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As Melhores Histórias de Gatos
De há muito que a paixão pelos gatos se manifesta na grande literatura. Para prová-lo bastava a presente antologia: vinte e duas histórias deliciosas de autores tão importantes como, entre outros, Patricia Highsmith, Doris Lessing, Emile Zola, Mark Twain, Theophile Gautier, P. G. Wodehouse, Rudyard Kipling.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 26, 2020
This was a present from a family member since firstly, I love reading most kind of stories and lastly, these stories featured cats in and I'm a huge cat lover! Over twenty short stories for your reading pleasure. This is quite a dated collection so going into it, I wasn't sure if I could easily grasp the writing styles of authors such as James Herriot and Pg Wodehouse. In the end, most of it I enjoyed. Other stories, however, were boring and didn't do much for me personally. Overall: Mixed enjoyment.
July 5, 2020
There were a few good stories. Some of them were a bit boring, even worse, some of them were problematic (racist, colonialist, etc). I received as a gift and I’m glad I can now clear it from my shelf.
February 21, 2017
Dei ventitré racconti di cui è composto il libro solo cinque o sei sono degni di nota, gli altri sono abbastanza noiosi.
June 17, 2024
***Definitely not appropriate for young readers dues to questionable sexual themes***
This was a book that had been passed onto me with the prior owner of the book not having had a chance to read nor review it. As such besides the fact that it was cat stories, I had no idea what I was going to be in store although I was most definitely hoping that it wouldn't be repeated cat literature that is almost a dime a dozen.
Best Cat Stories does have a lot more cat stories that I hadn't read before while only about two or three were at least common works such as The Cheshire Cat, Pangur Ban and Puss In Boots. The rest of the stories were a collection of stories that could be considered a mixture of fictional stories, memoirs or tales based on actual events with creative licensing.
Unfortunately there were very few of these stories that were rather entertaining for many were told in a dullish tone. The one that provided an excerpt from Wonderland took the reader from the meeting of the Cheshire Cat at the Duchess' before clearly jumping to the croquet game thus skipping anything between. And one other story has this weird time skip in its telling, which was rather confusing to me as a reader.
What really concerned me the most about the book, though, was the fact that so many of the stories seemed so focused on the sexual life of cats, especially the females, while basically regaling the reader on how much they liked to be tumbled by the scrawniest, baddest tom around. Colette even made mention that her own cat was raped and abused by the toms, which leads to her rather cold behavior towards other cats and her warm response to her mistress. And yet the tableau at the end of the tale in which her cat seduces a trio of toms would probably suggest otherwise on the rape although I guess anything is possibly.
But probably the most horrendous story was The Coat while I cannot even imagine what entered the mind of the compiler or her editor in allowing this story to be included. The fact that the guy basically sexually assaults his wife and then gets angry enough to kill her cat later on who intervenes is bad enough. But then the fact in the same scene he basically tells her wife she is to submit to him in the bedroom whenever he wants it and smiling then forcefully rapes her enough to know that it was wrong he was so rough while continuing to do so throughout the telling of the story until ghost cat possession happens, which leads him to murdering her without being indicted for the crime since she was eccentric so poor thing sooner or later it was bound to happen. The whole story was grotesque, very uncomfortable and basically condemned this book for me on the spot while I am so glad my niece didn't get a hold of the book.
The rest of the book does have some sketch drawings but whether they were meant to represent the cats of the stories I couldn't figure out nor at this point care too to even really want to know. Along with each story having the same "chapter illustration" at the start it does add a bit of a break but not enough to make it artsy.
All in all this is one book that I am glad is leaving my house and I almost feel sad that someone else may be tricked into picking up in the hopes of finding good cat literature to enjoy.
This was a book that had been passed onto me with the prior owner of the book not having had a chance to read nor review it. As such besides the fact that it was cat stories, I had no idea what I was going to be in store although I was most definitely hoping that it wouldn't be repeated cat literature that is almost a dime a dozen.
Best Cat Stories does have a lot more cat stories that I hadn't read before while only about two or three were at least common works such as The Cheshire Cat, Pangur Ban and Puss In Boots. The rest of the stories were a collection of stories that could be considered a mixture of fictional stories, memoirs or tales based on actual events with creative licensing.
Unfortunately there were very few of these stories that were rather entertaining for many were told in a dullish tone. The one that provided an excerpt from Wonderland took the reader from the meeting of the Cheshire Cat at the Duchess' before clearly jumping to the croquet game thus skipping anything between. And one other story has this weird time skip in its telling, which was rather confusing to me as a reader.
What really concerned me the most about the book, though, was the fact that so many of the stories seemed so focused on the sexual life of cats, especially the females, while basically regaling the reader on how much they liked to be tumbled by the scrawniest, baddest tom around. Colette even made mention that her own cat was raped and abused by the toms, which leads to her rather cold behavior towards other cats and her warm response to her mistress. And yet the tableau at the end of the tale in which her cat seduces a trio of toms would probably suggest otherwise on the rape although I guess anything is possibly.
But probably the most horrendous story was The Coat while I cannot even imagine what entered the mind of the compiler or her editor in allowing this story to be included. The fact that the guy basically sexually assaults his wife and then gets angry enough to kill her cat later on who intervenes is bad enough. But then the fact in the same scene he basically tells her wife she is to submit to him in the bedroom whenever he wants it and smiling then forcefully rapes her enough to know that it was wrong he was so rough while continuing to do so throughout the telling of the story until ghost cat possession happens, which leads him to murdering her without being indicted for the crime since she was eccentric so poor thing sooner or later it was bound to happen. The whole story was grotesque, very uncomfortable and basically condemned this book for me on the spot while I am so glad my niece didn't get a hold of the book.
