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yleavy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Blood, and Abortion
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, War, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, and Misogyny
teh_niarr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, War, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent and Alcohol
lay_kone's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, War, Miscarriage, Bullying, Child death, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Violence
annatan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Bullying
Moderate: Self harm and Suicide attempt
Minor: Misogyny and Death of parent
amberlen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I admit, I was skeptical at first, because the last novel I read of hers was The Robber Bride, and I did not like it. However, in Cat's Eye I found a lot to identify with. At times, the feminist issues seemed quite dated but that is to be expected in a novel set in post-war Toronto. Elaine's standpoint on feminism also sometimes annoyed me but I don't think she's necessarily supposed to be likeable.
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent and Suicide attempt
caleighlynne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My favorite character was Stephen. He is very different from my own brother but something about the way Margaret wrote him felt so real and his story was so interesting to me. But the hero of this book was Elaine. Most of the time it was hard to know what she has doing, because although sometimes she described her surroundings or actions. We were mostly shown everything in this world through her thoughts.
This book is perfect for a woman to read. She made me relieve so many things about my childhood I never considered and the impressions they left on me.
The beginning was slow and I almost dnfed it but I kept coming back to her. It was like the whole time I wanted to put it down but I couldn’t. If you read this I really recommend taking your time and reading the words carefully because this is not a quick and easy read in any way.
Cats Eye is so impactful to me. I loved the themes on memory, trauma, relationships, and hometowns. I loved the hometown aspect of this, how the locations of her childhoods greatest and worst events cause her to remember even the things she tried so hard to forget. Cordelia was such an annoying character but she was so real. The bullying and little quartet of girls was just so real. The representation was so real. Everything was perfect.
Another thing was Elaine’s father. This was super minor but meant a lot to me. I found is so interesting that even forty years ago when this book was published Atwood was already warning us about our treatment of the planet and the creatures on it. I loved how because this book was set in the early-ish 1900s we saw a piece of the past that doesn’t get shown a lot. I love reading about characters from a time without cell phones to fill their spare moments, or even social media to compare themselves to. They only had one another and that was hard but made everyone quite different if that makes sense.
If anyone reads this sorry this review is splotchy. If you are a woman, or perhaps a man, this book will leave you feeling raw and exposed.
Graphic: Suicide, Bullying, and Abortion
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Self harm
tea_t's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Abortion, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Violence