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A review by chamomiledaydreams
Jane on Her Own by Ursula K. Le Guin
4.0
I really like Jane; out of all the catwings, she's the one who stands out to me the most, in terms of personality as well as appearance. Seeing the tabbies' fur illustrated is impressive, but seeing the dark void of Jane's fur with her bright eyes in the middle always makes for a fun contrast.
Ideologically, this installment can get a little tricky. I like the theme of freedom and treating your cats with respect instead of infantilization. But I also understand the perils of letting cats wander around willy-nilly, especially in places where they can get killed (by cars) and decimate local animal populations. Having a barn cat meant to reduce the number of rats is one thing; letting a house cat slaughter birds for sport is quite another.
At any rate, I understand where Le Guin was going with this moral. Jane is adventurous and needs to stretch her (literal) wings, so for the sake of her narrative, it makes sense that she should always have a window open to come and go as she pleases. I also like how she finds a home away from the other catwings, but still makes time to visit her family and friends. It really shows how you can follow your heart and travel far, yet remain close to the people you love.
This is a lovely series, and although the second installment still holds the title of my favorite, "Jane on Her Own" isn't too shabby.
Ideologically, this installment can get a little tricky. I like the theme of freedom and treating your cats with respect instead of infantilization. But I also understand the perils of letting cats wander around willy-nilly, especially in places where they can get killed (by cars) and decimate local animal populations. Having a barn cat meant to reduce the number of rats is one thing; letting a house cat slaughter birds for sport is quite another.
At any rate, I understand where Le Guin was going with this moral. Jane is adventurous and needs to stretch her (literal) wings, so for the sake of her narrative, it makes sense that she should always have a window open to come and go as she pleases. I also like how she finds a home away from the other catwings, but still makes time to visit her family and friends. It really shows how you can follow your heart and travel far, yet remain close to the people you love.
This is a lovely series, and although the second installment still holds the title of my favorite, "Jane on Her Own" isn't too shabby.