Cat Stories (Everyman's Library Pocket Classics Series)

Light reading

These books were gifts from my husband, and I am thrilled to have them. I love cats, so there is no doubt I'll love these stories.

TL;DR: This collection contains a story by Edgar Allen Poe. That should be warning enough*As a crazy old cat lady (now officially of an age and station to qualify as such), I feel compelled to provide this brief overview of Cat Stories. This collection of nineteen stories edited by Diana Secker Tesdell is arranged into three whimsical sections: People and Their Cats, Cats and Their People, and Fanciful Felines. But don’t let this rather lighthearted arrangement of cleverly titled stories fool you; it is, like most books about animals, Not Cheerful. I’m not interested in writing thorough analytical reviews of books these days, but I do want to point out the fates of the cat characters of each story for those who are determining whether or not to add this volume to their own cat shelves. As for myself, I will be handing on this rather sad collection as, while I have a great capacity for appreciating fictional tragedy (sometimes), I can almost never appreciate it when it’s tragedy about animals.Part of my dislike, I will fairly admit, is due to bias. I picked out this collection thinking it would be good bed-time reading. Since it is patently not good bed-time reading (with the exception of Angela Carter’s bawdy and humorous retelling of puss-in-boots), and one story of which could be accurately described as nightmare-inducing (“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allen Poe), this book entirely failed to meet my simple criteria of 'cat stories I will read to forget my woes of the day as I enjoy the purity of feline antics and their misunderstood bonds with their human caretakers.'“The Islands” by Alice Adams – The cat dies (old age/inoperable cancer at 19, humanely euthanized).“I See You, Bianca” by Maeve Brennan – The cat probably dies (allowed to roam freely, one day never comes back).“Lillian” by Damon Runyon – The cat is habitually fed alcohol by her owner until she’s addicted/a drunk.“An Old Woman and Her Cat” by Doris Lessing – The cat dies (unfairly euthanized when his elderly homeless owner dies of neglect/abandonment).“Tobermory” by Saki – The cat dies in a cat fight after his owners have decided to kill him anyway.“Cats Will Be Cats” by P. G. Wodehouse – The cat drinks alcohol by accident and becomes a rowdy brawler, but he lives.“The Cat That Walked by Himself” by Rudyard Kipling – The cat lives, but the story is kind of obnoxious.“The Cat” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman – The cat lives, though his human does abandon him for the winter for the cat to fend for himself in bad weather.“Broomsticks” by Walter de la Mare – The cat is abandoned (or he chooses to desert the domesticated life; either way you want to put it, the human character makes a decision to give up on the cat, which comes to abandonment).“Ming’s Biggest Prey” by Patricia Highsmith – The cat lives, though it’s far from a heart-warming tale, and the antagonist does make a couple of unsuccessful attempts on the cat’s life.“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allen Poe – The cat is abused, mutilated, and then hanged by the sadistic main character. Avoid at all costs. I cried. Honestly why someone (Diana Secker Tesdell) thought it was a good idea to include an Edgar Allen Poe story in an anthology aimed at cat lovers is beyond me.“The Price” by Neil Gaiman – The cat lives but gets beaten up “the Devil” every night, presumably until the cat’s death.“Space-Time for Springers” by Fritz Leiber – Starts out promising and one of the more well-written stories in the collection, but the end is bleak for the cat although he technically lives.“The Garden of Stubborn Cats” by Italo Calvino – The cats live and are overall successful in their mission of life and survival.“Ancient Sorceries” by Algernon Blackwood – This is the longest story in the collection (possibly long enough to qualify as a novella), and also features no cat characters whatsoever. Only witches who purportedly can transform themselves into cats, although whether they can or not is inconsequential to the story.“The King of the Cats” by Stephen Vincent Benét – The presumed cats (most likely) live, although technically there aren’t any cat characters in true cat form. (This is based on a folk-tale of the same name.)“Schrödinger’s Cat” by Ursula K. Le Guin – The cat may or may not die. If the title didn’t make it obvious.“Puss-in-Boots” by Angela Carter – The cat lives and actually turns out quite happy. He isn’t abused and there aren’t any cat fights.“Cat ‘n’ Mouse” by Steven Millhauser – This is a play-by-play of a Tom & Jerry cartoon. The cat gets “erased” with a rag in the end.*In other words, very few of these stories are actually fun or inspiring or clever reads that succeed in entertaining a cat-person. The choice to include a Poe story makes me wonder if the editor even read any of the works she collected.In terms of cat story compilations, I have had better luck with the stories in Catfantastic, a series of anthologies edited by Andre Norton (nom de plume of Alice Sheldon).

Adorable twisted tales of cats to cheer you, give you food for thought, to make you wonder why cats are not born humans!

