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Cat's Eye

By: Margaret Atwood
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
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Publisher's summary

A breathtaking novel of a woman grappling with the tangled knot of her lifefrom the bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments

Disturbing, humorous, and compassionate, 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 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 form her haunting memories.

©1989 Margaret Atwood (P)2011 Random House
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Editorial reviews

The modern battle against bullying is hard to miss: From anti-cyberbulling PSAs to state laws that target bullies, parents and administrators are more involved than ever in helping kids fight back. But in 1989 when Margaret Atwood published Cat's Eye, books that dived so deeply into the world of girl-on-girl bullying were few and far between. Narrator Kimberly Farr turns the story into a haunting tale of the lifelong consequences that can follow you from childhood - made all the more chilling from a modern point of view.

The story is told from the perspective of Elaine Risley, a Canadian painter who returns to her hometown for a show of her work. The activities surrounding the show frame her slowly returning memories of her childhood, and the three girls she used to pal around with. Now, we’d call these girls frenemies. Led by a girl named Cordelia, the trio teases, taunts, and hazes young Elaine even as she tries to stay on their good side. By high school, Elaine has broken away from the group, but the emotional affects of the friendships follow her through art school, adulthood, and into her romantic relationships.

Farr takes the character of Elaine from elementary school-age outcast to resigned adult, weaving in distinct voices for other characters - Elaine's adult friends, her lovers, her family - as Elaine tries to move past the memories of Cordelia. As a girl making a faux pas at another family's Sunday Dinner, as a teen who jokes with her brother while they're drying the dishes, as an art student sleeping with the teacher, and as a middle-aged painter reflecting on her life, Farr gives the story personality, charm, and the right mix of nostalgia and fuzzy memories. Elaine's straightforward, accepting description of the way her friends treated her will draw up your own memories of facing down the mean girls at your school - and remind you how far you've come. --Blythe Copeland

Critic reviews

1989, Booker Prize, Nominated

"Stunning...Atwood conceives Elaine with a poet's transforming fire; and delivers her to us that way, a flame inside an icicle." (Los Angeles Times)

"Nightmarish, evocative, heartbreaking." (The New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about Cat's Eye

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Childish narration

The narrator was fine except for her changing her voice quite unsuccessfully for different characters. It was eye rolling and really took away from the story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Glorious!

No matter who you are, whether your childhood was a glory or a nightmare, no matter what your age today, you may find you are changed when this story steals your heart.

This novel is loved by many, and we all have our preferences and memories around it, but I must say that I can't understand the criticism given to Kimberly Farr's reading. Ms. Farr is the very person to read Elaine. Her voice is both young and old, and she conveys emotion with its nuances, rather than with "acting". Her performance enhanced the story for me.

Jay Thomas

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Girls Are Mean- At All Ages

What made the experience of listening to Cat's Eye the most enjoyable?

I thought about my own childhood bullies, and where we are all in our lives now. Karma may not always be swift, but she is indeed a just lady.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Elaine's mother- she was adaptable and aware.

Which character – as performed by Kimberly Farr – was your favorite?

Elaine- she was flighty, scattered, and awkward....very much the way I perceive myself.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It rang true to me from many life experiences. There are so many people who will be unkind to us, judge us, belittle us, be cruel to us...and we must find our ways to cope and to survive.

Any additional comments?

I loved the descriptions of Elaine's art, though I wish she'd also depicted Grace, her true bully.

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8 people found this helpful

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normal story

I expect a little something odd from Margaret Attwood, but all is normal here. I thought the description of her childhood went on a bit much, but a good story.

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1 person found this helpful

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I beautiful, introspective story

I loved this book! Beautiful prose and wonderfully introspective look at this woman's life. I will definitely listen to this one again!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book for those with memories

One of the best studies of where melancholy aloofness is born. The eternal simmering of childhood injustices tempered by quiet self sufficiency is where the broad and weary weariness is born. Knowing all that you know, can you trust others, can you forgive them. Can you grow to cherish them. Can you tell them this?

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16 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Thinking Back

Vintage Margaret Atwood. I'm nearing this juncture in my own life, so the "thinkback" motif hit very close to home. Performance a little tight.

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5 people found this helpful

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Less Dramatic

Like all of her other books it has a great storyline however it is much less... eventful.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Sad Story

This was a sad story for me and it didn't resolve in the end. For me it was very unsatisfying.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great book, but....

One of my favorite all time fictional works. I read this first in a college lit class and I've read it once a year ever since. The story is hauntingly beautiful and has resonated with me at every age (I am now 44). Elaine's journey of self-exploration and her ability to finally understand and shed her childhood is both heartfelt and compelling. When I found it in audio, I was irrationally excited! Unfortunately, my favorite audio rendition has been discontinued. Kim Farr's version does not do the book justice. The best audio version is by Barbara Caruso and can only be found on Learn-Out-Loud. I'd pay Audible any price to own the Barbara Caruso version. Do yourself a favorite and read it the first time and then explore the audio options.

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3 people found this helpful