With characteristic wit, self–effacing charm and sheer, exuberant love of a good cat story, New York Times bestselling author Michael Korda and his wife Margaret Korda recount their lives as "cat people," beginning with Margaret's passion for cats (and Michael's reluctant mid–life transformation into a cat person), and introducing readers to a hilarious assortment of people whose life revolves––often to an extraordinary degree––around their cat, or cats, from Cleopatra a transatlantic traveler who found happiness in Paris to Wally, the epitome of feline dignity.
Here are people who just can't say no to another cat, who "world–travel" with their cat, who build their social life around their cats––and of course the cats themselves, for the Kordas celebrate the beguiling power of cats, including many of their own, who have complemented, complicated and changed their lives together over the years. Here are charming, often hilarious and sometimes sad portraits of such cats as Margaret's beloved Irving, whose favorite abode was the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, and Mumsie, who arrived unexpectedly at the door with her two kittens, and special cats like Jake and the gentle Chutney, as well as "difficult" cats like Chui and poor Mrs. Bumble, and Mr. McT., the bully who found love late in life. Here are graceful cats and cats like Kit–Kat that never look before they jump, in short, countless cats the reader will never forget, even those with many cats of their own.
While some of the stories are amusing little anecdotes, there's also a few really horrible ones, like when a mother and daughter go to town and the father hires someone to kill every single cat at their barn. Charming. It's reality, but if they were going for a lighthearted book here, they failed. Badly. I also disagree with the opening chapter, on how cats are barely tolerant of humanity and so on. I think anyone who's dealt with cats know that each one has their own personality, and that the "skittish" and "fearful" cats were almost always weren't handled enough by humans during that stage where they imprint easily.
Firstly, don’t pay any attention to the reviews below mine, as apparently the writers don’t actually GET cats, though one of them claims to like them. Apparently, whatever they were expecting, this book did not fulfill their needs, bur they are DEAD wrong in their reviews.
Now to continue with why this book IS so special and enjoyable which, apparently, these dolts missed completely.
Anyone who has ever lived with cats (after all, THEY own the place - YOU keep it up) and loved them will die laughing reading this book, tear up in passages or laugh AND cry at the same time as the Kordas detail their adventures with the cats in their lives. I found myself nodding in agreement over most of the pages as they describe their cats’ antics and personalities.
(Margaret Korda is just like me. Every cat she meets, she wants to bring home (and often does) while Michael, her husband, protests weakly, but only for appearance’s sake.)
Cat people will find it comfortingly familiar, while dog lovers, perhaps puzzled by the “other”, would do well to read this book and learn some secrets as to how cats tick.
In the end, the book confirms what all cat lovers already know: each one is different but all are special.
As for the other two reviewers, I suspect (correct that: I KNOW) that if you asked any self-respecting cat as to their opinions of what was written by these two idiots, they would sniff disdainfully and turn their backsides to both ladies. Cats know smart people when they see one – and when they don’t.
Hilarious? Not even a little bit. I have no idea why I took the precious time to read the whole thing, except it was relatively short. As much as I like cats, this was poorly written, with no definite voice, and would have turned me into a cat hater if I was inclined to give this book that much power. Letting cats on counters and tables at meal times? Yeah, I don't think so!
Supposedly amusing anecdotes from the up-scale life of self-important, well-to-do New Yorkers playing out in their country estate with the beasts and little people. Blech.
Perhaps this book describes some segment of cat people who also meet the criteria of being rich, snobby assholes who brag about the famous people they know (or were once married to); how much smarter they are than the common man (how quaint, to not recognize Hungarian and really think it a "cat language"!); or how much they spent furnishing their country home room by room (not to mention the indignity of having to haul furniture in a Chevy Blazer from Paramus, ugh!), but this does not describe "cat people" in general. It also gets SO MANY things wrong about cat behavior that it makes me wonder if they've ever actually lived with - and observed - a cat. They claim to, but wildly misread so much that it boggles one's mind. I'm sorry I spent money on this, even secondhand!