The rest of the book does have some sketch drawings but whether they were meant to represent the cats of the stories I couldn't figure out nor at this point care too to even really want to know. Along with each story having the same "chapter illustration" at the start it does add a bit of a break but not enough to make it artsy.
All in all this is one book that I am glad is leaving my house and I almost feel sad that someone else may be tricked into picking up in the hopes of finding good cat literature to enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2018
A beautifully illustrated and lovely book of short stories about cats, with stories from such well known authors as PG Wodehouse, Rudyard Kipling, Doris Lessing and James Herriot. The tales are all very well written and enjoyable, as well as being highly varied. The only thing they have in common is that they are all about cats. Highly recommended.
March 7, 2020
Läste aldrig klart den här boken, den måste vara skriven av någon som aldrig haft katt eller starkt ogillar katter. 3 av 5 första storysarna var bara bedrövliga. Skrivet ur perspektiven att katten var skurk och elak eller totalkorkad. Alltså inte alls relaterbart för någon som har en bra relation med en katt.
November 6, 2022
A great selection of short stories with a cat or cats as the star of the show!
The thing that really stood out for me though was how many included an un-neutered cat having random litters of kittens! Probably a sign of the times that nowadays the thought of leaving your pet un-neutered feels like the height of neglect.
Some lovely simple illustrations too.
The thing that really stood out for me though was how many included an un-neutered cat having random litters of kittens! Probably a sign of the times that nowadays the thought of leaving your pet un-neutered feels like the height of neglect.
Some lovely simple illustrations too.
April 20, 2019
Some definite animal abuse here to the modern way of thinking (nothing too bad) but definitely a bit dated in parts. some good stories, some I have already read- it seems that Siamese cats are mental.
November 1, 2025
I’d give this book a 4.5/5. I enjoyed a lot of the stories in this book. However, I do not typically read fiction so some of the sections took me a longer to get through. But it will happily stay in my collection!
September 17, 2017
Sono una gattomaniaca, come poteva non piacermi?
March 8, 2018
Only about 3 stories in this book were any good, A rather boring book.
January 29, 2019
What a wonderful collection of short stories by a variety of authors, and perspectives, featuring felines. In addition some truly splendid artwork capturing the very essence of cat.
January 29, 2019
2.5
bingo square: short story collection
Favorites:
Rufus the Survivor by Doris Lessing
Solomon and Sheba by Doreen Tovey
My Boss the Cat by Paul Gallico
bingo square: short story collection
Favorites:
Rufus the Survivor by Doris Lessing
Solomon and Sheba by Doreen Tovey
My Boss the Cat by Paul Gallico
February 24, 2020
This had some good stories, but it was definitely dated. I would have like to seen more modern stories, and less from the 1800s. Quite a few stories had Siamese cats with very interesting personalities. I wonder where that came from.
May 16, 2020
I found some of the stories more interesting than others.
August 9, 2020
Lo definirei simpatico più che altro, la maggior parte delle storie non sono particolarmente memorabili ma si lascia leggere facilmente.
December 31, 2021
Vejam a minha opinião em vídeo, AQUI.
June 17, 2024
This book is complete trash, totally not kid appropriate at all
December 31, 2025
Histórias muito pobres, sem graça e na sua maioria relatam maus tratos cometidos aos gatos como se fosse um comportamento aceitável.
October 22, 2012
This book has come with me on a number of long trips. I recall reading it for the first time in a closet, which is easily explained because we were in a hotel and I was sharing a room with my sister, who was still asleep. There was a light in the closet, and since the rest of the family was watching a movie in the other room, seemed the only option. I have since read the book in a car, on a picnic table, in a hospital room and in an attic, among other places. The book has traveled almost as much as I have, actually probably more since many friends and family members have borrowed it to pass the time on trips of their own.
The stories are rather varied, so just because you don't like one is no reason to drop the book entirely. Just skip to the next one if you don't like the previous one. The number of times I have read it only counts the times I've gone cover to cover (minus a certain chapter, which I will elaborate on in a moment). I have enjoyed this book from when I was actually quite young on into adulthood. It's nostalgia value probably has something to do with the rating I gave it.
Now, while I love this book, and recommend it to anyone who loves cats, there is one thing I must mention. The chapter titled "The Coat" I found to be horrible, unbearable to read more than once. I shan't give away any spoilers, but suffice to say that it has very little to do with a cat and far more to do with a rather unpleasant human being.
The stories are rather varied, so just because you don't like one is no reason to drop the book entirely. Just skip to the next one if you don't like the previous one. The number of times I have read it only counts the times I've gone cover to cover (minus a certain chapter, which I will elaborate on in a moment). I have enjoyed this book from when I was actually quite young on into adulthood. It's nostalgia value probably has something to do with the rating I gave it.
Now, while I love this book, and recommend it to anyone who loves cats, there is one thing I must mention. The chapter titled "The Coat" I found to be horrible, unbearable to read more than once. I shan't give away any spoilers, but suffice to say that it has very little to do with a cat and far more to do with a rather unpleasant human being.
December 15, 2015
Lembro-me de ler isto como se fosse ontem; era mesmo pequena quando peguei nisto, e, como é obvio, adorava gatos. Lembro-me de que fiquei boquiaberta com este livro, adorei apaixonadamente ler sobre os gatinhos e já aí sabia que era um livro com mais "carne" so que eu conseguia entender. Reli recentemente e gostei muito; claro está que algumas histórias são melhores que outras... Mas tem piada como algumas histórias têm tanto que eu em miúda não percebi, fiquei mesmo muito chocada, se bem que no bom sentido. Enfim, o livro marcou-me, que posso eu dizer? A minha história perferida no meio de tantas, mesmo agora, mantêm-se a ser "Lily".
May 31, 2016
R. Kipling - o conto favorito
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews