Cat's Eye - Margaret Atwood

I picked this book up in a charity shop recently, as I'd heard good things about Margaret Atwood and the blurb on the back sounded interesting. This is the first novel I've read by her and won't be the last. It was short listed for the Booker Prize back in 1988. ++PLOT++ Elaine Risley is a prominent artist who returns to Toronto for an exhibition of her work. She spent most of her childhood in Toronto, and while alone in the city is forced to confront memories of her past, particularly those of Cordelia who was both a friend and bully to her and who has haunted her for the last forty years. The story then jolts backwards and ...  Read the complete review

As some of you might already know, Margaret Atwood is one of my favourite authors so it will come as no surprise that I am reviewing another of her books! Despite "Cats Eye" being published back in 1988 and being shortlisted for the Booker Prize; it isn't a book I had read! My boyfriend picked it up for me in a book store and presented me with it - silly really as he knows I'm an Atwood fan so though it was very thoughtful and of course I was pleased and grateful, he had no idea if I had read it or not before, good for him (and me!) that I hadn't! So off I went on my holiday to get myself lost in another of her delights by the ...  Read the complete review

I am studying a book by Margaret Atwood at school (The Handmaids Tale) so I though I would see what any of her other books are like. I found this book in the school library and thought I would give it a go. I then took it on holiday and read three quarters in under a week. The book was written in 1989 and was short-listed for the booker prize. It is divided into 15 main sections and then into minor chapters through the book. With 421 pages it is not a short novel, however that means you have more gripping story before the book ends. So what is the book about? Well Elaine Risley is a painter; she has had a successful career and ends up going to Toronto ...  Read the complete review

"Cat's Eye" by Margaret Attwood follows the life of artists Elaine Risely, and the influcences from childhood that continue to haunt her. Writen in first person, from Elaine's perspective, this is a strange tale that will often leaving you wondering if you are getting at the whole truth. Sinister thnigs are implied, but never quite shown, and there is a lot for you to ponder over as you read the book. Elaine's early life comprises of travelling about with her family - her father collects insects for a living. When her father takes a permenant post, the family settle down and Elaine is sent to the local school. Initially, she is ...  Read the complete review

This novel is an in-depth account of Elaine Risley's life, focussing mainly on her childhood, and exploring the effects her past has on the rest of her life . The main themes presented are memories and perception of time, something that becomes more and more abstract as the book progresses. How memories can evolve from destructive to healing forces lies at the forefront of the narrative. A painter from Toronto, Elaine returns to her home town and memories of her childhood filter into her adult life and gradually seem to take over. In particular, the power one of her childhood 'friends', Cordelia currently still holds over her, even though they ...  Read the complete review