Written by the editor in chief of Simon & Schuster, “Cat People: A Hilariously Entertaining Look At The World Of Cat Lovers And Their Obsessive Devotion to Their Pets” is a charming book about the personalities of cats generally, and of cats in particular. Michael Korda and his wife Margaret share funny stories about their cats and their friend’s cats, and anyone who loves and/or owns a cat or cats will most definitely chuckle more than a few times during the introduction with a hearty “yes, that’s exactly how (insert name of cat here) is!” Yes, that’s exactly how most cats are, and how they have been since ancient Egypt. Korda writes a great first chapter going over the history of cats in the wild and their relationship with humans. He also writes about famous people and their cats, such as Winston Churchill and his cat Nelson.
Korda’s stories about cats that have been taken in from the wild are particularly interesting. Stories of how sometimes it is at first hard to gain their trust or to read into what they want and stories of how to introduce them into the home and to the family. Some will sit at the front porch waiting for someone to let them in, or some will come and go for weeks. Some will make a mess of your home. Some won’t. Some cats, once inside, will find a quiet room and just stay there until it’s time to eat, then go back. Korda and his wife live in a rural area – with a barn – and they rescue wild cats all the time, if they seem like that’s what the cat wants. But it is not always possible to keep a rescued cat. There was one cat they rescued who was gentle and nice and playful, but at the most unexpected instant, she would bite enough to cause significant physical harm. They had taken her to the vet several times, to no avail. When they put her down, it was an especially a sad moment because she was calm and friendly and not in her biting mode.
Korda suggests that what makes some people uncomfortable regarding cats is the fact that while they are soft and furry and can sit on your lap, they are still and always will be wild (as opposed to dogs, which have been fully domesticated). This is neither here nor there, just a fact. There are mean cats, nice cats, loving cats, coy cats, violent cats, social cats, shy cats, fancy cats, sick cats, sad cats, gentlest of gentle cats, and happy cats (in the book you’ll meet Irving, Queenie, Chutney, Mumsie, Mr. McT, Tootsie, Ruby 9/11, Kit Kat, and some more who display any combination of all these). And once a cat, as Korda says, is “installed” in your home, it becomes the cat’s home, and is no longer solely your own. There are no boundaries with cats. It’s their property too. And while this may be mildly disconcerting, there is much to learn from them and their attitudes – particularly, Korda notes, that cats are pets that truly are still free, to the point that it becomes their decision to stay with you, whenever they want, particularly if they are “allowed” outdoors.
“Cat People” is an endearing, light-hearted, and perfectly sized book (especially for travel). It should bring a smile to any cat person’s face and encourage them to adore the world’s feline friends all the more.
I was expecting this book to address the different sort of quirks exhibited by cat people in general or to spotlight famous or eccentric cat people. This was more of a discussion of the authors as cat people and their various cats. Now, as a cat lover, I am not going to object to reading about cats and their personalities. But there are enough different cats in here that you don't become truly attached to any of them, so it is not as compelling as some I have read that spend years following the most interesting adventures of one feline personality.
A nice read for an afternoon. A little drier, perhaps, than I was expecting, but nice.
I have no idea why this book has so many bad reviews...clearly it must be possible to "love cats" but not actually be a "cat person." I found it completely delightful and laughed out loud through the entire thing. Most of the cat observations I found to be spot on, especially since I haven't "owned" less than 3 cats myself for several years now. If you're a cat lover, ignore all the other stupid Goodreads people and read it. The writing style is, perhaps, a little odd, but I thought it added to the book's charm.
Overall, a cute, quick read; I really don't understand all the negative reviews. As someone who's had cats all her life and whose family is currently providing food and shelter for a lovable stray that comes and goes when he pleases, I found this book to be by turns touching, relatable, and amusing.
So, well, this was nothing but a random collection of loosely related stories with no real organization or structure. A quick read. I would recommend it for people who have an unexpected overnight layover at the airport and have nothing better to do.
