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A review by kikiandarrowsfishshelf
Fe-Lines: French Cat Poems Through the Ages by Norman R. Shapiro
4.0
Disclaimer: Arc via Netgalley
This little collection is of French poems about cats. Shapiro translates the poems, and then provides the originals in the back of the book, making this volume idea either for those who read both English and French, or for a class for either language.
The poems themselves cover a range of writers and periods. Marie de France is here as is La Fontaine. There are also more modern authors, including the famous Colette. The poem types range from fables to legends, to song version to the cat being symbolic of someone else. Some of the poems are either prose-poems or translated into prose.
One of the funniest poems is “The Child and the Cat” by Henri Richer. There is a the rather interesting “The Cat and his African Relatives” by Francois Jauffret. There is some love poetry that isn’t as sick as saying cat love poetry sounds. There is pretty of humor.
It is a charming little collection of poetry about cats, but really about cats and not Disney ones.
T.S. Eliot would approve.
This little collection is of French poems about cats. Shapiro translates the poems, and then provides the originals in the back of the book, making this volume idea either for those who read both English and French, or for a class for either language.
The poems themselves cover a range of writers and periods. Marie de France is here as is La Fontaine. There are also more modern authors, including the famous Colette. The poem types range from fables to legends, to song version to the cat being symbolic of someone else. Some of the poems are either prose-poems or translated into prose.
One of the funniest poems is “The Child and the Cat” by Henri Richer. There is a the rather interesting “The Cat and his African Relatives” by Francois Jauffret. There is some love poetry that isn’t as sick as saying cat love poetry sounds. There is pretty of humor.
It is a charming little collection of poetry about cats, but really about cats and not Disney ones.
T.S. Eliot would approve.