Cat Tales: Classic Stories from Favorite Writers

by Cleveland Amory (Introduction), Robin Upward

A cat lover's anthology presents a host of favorite feline tales, including Lewis Carroll's ""The Cheshire Cat,"" ""The Long Cat"" by Colette, ""Puss in Boots"" by Charles Perrault, and Anton Chekov's ""Who Is to Blame?""--all accompanied by full-color photographs.

Genres: Cats, Animals, Fiction, Classics, Anthologies, Humor, Short Stories

90 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1989

About the author

Cleveland Amory was an American author, journalist, television critic, and prominent animal rights activist. He gained early recognition with The Proper Bostonians (1947), a witty examination of Boston’s elite, and continued to satirize high society with The Last Resorts and Who Killed Society? Over a long career, he contributed to major publications, including The Saturday Evening Post, TV Guide, and Parade, and was a commentator on NBC’s Today show until his outspoken views on animal rights led to his dismissal.
A passionate advocate for animal welfare, Amory founded the Fund for Animals in 1967 and played a key role in several high-profile animal rescues, including the relocation of burros from the Grand Canyon. He also established the Black Beauty Ranch, a sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals. His best-selling Cat trilogy, beginning with The Cat Who Came for Christmas (1987), chronicled his life with a stray cat named Polar Bear and further cemented his legacy as a defender of animals. Recognized as a pioneer of the modern animal rights movement, he influenced legislation and public awareness while enlisting celebrities in his campaigns.

Reviews

[Barbara K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book before, many years ago when I received it as a gift. It was published in 1989. I found it while cleaning out a bookshelf and deciding what to keep and what to donate. This is only my second reading of the entire thing, though I have browsed through it at least once or twice since then. It's a collection of classic short stories and excerpts of longer stories, all of them involving cats. The artwork is a collection of contemporary photographs by Robin Upward, beautifully composed and lighted, of gorgeous cats, and those steal most of the attraction of this book, for me. I enjoy some of the stories, others not so much. There's an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland about the Cheshire Cat, which I enjoy a lot, as I did Charles Perrault's classic fairy story, "Puss in Boots." Two stories, "The Long-Cat" by Colette and "Little White King" by Marguerite Steen, stand out in my memory as favorites. Some of the others, not so much, though they are in a sense time capsules of short fiction and the treatment of cats in fiction by well-known authors, such as Chekhov and Twain, both of whose stories I found a bit disturbing as a cat lover, as I also did the "Tobermory" story by Saki. People can be such bastards to animals, and they were worse back then. There is even a disturbing indirect hint in the Colette story that reminded me of past practices of drowning unwanted kittens. So I'm not sure to recommend this for cat lovers, though cat lovers are likely the only ones who would be interested in it. If you pick it up, do so at your own risk, and for the love of the photos. I will be keeping this, not donating it, mainly for a few of the stories and my love of all the photos. It's a nice, compact example of what we used to call "coffee table" books.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat Tales is a collection of classic stories that feature cats. Some were familiar to me, such as the excerpt on the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Others were new to me, such as The King of the Cats. Each speaks from a new point of view, sympathizing with the cats of course, and shares with the readers a variety of "day in the life of a cat" stories. There are no weak links here, as you may be able to tell by the impressive list of authors that wrote these tales.

Stories included in this volume are:
1. The King of the Cats by Stephen Vincent Benet
2. The Cheshire Cat by Lewis Carroll
3. Who Is to Blame? by Anton Chekhov
4. The Long-Cat by Colette
5. A Persian Tale by Rose Fyleman
6. Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault
7. Tobermory by Saki
8. Little White King by Marguerite Steen
9. Dick Backer's Cat by Mark Twain
10. The Paradise of Cats by Emile Zola

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

All but one of these short stories about cats were really interesting. I didn't enjoy the one by Mark Twain because it was in a country dialect that was really hard to read. The photographs of cats by Robin Upward were very pretty. This is the list of stories it includes:

The King of the cats / Stephen Vincent Benet
The Cheshire cat / Lewis Carroll
Who is to Blame? / Anton Chekhov
The Long-cat / Colette
A Persian Tale / Rose Fyleman
Puss in Boots / Charles Perrault
Tobermory / Saki
Little White King / Marguerite Steen
Dick Baker's Cat / Mark Twain
The Paradise of Cats / Emile Zola.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology of stories about the felines who tread softly in our lives are witty, wry, amusing and mysterious—much like cats themselves. Told in myth, classical tales and short memoirs about cats and their people, this short book touches on all the various emotions that cats rouse in us, whether it’s tender love when looking into their eyes or immense frustration at their ornery, cussed ways. It’s a good literary offering for the cat lovers or cat haters among us all.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting reading cat stories from such varied authors. All well-known, the authors tell the tales with a definite adult twist. The book was a gift picked up for me from a used book store.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not judging the writing. I just didn’t like this collection. Too full of attitudes & behaviors towards animals that we now would consider abuse: kicking, poisoning, drowning, whipping, beating… These are not stories that will leave you feeling warm & fuzzy.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some I had known from before; some new ones. I hated the last one: The Paradise of Cats.

Took months to read, could not hold my interest.

[Ralph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. The photos are the best part of this book.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of classic cat stories from literature. It includes "Puss in Boots" by Charles Perrault, "Tobermory" by Saki, and "The Cheshire Cat" by Lewis Carroll. Great for those who like classical literature and world folktales, and/or cats!