A delightful book about one persons encounters with the many cats in his life. Illustrations are lovely too. Recommended for anyone who adores felines.
I love anything Michael Korda writes. Being a Cat Lady Extraordinaire myself, and being in a mood to read happier things, this book hit the spot this week!
Let me state at the outset that I love cats and have shared a large proportion of my life with them. My beloved albino Siamese, Saul, lived better than most people's children within my means, so yes, I "get" cats. Before someone who gave this book five stars makes it abundantly clear that they don't "get" me, I'll just say that this is my review, and my opinion. Thank you.
Both my aunt and my mother would have loved this book. For me, it was two and a half stars. Given the title, I had hoped for stories of other people's cats as well as the authors' own. Perhaps a better title would have been "The Cats in Our Lives" or "Our Cat Family" or some such. As other reviewers have pointed out, the narration is scrappy. Korda pretends to be the only author, but since he isn't (and most of the cat stories are about his wife's relationship with cats, anyway) he puts Margaret's narration in italics and quotes, instead of just writing a unified narrative about their relationships with cats as a family. Korda assigns himself the role of supposed neat-freak who tries unsuccessfully to keep his wife from bringing home yet another kitten. This is meant to be funny, but it's not "hilarious" by a long chalk, particularly since "neat-freak" Korda allows cats on the table at mealtimes, and goes to dinner parties where other people's cats are allowed to walk among the dishes and sample from the plates and glasses of the guests at will, something not even I would put up with.
I found myself becoming annoyed at how important he thought it was that we know how expensive their furniture is, that their interior decorator's name is Thom Beulow (repeatedly, including the fact that they lost him when he moved to Tuscany; any relation of Klaus von, I wonder?), and the fact that their armchairs and sofas are upholstered in velvet. We also need to know that their cats' ashes are enshrined in (and goodness knows I quote) "individual Petrossian bags." Plebes like me have to look that one up online; turns out that Petrossian is a caviar boutique in Paris, and pricey restaurant/boutiques elsewhere in the world. We need to know that Mr and Mrs Korda can afford to eat caviar; it is referenced several times in the text as one of their favourite breakfast foods, and once in mock-horror that their cats dislike it. "Too fishy? Too salty? Who knows." Because that of course tells the reader that they actually offer their cats this uber-expensive boutique-purchased caviar as a meal choice. Obviously they can afford it; lucky them. I guess.
I'm glad Margaret Korda helps the strays in the extensive grounds surrounding her polished hardwood floors, expensive knicknacks and cut-velvet furniture in their partially 18th century house find homes, even if they are just homes with the cleaning staff and people who help her with her trophy-winning horses (we also need to know she has an entire room in the house dedicated to her ribbons and trophies, we really do.) But I know of other famous folk who manage to do a great deal more active good for animals while maintaining a much lower profile about it all.
A pretty cute book, but not outstanding. The authors are stubborn rich people who do questionable things, though it is obvious they mean the best and truly love their cats (or Margaret does, anyway - Michael is just there).
The organization was a bit off, there would be a title of a section so I would expect one thing, but instead the authors would go off on a tangent about something else and not get back to the subject they initially introduced until much later.
My absolute favorite part was the bit about Mr McT and Ruby. I LOVED the picture of Ruby with her arms around Mr McT's neck.
Least favorite part was Mrs. Bumble. She sounded like a great cat, but they had her put down because she occasionally scratched them out of nowhere. Sorry but I have a huge problem with that. They try to defend their decision with some comment like "you didn't see the scratches on my arm at the E.R." but I do not feel it was justified. I don't know what steps they took, maybe they tried a whole lot of different things to help her, but they didn't mention those things and I think if they actually tried to help her they should mention that if they're going to mention having her killed. They even say she was an all around great cat with a great personality, but because she sometimes had fits, they put her down. I didn't find that fair at all. It really upset me. Especially because later they end up keeping a cat who scratches Michael (I think it was Kit Kat).
(Also, what is it with them and going to the E.R. all the time for scratches? The function of the E.R. must be different in their country.)
The other issue I had was their attitude about feeding the cats people food. They're kind of like "well SOME people say this is bad for them but we did it anyway and everything turned out fine." Luck doesn't mean it's fine, and for all they knew some of the health problems their cats had could have been due to some of the food they were giving them. At the very least, I'm pretty sure giving cats cream/dairy gives them diarrhea. Not exactly cruel, but I felt like the attitude was "well we are going to do whatever we want, potential health risks be damned." It was part of the whole "rich people" attitude they had. These people are definitely stubborn rich folks. That also dragged the rest of the book down; I can't relate to rich people, and I can't sympathize for them. Though don't get me wrong, I love that they use some of their wealth to bring in so many cats. I did feel they genuinely loved them.
So overall pretty cute, I just didn't like the authors attitudes sometimes and the organization of stories was a bit clunky. I do love reading about people who love cats, though!
A delightful book! The 'cat people' of the title are, for the most part, Michael Korda (a mid-life convert to cat-loving) and his wife Margaret (although we meet several others, more briefly). The book is an account of the Kordas' relationships with various housecats they have had on their rural New York farm -- and their interactions with the many wild cats in the vicinity. Each cat is depicted as a distinct individual, and their stories are laced with humor and insights into the parallels between cats and humans, as well as their differences. Recommended enthusiastically to all who might find it to be the very cat's meow!
this books was supposed to be hilariously entertaining. It was not funny. I am not sure why I even finished it. I think this could have been written better, it is not organized, the chapters are just random and the story does not flow smoothly. Margaret Korda wants to bring home (and often does) while Michael, her husband, protests. Then the whole chapter is devoted to what all cat lovers already know: each one is different but all are special.
I don't doubt that the authors like cats. And the book is well written in terms of telling the story. But, although they use words to convey sadness (and there are a lot of sad stories) and happiness, I never really got the impression that the authors were really emotionally attached to their cats. Perhaps they just express things the way I would. I didn't find the book enjoyable because I never felt that they enjoyed writing it.
There was one story in here - well, thankfully it was only a few sentences, but still - that set my teeth on edge, and the authors made some quite incorrect or outdated statements about cat behaviour and psychology. Aside from that, I did enjoy this book. Not ‘hilarious’ as described on the cover but it did have a bit of humour here and there. And I liked the little drawings scattered amongst the text.
It's National Cat Month and while wandering my local library, I spied a display of cat books and picked this one up. I found it a throughly enjoyable anthology of some of the Korda cats and how they became "Cat People" after moving to their rural farm. An entertaining afternoon read, especially if you love cats (I do) and a bit of an introduction for those who would like to understand cats and their people for those who don't.
I enjoyed it at first, even if I disagreed with some of their tidbits on cat personalities. It started off funny, but then, as it went on, it started getting quite repetitive, and I wasn’t finding the stories to have much of a point. They seemed disorganized and didn’t have much structure. Like a bunch of thoughts clumped together without flow. Okay book to read if you need to pass the time.
I absolutely loved the book. It actually reminded me when me and my now husband were staying at his grandpa’s house he had all kinds of cats around and he lived the country. He would even name most of them too!! So the book is very special to me. And anyone who doesn’t and didnt like then you really don’t like cats like you think you do.
A cute collection of stories about the various cats in a couple's life and the amount of variety in personality cats can have, as well as showcasing their independence. Cute, short read that will resonate with cat lovers.
It wasn't quite what I was expecting but it was still great. Definitely made me tear up a couple times. What a life the Kordas lived with all those cats. Reading about each death of a cat tore me up, I could feel their pain, Margaret's pain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Utter perfection. Everything in this book is true and so enjoyable for cat people to read. We love to read about cats and we love to read about other people with cats and their experiences. We get it all with this. They had good cat names, too, especially Chutney, the orange cat.