is illustrated with Frances Lerner's spare, delicate drawings. Some meditations, such as "A cat is not owned by anybody," are reflective. Others ("Dogs tend to look like their masters, but this is never true of a cat. A cat is a highly particular creature") are humorous. Cat lovers would enjoy both these titles. De Laroche's worka visual pleasureis reasonably priced but not an essential purchase. Michaels's unique collection would be appreciated in all libraries.Eva Lautemann, DeKalb Coll. Lib., Clarkston, Ga.

Library Journal