Wife is reading the story about the cats. Enjoyable.

A gift for a cat lover who has expressed absolute delight reading this book. Grateful for the availability and excellent service. Thanks again!

In a society that has gone to the dogs when it comes to cats-- calendars, Hallmark cards, more cards, bumper stickers, books, clothing (you name it)-- surely we do not need another book on this animal that many of us seem to be obsessed with. CAT STORIES from the Everyman's Pocket Classics series and edited by Diana Secker Tesdell is not your usual sentimental book on cats as people, etc. , etc., etc., however. These 19 stories are by world class authors including a Nobel Prize recipient and one writer studied by every American literature class in every high school in the United States. The stories are divided into "People and Their Cats," "Cats and Their People" and "Fanciful Felines." The writers include Alice Adams, Maeve Brennan, Damon Runyon, Doris Lessing, Saki, P. G. Wodehouse, Rudyard Kipling, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Walter de La Mare, Patricia Highsmith, Edgar Allan Poe, Neil Gaiman, Fritz Leiber, Italo Calvino, Algaernon Blackwood, Stephen Vincent Benet, Ursulal K. Le Guin, Angela Carter and Steven Millhauser. You can read a cat story by your favorite writers or, better still, read them all, since there is not a dog in the bunch.While some stories are about owners and their affection for their cats-- I would put the first six stories ("People and their Cats") in that category, Ms. Tesdell, to her everlasting credit, includes the magical, the surreal, the horrific, the humorous, the mysterious side of cats as well. There is much more than lap sitters included here.P. G. Wodehouse has a delicious description of a lawyer that is spot on. In his story "Cats Will Be Cats" when his uncle wants him to pose as a lawyer, the character Lancelot knows immediately how he must act: "'Lawyers cough dryly. . . And then I suppose one would put the tips of the fingers together a good deal and talk about Rex v. Biggs Ltd and torts and malfeasances and so forth.'" Patricia Highsmith's story "Ming's Biggest Prey" is precisely what you would expect from the creator of the Tom Ripley character. While the cat Ming is much loved and adored by his mistress Elaine, danger lurks for Ming in the person of Elaine's friend Teddie. Doris Lessing's "An Old Woman and Her Cat" is heartbreaking in its realistic rendering of the homeless. Hetty refuses to go into a home, "an institution in which the old were treated like naughty and dim-witted children until they had the good fortune to die" because she cannot take her cat Tibby with her. Algernon Blackwood's "Ancient Sorceries," long enough to be almost a novella, is a mesmerizing tale of a young man's encounter with witchcraft and the necessary accompanying feline characters. Fritz Lieber, an author I did not know previously, writes ("Space-Time for Springers") of Gummitch, a cat with an I.Q. of 160 who has an interesting commentary on the difference and similarities-- from a cat's perspective-- of mirrors and windows. A fascinating gem of a story. And Stephen Vincent Benet introduces us to Monsieur Tibault, a famous conductor with a not very well hidden secret as relates to cats.When reading most of the stories in this great addition to cat fiction has become just a pleasant memory for me, the two that I will not forget are Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" and "Puss-in-Boots" by Angela Carter. Poe's story is proof once again that he is a great writer of the horror and crime story and a perfect example of why students, even non-English majors, like him. And Ms. Carter's cat is a tomcat in every sense of the word, helping his master arrange trysts and assisting him in each of his many sexual forays. Ms. Carter brings the writing of the risqué story to a level that only good writers can: "Figaro Here; Figaro there. . . This little Figaro can slip into my lady's chamber smart as you like at any time whatsoever that he takes the fancy for. . . a cat of the world, cosmopolitan, sophisticated ."Highly recommended.

Great little book, some great stories.

I am sure I would love this book if I had it. The package turned out only to contain the Cat Poems, not the Cat Stories. I can find no place on your website to report this. So I am trying this. I would like to receive the Cat Stories, for which you have billed me. Thank you.

Lovely book, v good condition , got 1 for myself and 1 for a friend

Excellent product, price and service

An excellent anthology. Some of best known feline stories have been included in this anthology. But I have strong reservation for the inclusion of Poe's The Black Cat, even though it is my favourite one,in this anthology where the editor has included stories that have a feel -good attitude towards this little creature who always loves walking by himself ,by his own way. Poe's story is too gruesome to be included in an anthology where we are celebrating human relationship with cats.It would better be included in an anthology where horror takes center stage.I am highly elated to go through the stories of Kipling and Walter de La Mare (frankly speaking, except his The Listeners I don't have too much exposure to the writings of Walter de La Mare). Above all it's an unforgettable journey for me to have the most celebrated short stories on cats in a single volume ,presented in hardcover in little format by Everyman . The book was handed to me in good health.Thanks , Amazon for this smart service.