Product Description

Cat's Eye is the story of Elaine Risley, a controversial painter who returns to Toronto, the city of her youth, for a retrospective of her art. Engulfed by vivid images of the past, she reminisces about a trio of girls who initiated her into the fierce politics of childhood and its secret world of friendship, longing, and betrayal. Elaine must come to terms with her own identity as a daughter, a lover, an artist, and a woman--but above all she must seek release from her haunting memories. Disturbing, hilarious, and compassionate, Cat's Eye is a breathtaking novel of a woman grappling with the tangled knot of her life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27130 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-20
• Released on: 1998-01-20
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Atwood writes in an autobiographical vein about a middle-aged Canadian painter who is thrust into an extended reconsideration of her past, including one particularly strange friendship, while attending a retrospective of her work in Toronto. PW praised Atwood's incisiveness, saying that she "takes the measure of a coercive, conformist society."
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-- When Elaine Risley returns to her hometown, Toronto, for a retrospective show of her paintings, she finds more than critical acclaim. Local streets, long-gone landmarks, and elements in the paintings themselves trigger memories of her transient childhood traveling across Canada with her entomologist father; of adolescence marred by the cruel teasing of three friends; and of love affairs with her first art teacher and mentor, and with Jon, her first husband. In addition, Elaine is haunted by thoughts of her chief tormentor/best friend, Cordelia, whom she last saw years ago in a mental institution. Atwood's focus on the inner landscape of Elaine's youth and early adult years will appeal to older teenagers.
- Alice Conlon, University of Houston
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
When artist Elaine Risley returns to her native Toronto for a retrospective of her work, she is nearly overcome by the pungent memories of childhood. These memories are not so pleasant, for as Atwood observes with deadly accuracy: "Little girls are cute and small only to adults. To one another they are not cute. They are life-sized." Having spent her early childhood on the road with her entomologist father--and only her brother as playmate--she is initially stymied by these life-sized terrors; she is more at ease with boys than with the calculated cruelties of girls. Indeed, many readers will identify painfully with Atwood's deft descriptions of the betrayals, exclusions, and power plays of Elaine's friends. The consequences for Elaine--suddenly evident even in her art--must now be annulled through vivid recall. Childhood's particular anguish has been told before, but Atwood is exceptional in her steady, dry-eyed revelation of the truth.
- Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Haunting
Cat's Eye / 0-385-49102-6

Cat's Eye is supposed to be Atwood's most autobiographical novel, and it certainly shows. The book is a long one - well over 400 pages - but it flies by quickly. Atwood lingers over lavish descriptions of childhood loneliness and the cruelties which are inflicted by one's peers. This book will not resonate with everyone, but for adults plagued by an childhood in happy circumstances (a loving home with gentle parents) but which nevertheless was made unhappy by one's peers, this book will strike a deep chord.

Elaine is constantly berated by her childhood companions. She frequently feels unhappy and yet is unaware of her unhappiness - these are, after all, her "friends" who are tormenting her. She develops a minor body dismorphic disorder (though this is never explicitly described as such) and chews her fingers (not her nails, as nails don't hurt), peels off the skin from her feet, and develops a small appetite and an inability to keep her food down. Her mother recognizes that her child is unhappy, but feels powerless to confront the problem. Elaine eventually stands up to her friends, but the damage is done and the criticism has been internalized, destined to remain with her into adulthood.

Elaine remains conflicted over the years with regards to her rights, her worth, and her defects. She allows a teacher to take advantage of her, because she isn't sure she didn't send out the wrong signals to seduce him. She is conflicted over her first husbands affairs - did she drive him to it by being too temperamental over his share of the rent and housework? Is he compensating for his disappointment that she turned out to be better as an artist than he? She approaches feminism warily - has she suffered 'enough' to warrant inclusion in their ranks? She feels guilty that the paintings that describe her personal anguish are seen as feminist icons, when she meant no such thing.

This is a wonderful treatise on the nature of guilt and childhood anguish, and no answers are offered. I saw myself reflected in this book, and found some solace to know that I'm not the only one who doubts myself.

Kids can be so cruel...
People always say that children are so innocent, and yet most of us have memories of being tormented by other kids at some point during our childhoods. Sometimes we were even guilty of being the young tormenters ourselves. "Cat's Eye" explores the complexities of female friendships and the effects these relationships have on people's lives.

The novel is narrated from the perspective of Elaine Risley, a middle-aged Canadian painter who returns to her hometown of Toronto for a retrospective of her work. From the very beginning of the novel, it is obvious that Elaine has a slight obsession with her childhood friend, Cordelia, whom she hasn't spoken to in years but expects to encounter at the retrospective. The book soon flashes back to Elaine's youth and describes the experience of moving to Toronto with her parents and brother. Young Elaine eventually befriends a group of three other girls, Cordelia among them. There are times when all four girls get along very well, but at other times Cordelia can be incredibly cruel, especially where Elaine is concerned. These childhood relationships have a profound impact on Elaine's life, particularly the interactions she has with Cordelia, which continue into young adulthood. Elaine eventually realizes how her friendships have affected her whole life and helped shape the woman she has become.

I enjoyed "Cat's Eye" very much. Margaret Atwood's portrayal of girlhood friendships is incredibly accurate and painfully honest. It's true that all relationships, even those that ended long ago, have a major affect on people for the rest of their lives, and this book does a great job of illustrating that fact. Personally, I think the book drags a bit in places, and it's not my favorite Atwood novel of all time. However, "Cat's Eye" is very dynamic, powerful, and emotional. It's definitely worth reading.

Not my cup of tea
This is a well written book, a page-turner; I like the details of Elaine's past and am interested in what viewpoints formed her as a person. However, I also think it is quite depressing. I read it a couple of times, years ago. When I saw a positive review on it I read it again, and each reading makes it more depressing. Her outlook is bleak, and I really don't see anything positive or uplifting about it.