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The Complete Cats in the Sun
"The finest pictures ever taken of cats," says The Atlantic Monthly of Hans Silvester's photographs of Greek cats languorously stretched along whitewashed walls and sun-drenched pathways. The Complete Cats in the Sun is the essential Hans together in one book are all the free-spirited felines from the enormously popular Cats in the Sun, Asleep in the Sun, and The Mediterranean Cat. This is a beautiful one-volume collection of those memorable cats leaping from one fishing boat to the next, prowling across the rounded azure rooftops in search of the perfect place for a quick nap in the sun, or slinking through the cool shadows of a Mediterranean afternoon. The Complete Cats in the Sun is destined to become the classic gift book for lovers of felines, the sun, and the magic that is the Grecian Isles.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 26, 2015
Cat lovers, rejoice! Photographer Hans Silvester spent eight years among the half-wild cats of the Greek islands and over 400 of his glorious photos are reproduced here. The cats also reproduce--in large numbers.
Silvester clearly loves both the cats and their azure islands. But this magnificent book is not a documentary. "The images in this book evoke the idea of a rare happiness. It must be understood that I invented this dream island capturing these photos on twenty-two different islands....I eliminated from my scenes the cars, the tourists, and many other elements. I created this 'Cat Paradise', which exists nowhere else but in this book."
Needless to say in this Cat Paradise both the islands and the cats are exquisite. The play of sun and shadow on buildings and cats make fantastic, subtle and unexpected patterns; or fill the eye with pure color--punctuated of course, by a cat.
The cats become part of the architecture of the island, inserting themselves in beguiling fashion into nooks, arranging themselves decoratively on terraces and walls.
Not all of his photos are this sweet. We see the feral side to these creatures: cats playing with dead birds, chomping on the feathers; tom cats fighting over a female; cats scampering off with a precious fish.
But many of these photographs have a timeless, lyrical quality as sea and sky and the soft rounded walls of island buildings merge, and a lone cat explores....
In this magical cat paradise there are few humans and those who do appear seem to come from another time. Naturally, they are kind to the cats. And the cats themselves seem to appreciate this: "Wherever they are, they are capable of being happy--so long as they have someone who loves them."
Silvester clearly loves both the cats and their azure islands. But this magnificent book is not a documentary. "The images in this book evoke the idea of a rare happiness. It must be understood that I invented this dream island capturing these photos on twenty-two different islands....I eliminated from my scenes the cars, the tourists, and many other elements. I created this 'Cat Paradise', which exists nowhere else but in this book."
Needless to say in this Cat Paradise both the islands and the cats are exquisite. The play of sun and shadow on buildings and cats make fantastic, subtle and unexpected patterns; or fill the eye with pure color--punctuated of course, by a cat.
The cats become part of the architecture of the island, inserting themselves in beguiling fashion into nooks, arranging themselves decoratively on terraces and walls.
Not all of his photos are this sweet. We see the feral side to these creatures: cats playing with dead birds, chomping on the feathers; tom cats fighting over a female; cats scampering off with a precious fish.
But many of these photographs have a timeless, lyrical quality as sea and sky and the soft rounded walls of island buildings merge, and a lone cat explores....
In this magical cat paradise there are few humans and those who do appear seem to come from another time. Naturally, they are kind to the cats. And the cats themselves seem to appreciate this: "Wherever they are, they are capable of being happy--so long as they have someone who loves them."
February 13, 2017
Great photos of both cats and the Greek Isles, some up close in obscure little nooks, with a few truly stunning vistas. These are all stray cats, so be prepared for photos like a cat clutching a fish head, or a series of a cat tossing around a mouse. It's reasonably priced for such a big photo book (my copy says $29.95, but it's about 10 years old, I'd guess), but it's an awful lot of cat photos. Might want to seek out the individual books that are collected here -- Cats in the Sun, Asleep in the Sun, and The Mediterranean Cat. (I'd say they go in order: first book = best, last one the least interesting photos, though still pretty good.)
March 9, 2008
I think I am not a cat person, but I've rarely met a cat I don't like. This book is so cool to look at. Street cats in a very freindly environment It's fascinating and the colors are beautiful. I have my own photo I took in Lesvos Greece in a fishing village with 36-38 cats sitting by the docks as the evening boats are coming in. They patiently wait for the scraps to come their way.
