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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I first read this probably 40 years ago and didn't remember anything. Pleasant read, but then I'm a total sucker for man/animal telepathic bonds.
Interesting world, interesting characters, enjoyable plot... Something in the pacing or actual storytelling kept me from really connecting with this story, though. 3.5 stars
I hate to say I have a new Norton favorite, because Year of the Unicorn will always be my first love, but this one has definitely hit my top five best Nortons and is one of my favorite books already. There's a reason Norton is my go-to author and she never disappoints. Catseye had me spellbound from page one until I'd devoured every last word.
Like Iron Cage, this one also deals with themes of captivity and inter species understanding, and just like Iron Cage, I couldn't get enough of Catseye.
The animals in the spacer-run pet shop where Troy finally finds employment are not what they seem, through his innate abilities and his deeply seated compassion, he alone is able to see them as more than a pet, a tool or a servant. Unfortunately the rest of the galaxy isn't ready to deal with animal equals, and Troy finds himself quickly in more trouble than he ever bargained for.
This is an oldie, but if you can find it, all I can say is read it, read it read it.
Like Iron Cage, this one also deals with themes of captivity and inter species understanding, and just like Iron Cage, I couldn't get enough of Catseye.
The animals in the spacer-run pet shop where Troy finally finds employment are not what they seem, through his innate abilities and his deeply seated compassion, he alone is able to see them as more than a pet, a tool or a servant. Unfortunately the rest of the galaxy isn't ready to deal with animal equals, and Troy finds himself quickly in more trouble than he ever bargained for.
This is an oldie, but if you can find it, all I can say is read it, read it read it.
This book was quite delightful, though there is one triggering use of "yellow" to describe a villainous character. I mean ... I assumed the first two times that he was an alien and not a human color, then they reveal that while most people are from a mix of terran races, Zul was a pure-blood Earth tribesman ... eeeeew, Norton, I expected better from you.
He's kinda written like Peter Lorre too.
Fortunately the majority of the novel deals with psychic cats in outer space (plus two foxes and a marsupial). The main character is a day laborer, Troy, and you really feel the constraints of his social position and poverty. He befriends the psychic animals and treats them as equals, asking their opinions rather than ordering them about. I really liked that about him.
In the town that Troy lives the default honorifics are Gentle Fem and Gentle Homo - which made me build up an alternate reading in my mind where everyone in the town is gay and genderqueer. I'm not sure what the terminology was like when this was published in 1961, buuuut our hero DOES give off some very powerful simp vibes when he meets Manly Hunter Man Reren, and there is more than one touching each other's face and they go from gruff mutual respect to enemies to saving each other .. yeah. This is clearly a romance.
The ending is maybe a little open, this is the first book in a series and Norton clearly knew that, but over all, my favorite recent read of an older pulp novel.
He's kinda written like Peter Lorre too.
Fortunately the majority of the novel deals with psychic cats in outer space (plus two foxes and a marsupial). The main character is a day laborer, Troy, and you really feel the constraints of his social position and poverty. He befriends the psychic animals and treats them as equals, asking their opinions rather than ordering them about. I really liked that about him.
In the town that Troy lives the default honorifics are Gentle Fem and Gentle Homo - which made me build up an alternate reading in my mind where everyone in the town is gay and genderqueer. I'm not sure what the terminology was like when this was published in 1961, buuuut our hero DOES give off some very powerful simp vibes when he meets Manly Hunter Man Reren, and there is more than one touching each other's face and they go from gruff mutual respect to enemies to saving each other .. yeah. This is clearly a romance.
The ending is maybe a little open, this is the first book in a series and Norton clearly knew that, but over all, my favorite recent read of an older pulp novel.
I appreciated this, but I just don't think that it has aged particularly well. It was definitely an entertaining, old-school boy adventure sci-fi novel, though.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
A classic sci-fi novel that stands up well to the test of time. It has a satisfying ending despite being the first in a series so it can be read stand-alone.
Andre Norton wrote numerous variations of this story. A lone human who is an outsider and/or outcast who has a psychic connection to animals. It’s an okay little adventure whose message is a basic one of “every creature deserves to live free.” It’s competent but unexciting. It sure would be cool to have a psychic kinkajou though.