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A review by jsingh
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Margaret Atwood could make reading a phone book interesting. She is meant to be a writer, no doubt. This was quite a well-written book with interesting characters. Cordelia is a hoot lmao. I'm stealing the name "Haggus McBaggus" btw. (forgive me if I spelled that wrong; I listened to the audiobook).
I wasn't entirely sure what all the symbolism meant and the plot left something to be desired - but it was interesting. Certainly not my favorite Atwood book but I'm not sorry I read it. Her writing is so funny and intelligent.
Here are my favorite quotes I think. No spoilers here. If you can figure out the plot from these, I'd be amazed lol.
"Too much beta-carotene turns you orange. Too much calcium gives you kidney stones. Health kills." (1:30:03).
"Now there's a huge building in its place - what they call a shopping complex, as if shopping were a psychic disease." (4:15:20).
"Little girls are cute and small only to adults. To one other, they are not cute - they are life-sized." (4:34:07).
"Carol tries a crash once or twice but gets scoffed at. [Cordelia says] 'That wasn't a crash!'" (6:43:50).
"I think about Grace asking God to forgive her. But for what? God only forgives you if you're sorry, and she never gives a sign of being sorry. She never thinks she's done anything wrong." (7:02:00).
"I'm afraid of being Cordelia. Because, in some way, we changed places - and I've forgotten when." (8:47:00).
"My love for them [men] is visual. That is the part of them I would like to possess. Don't move, I think. Stay like that! Let me have that. What power they have over me is held through the eyes." (9:21:29).
"She's never learned the intricacies, the nuances of male silence." (9:31:10).
"I look at him with the nostalgic affection men are said to feel for their wars, their fellow veterans" (10:18:35).
"I like this word 'besotted' - suggestive as it is of sogginess, soppiness, flies drunk on syrup." (11:08:55).
"'I have no country,' says Joseph mournfully. He touches my cheek tenderly, gazing into my eyes. 'You are my country now.' I eat another tinned, inauthentic snail. It strikes me with no warning, but I am miserable." (11:43:30).
I wasn't entirely sure what all the symbolism meant and the plot left something to be desired - but it was interesting. Certainly not my favorite Atwood book but I'm not sorry I read it. Her writing is so funny and intelligent.
Here are my favorite quotes I think. No spoilers here. If you can figure out the plot from these, I'd be amazed lol.
"Too much beta-carotene turns you orange. Too much calcium gives you kidney stones. Health kills." (1:30:03).
"Now there's a huge building in its place - what they call a shopping complex, as if shopping were a psychic disease." (4:15:20).
"Little girls are cute and small only to adults. To one other, they are not cute - they are life-sized." (4:34:07).
"Carol tries a crash once or twice but gets scoffed at. [Cordelia says] 'That wasn't a crash!'" (6:43:50).
"I think about Grace asking God to forgive her. But for what? God only forgives you if you're sorry, and she never gives a sign of being sorry. She never thinks she's done anything wrong." (7:02:00).
"I'm afraid of being Cordelia. Because, in some way, we changed places - and I've forgotten when." (8:47:00).
"My love for them [men] is visual. That is the part of them I would like to possess. Don't move, I think. Stay like that! Let me have that. What power they have over me is held through the eyes." (9:21:29).
"She's never learned the intricacies, the nuances of male silence." (9:31:10).
"I look at him with the nostalgic affection men are said to feel for their wars, their fellow veterans" (10:18:35).
"I like this word 'besotted' - suggestive as it is of sogginess, soppiness, flies drunk on syrup." (11:08:55).
"'I have no country,' says Joseph mournfully. He touches my cheek tenderly, gazing into my eyes. 'You are my country now.' I eat another tinned, inauthentic snail. It strikes me with no warning, but I am miserable." (11:43:30).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content