March 25, 2022
A stunning collection of photographs taken over the course of 8 years in various islands of the Mediterranean Sea. The photos are truly beautiful and give a glimpse of the private lives of these felines in their natural habitat. You can really sense the photographer's bond with them throughout. Just lovely!
October 4, 2014
Cute cute cute! And Greece ain't a bad lookin' site for photographs either.
December 28, 2009
BEST cat photo book I've ever come across.... and I collect cat books...
July 23, 2015
Great book full of beautiful pictures, some of them are really funny too !
October 19, 2013
Loved it1 Beautiful photographs!
May 30, 2014
Love this! Took me back to small Greek villages and, of course, all those cats.
September 7, 2014
A gorgeous coffee table book.
July 27, 2017
Wonderful, albeit disturbing, photos of the cat population (and problem) in Greece.
December 23, 2023
400+ pages of cat photographs? How much more can you ask for!
The author's introduction was kind of sad and somber, talking about the realities of life as a street cat, the impact tourism has had on the culture and environment of the Greek islands, and how technology has changed our lives but a relationship with animals can help re-ground us. But also a clear love for cats!
I especially enjoyed the close-up portraits, the cats carrying fish in their mouths, action shots of nice jumps, and a few especially artistic ones where you get a feel for the island vibe that I could easily imagine framed on a wall. Oh, and a few series of a cat hunting a mouse, a cat in a semi-playful stand-off with a dog. The majority are just cats being cats, chilling, hanging out, and hunting in the streets of various Greek islands. The overwhelming amount of white/gray in the scenery was really striking though; thank god for those blue roofs.
My face hurt from smiling so much before I even got halfway through. God, I love cats!
The author's introduction was kind of sad and somber, talking about the realities of life as a street cat, the impact tourism has had on the culture and environment of the Greek islands, and how technology has changed our lives but a relationship with animals can help re-ground us. But also a clear love for cats!
"The book you hold in your hands is like a family album for me. In some way, I am like a father to all these cats. I knew them all. Many of them became real friends."
"The images in this book evoke the idea of a rare happiness. It must be understood that I invented this dream island, capturing these photos on twenty-two different islands. ... I eliminated from my scenes the cars, the tourists, and many other elements. I created this "Cat Paradise," which exists nowhere else but in this book."
I especially enjoyed the close-up portraits, the cats carrying fish in their mouths, action shots of nice jumps, and a few especially artistic ones where you get a feel for the island vibe that I could easily imagine framed on a wall. Oh, and a few series of a cat hunting a mouse, a cat in a semi-playful stand-off with a dog. The majority are just cats being cats, chilling, hanging out, and hunting in the streets of various Greek islands. The overwhelming amount of white/gray in the scenery was really striking though; thank god for those blue roofs.
My face hurt from smiling so much before I even got halfway through. God, I love cats!
December 30, 2018
Maybe I am just being too literal but many of the photos were not of cats in sun? That being said, these Greek cats look like they are living the life. I wasn’t impressed with the photos, but did find a few to be really cool ( a cat mid jump from one building to the next!) or a white cat with blue eyes mixed into the white and blue of Grecian architecture.. I feel like any subject would look cool against this backdrop though, and even as a cat lover I just wasn’t really wowed. This seems like a pretty cushy and simple project? 2.5
Or maybe I just miss my own wackadoodle kitties? I’ll ask them when I get home in a couple days if I’m being too harsh on this one ..
Or maybe I just miss my own wackadoodle kitties? I’ll ask them when I get home in a couple days if I’m being too harsh on this one ..
January 13, 2021
This is a book of gorgeous photographs will make you want to visit Greece and meet all the cats there!
November 1, 2021
✨🐾 BOOK REVIEW ✨🐾
purrfection
purrfection
July 29, 2023
3.5 stars. I had a few personal favorites based on texture, color, and composition. I wish the resolution were sharper. Good reference for cat poses.
July 29, 2011
Hans Silvester's photography captures the true essence of being a cat with a series of obviously unstaged observations of feline life in the Greek Isles. Beautuiful scenery forms the backdrop for this exploration of cat behavior.
January 24, 2008
My happy book.
October 13, 2009
Pictures of kitties in the sun! Playing! Eating! Fighting! Sleeping! This is a wonderful coffee table book filled with terrific pictures of cats in mediterranean settings.
January 30, 2011
Great coffee table book if you like cats.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews