Cat's Eye

Elaine prefers to be called a painter rather than an artist and is in Toronto for a retrospective of her work. This novel is a retrospective of her life, which was happy until her family moved there while she and her brother Stephen were children. Her parents are a bit nebulous and beyond eccentric. Her father is an entomologist who settles his family in Toronto when he takes a college teaching job. After a nomadic life in motels and campgrounds prior to that point, Elaine is not equipped for girl stuff and pays a very high price for acceptance by her so-called friends, led by the enigmatic Cordelia. (Mean Girls would be an appropriate title for this book.) We know from the beginning that Elaine will make it to adulthood, but it's touch and go for a while, and I kept wondering what pivotal event was going to turn the tide for her. There certainly is one, and although she struggles out of more than one destructive relationship, she never comes across as really triumphant or even very confident, despite her success. This is due largely to unfinished business with Cordelia, and Atwood seems to make the point that sometimes resolution has to come from the peace we make with ourselves.

People always say that children are so innocent, and yet most of us have memories of being tormented by other kids at some point during our childhoods. Sometimes we were even guilty of being the young tormenters ourselves. "Cat's Eye" explores the complexities of female friendships and the effects these relationships have on people's lives.

The novel is narrated from the perspective of Elaine Risley, a middle-aged Canadian painter who returns to her hometown of Toronto for a retrospective of her work. From the very beginning of the novel, it is obvious that Elaine has a slight obsession with her childhood friend, Cordelia, whom she hasn't spoken to in years but expects to encounter at the retrospective. The book soon flashes back to Elaine's youth and describes the experience of moving to Toronto with her parents and brother. Young Elaine eventually befriends a group of three other girls, Cordelia among them. There are times when all four girls get along very well, but at other times Cordelia can be incredibly cruel, especially where Elaine is concerned. These childhood relationships have a profound impact on Elaine's life, particularly the interactions she has with Cordelia, which continue into young adulthood. Elaine eventually realizes how her friendships have affected her whole life and helped shape the woman she has become.

I enjoyed "Cat's Eye" very much. Margaret Atwood's portrayal of girlhood friendships is incredibly accurate and painfully honest. It's true that all relationships, even those that ended long ago, have a major affect on people for the rest of their lives, and this book does a great job of illustrating that fact. Personally, I think the book drags a bit in places, and it's not my favorite Atwood novel of all time. However, "Cat's Eye" is very dynamic, powerful, and emotional. It's definitely worth reading.

Cat's Eye / 0-385-49102-6

I've read that "Cat's Eye" is supposed to be Atwood's most autobiographical novel, and it certainly shows. The book is a long one - well over 400 pages - but it flies by quickly. Atwood lingers over lavish descriptions of childhood loneliness and the cruelties which are so often inflicted by children; for readers whose childhood was characterized by a loving home but with unbearable peers, this book will strike a deep chord.

As a child, Elaine is constantly berated by her companions. She frequently feels unhappy and yet is unaware of her unhappiness, unable to process the fact that her "friends" are not friendly to her at all. She develops body dismorphic disorder: chewing her fingers, peeling off the skin from her feet, and developing a small appetite and an inability to keep her food down. Her mother recognizes that her child is unhappy, but feels powerless to confront the underlying problem, and once the damage is done and internalized, Elaine's problems seem destined to remain with her into adulthood.

Internalized feelings of self-hate and depression are difficult to exorcise, and even as an adult, Elaine remains conflicted over the years with regards to her rights, her worth, and her defects. Her relationships with men are strained and difficult; her timid approach to feminism is stymied from her fear that she hasn't "suffered enough" to be included in the ranks. Even her own paintings - hailed as incredible feminist icons - plague her with guilt and doubt.

"Cat's Eye" is a wonderful treatise on the nature of guilt and childhood anguish, and how the scars obtained in childhood can stay with a person forever. No answers are offered, just a mirror to reflect the reader's own doubts back at them.

~ Ana Mardoll

Cat's Eye is a descriptive piece about a middle-aged artist recalling her girlhood friendships. Elaine is refreshingly not a pink, fluffy, girly girl (ie the Paris Hilton type). In fact, she discusses in the book how much better she relates to men then women. It is not a suprise, therefore, that she faced challenges in female friendships. As Atwood described the torment Elaine went through during these "friendships", and the results of it, I could not help but wonder if this was an autobiographical account. Her descriptions of Elaine's self mutilation at age nine were impeccable and turned my stomach, and I felt the same emotions the main character was feeling. But, this is what a good book is supposed to do.

The nine year old Elaine is in a position in which no one can help her in. Her mother, brother, father, and teachers cannot help her. The torment the trio of girls inflict upon Elaine is a silent, sneaky one, the type that only young girls can master. They always look like little girls just playing, when in reality the wounds being inflicted are just as significant as a broken bone. The inability of adults to intervene is profoundly realistic. The isolation Elaine feels as a result is what forces her to fend for herself, and eventually surpass her tormenter in strength. After which, they become "friends" again, and Cordelia gets whats coming to her (although this was very heartbreaking). This tormenter-turned friend and her memory haunt Elaine throughout her adulthood.

What Elaine wants more than anything is closure, at this late date. How many of us have unresolved relationships with former friends? Probably most of us. When it becomes obvious that this closure will remain unfulfilled, Elaine's realization of this reality is very well conveyed. I, as the reader, was just as disappointed as Elaine that Cordelia had lost her "tendency to exist". The subtle but very real tragedy of lost chances to repair relationships comes to the forefront when we realize that our friend is gone for good, and will remain ever after a memory. Will Elaine be able to move on? Like many of us, it appears that Elaine will always carry Cordelia with her as an integral part of her being.

This book takes patience, and is not an easy read. However, it is rich in content, description, and imagery. Atwood has a gift, and I can only thank her for sharing it with us.

Like many readers, my first experience with Margaret Atwood was The Handmaid's Tale, and she has been one of my favorite authors ever since. Perhaps one of her greatest strengths is her ability to handle different styles with equal skill and grace, from the apocalyptic visions of Oryx & Crake to the layered intricacies of The Blind Assassin. The word "haunting" is often applied to her writing, and rightly so; Atwood's tales resonate with deeply real and intimate characters, and Cat's Eye is no exception. In Cat's Eye, Elaine Risley, a middle-aged painter who grew up in post-WWII Toronto, has returned to her childhood city for a retrospective gallery showing of her work. Like many of Atwood's novels, Cat's Eye shifts between the past and the present, alternating between the modern reflections of the aging artist and her childhood memories.

Like The Robber Bride, Atwood explores the nature of female friendship, but with more sinister themes. In Cat's Eye the childhood antagonist is Cordelia, the ruthless ringleader of Elaine's small group of friends who Elaine fears but is unable to escape. Cordelia's treatment goes beyond simple playground bullying, but is rather a cunning and manipulative psychological abuse that begins to take its toll on the young Elaine. As she grows up in a state of perpetual anxiety and self-deprecation, she eventually comes to confront her relationship with Cordelia. In the process, however, Elaine loses a part of herself to that very same domineering behavior. As the power dynamics between Elaine and Cordelia shift as they stumble towards adulthood, it becomes clear that though the new Elaine is stronger on the surface, she is perpetually unable to escape the old fears and vulnerabilities of the past. As the older Elaine grapples with the clinging threads of her past, she is forced to come to terms with her identity as a woman, a daughter, and an artist.

Throughout the novel, Atwood utilizes Elaine's background as a painter not as a character device, but as a way of exploring the adult's processing of her childhood experiences. The paintings are described in detail, but still allowing the reader the liberty of understanding the artist through the art. Atwood's rendering of post-war Toronto is accessible and vivid, and her treatment of the middle-aged Elaine is equally approachable and intimate (for this 25-year-old reader). The writing is lucid and evocative, the imagery understated and lasting. Cat's Eye is more subtle than some of Atwood's other works, but is equally powerful, heartbreaking, and memorable.

~ Jacquelyn Gill

Being male, I found that reading this book along with my female friend helped me to appreciate it more than I would have on my own. She commented, several times, that "language and observation make this book a sustained poem" and I agreed several times. Her perspective was needed and appreciated. It is definitely a book ABOUT women and FOR women, but us dudes can get something out of it too... because it is brilliantly written.
It is not only an "Atwood" but one of the better "Atwoods"!
The author has stated that Cat's Eye is "about how girlhood traumas continue into adult life" and that is it in a nutshell.
When the painter Elaine Risley returns to Toronto for a retrospective of her work, she is confronted with the memories of her childhood... mysteries to unravel, others to tie up and lay to rest. Elaine the child, had a temperament that allowed other girls to belittle and dominate her.
In a word, she was bullied.
And no one bullied her as much as Cordelia did.
When Elaine is brought back to the geography of her past, she finds that she has to come to terms with her feelings about Cordelia... this retrospective of her WORK turns into a retrospective of her LIFE.
Through flashbacks galore, and in writing that is spare and bleeding with cut-wrist exposure, Atwood leaves no part of Elaine's wounds unsalted.
Here is a question that I think the thoughtful reader will be asked to ponder:
Does "closure" mean annihilation/renunciation of memory, or acceptance/reconciliation of memory?
Or as my friend and I put it: Does Elaine still have her Cat's Eye with her when she returns to Vancouver?
This is not a plot-driven, but a personality or character driven book. Those who think that sound-bites on T.V. are too lengthy should probably stay away from it.
Cat's Eye would be a great Book Club selection because of the discussion and opinion that it is sure to stimulate. I'm going to rate it closer to five stars than four.

I figure that was something different to put as a title. Y'see, the first time I saw this book, I had already read "The Handmaid's Tale", which was slightly science-fictional (only slightly so) and to see this book, with the definitely science-fictional picture of a cloaked woman hovering over a bridge, flanked by bare trees, holding what seems to be a swirling ball of clouds. Mystical, fantastical, even. Alas, the book was about as realistic as they come and you know what . . . it rules (if such a term can be used for a book such as this). I wasn't sure what I would think about this, but I sure as heck enjoyed it and finished it even faster than I thought I would. Basically this book is about Elaine, a painter (hence the cover, it's one of her paintings, natch) who is back in Toronto for a retrospective of her work. Being back in the city of her youth dredges up a bunch of memories, most of them utterly unpleasant and most of them centering around a schoolfriend named Cordelia, a girl entirely difficult to classify. Elaine has grown up with her family, who aren't traditional folks and hanging around Cordelia and her two other friends enters her into a petty petty world of "improving yourself" and jealousy and mostly either making yourself feel miserable or having your friends do it for you. Or making others miserable. Some of the stuff that Cordelia masterminds, the subtle psychological manipulations, are downright disturbings and while this isn't a gory or even very intense book (it's a bit too distant for that), it's not for the faint of heart, or for those who don't wish to relive your childhood years. The plot weaves back and forth from her strolls around present day (for 1989) Toronto and her life before that, with the constant hellos and goodbyes of life. But it always comes back to Cordelia and Elaine has a fixation on the woman centering on obsession, looking for her around every corner, the woman never lurking too far from her thoughts. Will she run into her old friend? I'm not telling. But Elaine's life is meticulously detailed and her observations are cool and sometimes numb but always poetic, Atwood's writing has rarely been this beautiful, almost every page has an absolutely crystal clear description or poetic phrase. Elaine's life is moving and about as real as they come and while the book is more episodic in nature than plot driven, that's what you'd expect from a book like this. My only complaint is that it's a bit too distant and detached, but I have that gripe with most of Atwood's books, most of her narrators are that way, when she does it right, like here, it comes across as soaring and passionate, if she does it wrong, then it comes across more like dry analysis. Here her prose soars and her observations of women and the human condition are spot on. Not for everyone, grantd, but definitely one of the best books I've read in a long while, don't think of this as "woman's literature", regardless of your gender, pick it up and give it a shot. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

I'm somewhat new to Margaret Atwood, having only read "The Handmaiden's Tale." I loved that book, its imagery, and the haunting theme. I had similarly high hopes for this book, particularly since my best friend of 40 years spoke so highly of Atwood.

I enjoyed the portion of the book discussing with Elaine's early years, particularly those dealing with her immediate family. Perhaps the portion of the book concerning her school years and friends hit too close to home. It brought back all the feelings I had in junior high of being on the outside looking in, and of wanting desperately to have control over my own life. The portion of the book dealing with her college years was neither a plus or a minus; the balance of the book was okay.

This is a well written, intelligent text which is the reason I gave it four stars. If you enjoy taunt psychological stories which disturb you and cause you to reflect on your life, as well as that of the characters in the book, then you will like this novel. If you read for pure pleasure, this probably isn't the book you'd choose for your escape. Personally, it didn't hold my interest enough to keep me reading until I finished it before I started - and finished - two other books - "The Toss of a Lemon" and "The Gargoyle". I did finish "Cat's Eye", but it wasn't a book I'd reread.

_Cat's Eye_ is a novel that speaks to everyone. It speaks to those who moved often in childhood, and those who left their hometowns to escape negative memories. It speaks to artists. It speaks to women, and to anyone who had difficult relationships in childhood. It speaks to those who have obtained a measure of success, and to those that haven't. It speaks to Canadians, Americans, and even to men. It speaks to anyone who is haunted by their past.
Elaine Risley is an artist who is returning to her home city of Toronto for a retrospective of her work. Following her everywhere as she moves through the streets is the shadow of Cordelia, her childhood friend, confidant, and finally, her torturer. We learn about Elaine's childhood through highly effective and captivating flashbacks: her father was an entymologist, they moved around often, and when Elaine was finally able to settle and make friends she chooses the wrong girls. We suffer with her through her torment, and sympathize with her as an adult trying to heal through her art.
For me, the descriptions of Elaine's paintings are some of the finest points of the book. Each painting is a capsule of Elaine's childhood: the images overlap and symbolize events which she is trying to take out and place onto the canvas in order to purge herself. The reader can envision them clearly, and understand where they came from in the artist's psyche. The paintings are essential to the hypnotic flow of the book (one of them is displayed on the cover).
Ultimately, with the help of her successful retrospective and revisiting of Toronto, Elaine does finally emerge from her personal blizzard and into the sunlight. It is a journey well worth taking with her. One of my three favorite books of all time.

CAT'S EYE is a formative examination of one woman's often-painful childhood memories of bullying and loneliness. Elaine Risley returns to her childhood city of Toronto to participate in an art gallery show displaying her work throughout her career as a "painter." Upon arriving Elaine is at once confronted with Toronto's transformations since her youth and thus she engages in a thorough revisiting of her childhood memories in this city. After the Risley family relocates to Toronto after living a vagabond lifestyle in the north, Elaine becomes acquainted with a group of schoolgirls that are often cruel and unfriendly under their innocent exteriors portrayed to others.
Margaret Atwood performs a magnificent feat of displaying the complexity and convoluted nature of relationships between young girls and women. The sections pertaining to Elaine's childhood are often painful and frank in their honesty. While reading I couldn't help feeling empathy for Elaine while simultaneously being strangely comforted in my realization that my own strained relationships with women are not unique. But despite these factors I failed to enjoy this book as a whole. Once Elaine reached high school I felt the narrative lost steam, became unexciting, and was often bogged down with unneccessary details and painful minutiae of the setting resulting in my careful skimming of the last half and a sour taste in my mouth. Nevertheless, although this isn't by far my favorite Atwood book, it is still worth reading for the aspects outlined above.

Margaret Atwood has a talent for words ~~ and this book is one of the few books written in the English language that makes you want to read more on science and look up the meanings of the words. It is also a morbid look into the darker side of human nature and relationships between little girls and their so-called friends/tormentors. Atwood used an autiobiographical vein throughout this book ~~ drawing you into the life of Elaine, the main character who has never quite feel in place while young. Uprooted by her parents always on the search for her father's science projects, Elaine longed nothing more than to have a best friend. And when she finally has a best friend, her life changes but not necessarily for the better.
This is an indepth look at relationships little girls endure while growing up. It is also an indepth into Elaine's mind as she grows up to be a successful painter. Behind that facade of success is a lonely and terrified woman though she hides it well ~~ with a sneer and sharp comebacks to anything anyone says. Throughout the book, she relives her memories of a childhood that is not so special as she had wished for. It shaped her to be this woman that she is ~~ and stripped her dreams to reality.
It is an interesting look into women's psyche ~~ I have to admit that it took me awhile to get into the story because it was so dark and more morbid than I recall Atwood ever writing. But she has a flair for drawing readers into her stories. This is definitely one story that I won't forget so easily. It is a genuine Atwood at one of her best.
9-15-03

Being male, I found that reading this book along with my female friend helped me to appreciate it more than I would have on my own. She commented, several times, that "language and observation make this book a sustained poem" and I agreed several times. Her perspective was needed and appreciated. It is definitely a book ABOUT women and FOR women, but us dudes can get something out of it too... because it is brilliantly written.
It is not only an "Atwood" but one of the better "Atwoods"!
The author has stated that Cat's Eye is "about how girlhood traumas continue into adult life" and that is it in a nutshell.
When the painter Elaine Risley returns to Toronto for a retrospective of her work, she is confronted with the memories of her childhood... mysteries to unravel, others to tie up and lay to rest. Elaine the child, had a temperament that allowed other girls to belittle and dominate her.
In a word, she was bullied.
And no one bullied her as much as Cordelia did.
When Elaine is brought back to the geography of her past, she finds that she has to come to terms with her feelings about Cordelia... this retrospective of her WORK turns into a retrospective of her LIFE.
Through flashbacks galore, and in writing that is spare and bleeding with cut-wrist exposure, Atwood leaves no part of Elaine's wounds unsalted.
Here is a question that I think the thoughtful reader will be asked to ponder:
Does "closure" mean annihilation/renunciation of memory, or acceptance/reconciliation of memory?
Or as my friend and I put it: Does Elaine still have her Cat's Eye with her when she returns to Vancouver?
This is not a plot-driven, but a personality or character driven book. Those who think that sound-bites on T.V. are too lengthy should probably stay away from it.
Cat's Eye would be a great Book Club selection because of the discussion and opinion that it is sure to stimulate. I'm going to rate it closer to five stars than four.

Generally, I like to be analytical and logical when writing about literature. This is what we are taught at university, after all. This novel, however, left me so astounded that I couldn't even talk about it to friends. I finished it more than six months ago and, in a way, have been grappling with it ever since. Scenes from it seem to randomly invade my mind. Surely if a mere work of fiction can hold this power for such a length of time, it must be worth more than the sum of its parts.
The only point I really wish to make about it, is that there should be no gender discrimination in recommending this novel. Why anybody should feel that it is meant for a female audience is beyond me. Within the extremely rich layers of its narrative, the novel reveals essential truths about the way in which the process of growing up affects everybody. The fact that the main characters are women is simply not relevant beyond the fact that the narrator herself is a woman. Margaret Atwood is far too great a writer to have confined to such banalities.
"Haunting" is possibly the best way to describe this work and I am sure that every perceptive reader will be haunted by the way in which Elaine's experiences are eventually reflected in her art. It is, quite simply, one of the greatest novels I have ever read. But then again, every Atwood novel I read (and I have read them all) just confirms my opinion that she is one of the greatest writers of all time.

This book was my first introduction to Margaret Atwood and I started out in true awe of her writing power, especially her incredible inclusion of smell and senses.

This novel, which reads like a memoir, is about an artist returning to her hometown of Toronto for an exhibition, where she is haunted by memories of her childhood friend Cordelia. The first part of the book, which relates her childhood, is vivid, moving and powerful. It created a tension that kept me turning the pages.

But as the main character moved into adulthood, I felt the string holding the story together weaken. I kept waiting for something I felt had been foreshadowed earlier, but it didn't come. Readers don't get to know the adult Elaine with the same intimacy as they know the child. When pieces were left unresolved, I wondered why I had spent so much time reading about her adult life when the core of the book was concentrated in the first half.

I was intrigued enough by Atwood's style to try out some more of her work. This book is a good read, especially in the first half, but the second half was a letdown for this reader.

A lot of people point to Margaret Atwood's science fiction as her best work but I completely disagree. I am not a big fan of either Oryx and Crake or The Handmaid's Tale. However, this book, I think, is just about a must-read for anybody who wants to truly understand the feminist perspective. It's also a fantastic example of how a good narrative can drive a point home much, much better than an essay. The essay beats you over the head with its points whereas the narrative presents you with a compelling story and the thematic material gets in by the side.

It is a pro-feminist book but one of the reasons that I enjoyed it is that it's not a "OMG MEN SUX" type pro-feminist book. The meanest people in here are all women. The most interesting characters are women. In many cases, the men seem to be just along for the ride. I would whine about Atwood's lack of ability to depict realistic male characters, but she's not half as bad at this as John Irving is at depicting realistic women, so she gets a pass on this for me. But the women in this story just make a great deal of sense. I'm not sure I completely buy the argument that men can't really write about women and vice versa, but if I wanted to make an argument for that, this book would be one of the first on my list.

If your experience with Atwood is Handmaid's Tale and you get the idea that she's like a feminist version of Ayn Rand, this is one of the books that will change your mind.

This novel is about a little girl, Elaine Risley and her adult counterpart also Elaine Risley. It follows Elaine through a series of events that form her into a painter, and an adult. It isn't a light read, and it definitely isn't a happy one, but the complexity of it creates a map of pain, bitterness, and self-awareness that reverberates through every page.

I love the time-line shifts and the individuality of the narrator. She's so alone through the entire novel; her thoughts almost become your thoughts as you read her path through life.

The typical relationships that most authors would develop through a novel don't really appear here. Atwood really focuses on the meat of relationships, the actual formation of adults through interaction rather than the interaction itself. It points out feelings in response to events rather than events themselves: the reaction to a mean and spiteful little girl who breaks down another's self-esteem, a daughter's response to the mother who watches the daughter becomes a stranger, the memories of a lover who matters at the time of love, but who fades to black when the curtain is closed.

Atwood really has a gift for allowing a reader to see through another's eyes, and shows what real life is really about. There is sex, love and friendship, which we humans thrive on, but Atwood has really made a name for herself delving deeper into what makes a real person tick, she sees the truth: There is no happily ever after.

With her barely there humor and her dark sense of life, the irony in most Margaret Atwood novels is like nothing else out there right now. I have probably 90% of her work and she really has gotten better with age. It's interesting to me how her work has evolved through the past few decades. This is my favorite piece. I would recommend this to anyone who is fiercely intelligent and enjoys something interesting rather that sweet. There is truth here, nothing is sugar coated. If fairies and bunnies are your things, I would steer clear from this one.

I love Margaret Atwood, nobody writes with as deep attention to sensuous detail as she does. And yet I found, despite the beautiful writing, that this book dragged on forever for me. I didn't understand what Elaine wanted, ever, and just when I was about to feel sorry for her for being bullied... Things changed.

I didn't dislike Elaine, exactly, but I never really hooked into her. I kept waiting to be drawn in, and at the end... I was still waiting.

This multi-layered book about how childhood experiences impact on the rest of life's journey, tackles a subject rarely explored. This subject is how truly horrifying children's emotional cruelty to one another can be. Sure there have been lots of stories about English boys beating each other up, and inflicting nasty physical tortures on one another, but this book is a rarity because it tells of how little girls, as young as nine, inflict emotional torture on each other. There is much more to this book however. Cat's eye explores the whole life journey of a woman after these miserable childhood experiences, and her preoccupation throughout life with the "friend" who was the ringleader of these children's "reindeer games". None of what I have written so far describes how magnificent the prose and poetry of this book is. It explores many other topics such as art, marriage and old age. It is very much a novel that is primarily of interest to women which may be why it didn't win the Booker Prize. It's my favorite book in the world, except perhaps for the Robber Bride also by Atwood.

I picked up Cat's Eye because I was so consumed by the characterization in The Robber Bride. Imagine a novel which could transport me beyond my strong emotions for the characters in The Robber Bride. Our heroine, Elaine, was a drifter in early elementary school, until she become involved in a clique of girls lead by Cordelia. The pain Cordelia inflicts on the young Elaine is insufferable (but Elaine desperately wanted her approval), and in many ways, it will remind most readers of at least portions of their school-years experiences.

The story of Cat's Eye is told in the present tense, when Elaine is a successful artist, and the school-year times with Cordelia are told as flashbacks. This helps the reader, because they know that Elaine survived the torment to make something of her life. Personally, I adore Elaine as an icon, because she sees her works as pieces of art, not as the feminist icons that her fans want to define her by. I wonder how much of Elaine's sentiment about being a reluctant feminist icon reflects Atwood's true feelings about how her literary works are interpreted.

Overall, this is a brilliant literary masterpiece, especially for any woman who experienced elementary and junior high school at the hands of a clique of girls. Highly recommended-this is powerful stuff.

This is a gentle story, partly coming of age and partly of interpersonal relationships. It is the story of Elaine Risley.

Elaine is an artist who returns to Toronto for a retrospective of her work. Her art work is based on her life experiences so in learning of her life, we get an idea of what's behind her art.

The story is divided into parts with flashbacks into Elaine's childhood. Early on, she remembers constantly moving due to her father's position as a forest insect field researcher. When he gets a job as a college professor, things stabilize.

As a little girl, her only companion was her older brother, Stephen. She longed for having friends of her own. When the family settled in Toronto, she became friends with three other girls.

Cordelia dominated the group. She is a demanding and, often cruel but the little girls accept her. Elaine is vulnerable, fearful of speaking her own mind and goes along with whatever Cordelia demands. Eventually, Elaine took a stand, only to fall back into Cordelia's control.

One of the other girls is Grace Smeath. Elaine is often invited to their home for playtime or for dinner. They have unusual rules such as the number of tissues that can be used after going to the toilet.

Mrs. Smeath becomes one of Elaine's favorite subjects for her art. In one of her art pieces, Mrs. Smeath is covered with tissues. Later, when Elaine has an art show, a woman enters the room and begins shouting. Elaine thought it might be Mrs. Smeath's daughter bur it was only a deranged woman.

Elaine develops a fascination for women's issues and attends women only functions. She has a deep interest in the Virgin Mary and the Virgin Mary becomes another favorite subject of her art.

We learn of Elaine through her thoughts, her friendships and interests. Her life story is something that will uplift the reader.

Women might enjoy the book and feel exhilarated by Elaine's success in coming out of her shell. Men might read this to understand women better.

Ms. Atwood is a tour de force. The give and take bullying in Cat's Eye is so brutal, I almost stopped reading it, except her writing is yet so marvelous, so smart. The other reason I slowed down was because of the over description and the slow pace of the book. For example, there's a scene where our little girl protagonist takes a marble out of her purse and puts it on her bureau and goes out. And I thought, wait, Ms. Atwood, aren't you going to describe where she puts the marble on the bureau so it doesn't roll off and what else is up there and how the light is falling and... you get the picture. It also had a bit too much Christian imagery for my tastes, although the science bits were great. Still, I'm in awe, and highly looking forward to my next Atwood tome.

When I find an author I like, I read as many books as I can by that author. MY favorite Atwood books are 'Lady Oracle' and 'Life Before Man.' When I read these books, I had the experience of playing "catch-up" with an old friend I hadn't seen in a while. You know...you care about them, they've been away, and you have to hear all their news.
Usually, a friend has little endearing quirks you recognize--a favorite use of phrase or an overused word which you see or hear and say to yourself -- "Yup, that's her all over." With Atwood, I sometime feel my friend has multiple personalities.
The protagonist in this book is hard to "get next to" although you care about her. She's the friend who hasn't always been very good to herself, sometimes you want to shake her and say fight back, and sometimes you want to protect her but you know she's got to stand up for herself. Then one day she begins to change and you breathe a sigh of relief because you were getting tired of the beating she was taking.
I hand off many of my books to others, but I kept this one (it's a paperback). I couldn't tell you why as I don't think I'll read it again. It affected me on some level, and I'm glad I read it. I still like 'Lady Oracle' better though.

This is the first book os Atwood's that I have read, and am anxious to read The Handmaid's Tale. I was first impressed by Atwood's innovative description. Her eye and ear for detail has a mystical ability to speak to the reader's own thoughts and perceptions about everyday things. The book's heroine, Elaine Risley, takes us through the journey of her life, from elementary school to middle-age, detailing the trials and tribulations along the way. The story switches between Elaine's formative years and her grown-up self, and adds interesting, provocative breaks in the action that keep the reader interested. The book has a strange, misty, ethereal quality, as though the narrator is walking in a dream while recounting her youthful experiences, and this adds a sinister bent to the often-gritty tale. Although not an uplifting tome, Cat's Eye has a Forrest Gump-ish quality in that Elaine Risley is our guide through Canada from the end of World War II to the mid-80s, noting all of the world's changes in the backdrop of Elaine's life. Masterfully told, and an excellent read. Enjoy!

Anyone who was once a child should be able to relate to this book at some level. It brought memories back to me that I had long since forgotten about how cruel other little girls can be, but also the lasting impact childhood friends can have on your life. Atwood's beautiful style of prose worked well to evoke an even greater sense of understanding. It was as if the book was autobiographical on some level, as she captured the feelings of the young Elaine so well, I found myself relating to them to a great extent. You wonder if Atwood has in fact experienced this lonliness and feelings of inadequacy, brought on by groups of childhood tormentors. This book is also a great work of prose; as usual, Atwood writes with a great lyricism, that verges on poetry at points. Like "The Handmaid's Tale" it is also a very feminine novel, which deals with female issues without being "anti-man". I was very moved by this book, and I would reccomend it to anyone who has experienced love/hate relationships, whether as a child or during adult life.

Cat's Eye deals with the unconfortable subjet of childhood bullying, and the psychological wounds that it inflicts on later stages of life. The novel's main character Elaine, is a conflicted and insecure painter whose friendship with Cordelia has marked her through childhood, adolescense and adulthood. Atwood explores complex childhood issues like the difference between boys' and girls' play and the effects of having a brother, and of course, the bullying itself. This part of the novel is extremely interesting, and the writing of course, sublime. Later on we see how Elaine grows, and we see how underneath the sharp-witted girl there is the childhood angst, still there.

What can I say about the writing? Beautiful, poetic, sharp, Atwood proves once again she is the master of imagery. Another gem is the description of Elaine's paintings, with great symbolism. Highly recommended!

Horrendously overrated, Atwood's purple prose strikes again in this effort to remind us that we never really know anybody - let alone ourselves - but that bullying sucks anyway.

Why write one word when you can write ten? Why one page when twenty can be padded out? This, for me, was the crucial question in slogging through this self-indulgent effort.

And how often do I need to be reminded that girls in cotton dresses might feel them "brushing against my legs"?

This is essentially a story of uncertainty. Sure, the narrator was bullied as kid but, as she semi-learns, we've all got problems. And that's just about it.

Except it will take you 300+ pages to reach the anti-climactic non-conclusion.

In its defence, though, perhaps this book has aged. Perhaps, at the time, it was an engagingly different subnarrative to hear about climate change, or feminism, or how cotton dresses brush against legs.

The compellingly beautiful capacity Atwood has to describe the minituae of experience is wasted here amongst her determination to make a really big book.

I am amazed at the negitivity that the other readers haveexpressed regarding Atwood's Cats Eye.
People have been soconditioned that they must expect a structured beginning, middle and end to a story. They must have some conflict that needs to (and will be) resolved by the end of the story. I say look deeper and you will find it in Atwood's Cats Eye.
The story was there, it lay bed of rich symbolic nature.
Elaine, disturbed and tormented, in her youth, held on to a cats eye marble. The story also told of her in her adult life, as a painter. Her paintings unleashed some of her youth, but it was not until she opened up a hope chest, found her red purse and the glass marble inside...that she had put all the pieces together.
You see, she had burried(in the hope chest) her hurt(the marble) so deep in her heart (the red purse)...and left it there...for years. Until she found it.
This story came full-circle. I enjoyed the uniqueness Atwood gave, and would re-read it.

Sort of an anti-"Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood", "Cat's Eye" is the sometimes brutal, sometimes comical, and always truthful story of the nature of female friendships. While Cordelia et al are a bit extreme in their cruelty, most women can pinpoint at least one comparable "friend" in their growing-up years. And unfortunately, those are the expreriences that most shape adulthood.
Atwood again uses her unique blend of humor and emotion to craft a gripping novel. Except for some problems relating the adult Elaine to the child Elaine, the characters are real and engrossing. In addition to the surface story and its exploration of friendship, "Cat's Eye" provides an interesting commentary on feminism as both a movement and a lifestyle.
One of my favorite Atwood novels - highly recommended for any fan of good fiction.

This was the first book I read by Margaret Atwood, who I dare say is the finest writer alive. Cat's Eye is amazingly well-written...there are no flaws in Atwood's tale of Cordelia and Elaine. As with all Atwood books, the descriptions are exquisite, with a sharp eye to detail and realistic dialogue. I believe this book captures the essence of interactions between women. The message that little girls can be vicious to one another is so true, and these encounters as children can profoundly affect us all our lives. I believe Cat's Eye to be Atwood's best book. I have recommended it to every one of my friends (male and female), each of whom has diverse literary interests, and every one has thanked me for recommending such a wonderful book. No one I've referred it to has regretted reading it! Sure to be considered a classic in the next generation.

I would give this book a 4 ½ star rating if it were possible. What keeps it from being a 5-star is the lack of better editing that could have made some parts less repetitive. However, the book is completely engrossing and well-crafted. Some of Atwood's observations are so poignant and finely shaded, it left me wishing I had written them.

I didn't find the flashback scenes confusing. After the first few sections, the pattern of what is the present and what was the past became obvious: the first chapter of every section, except the last, dealt with the present while the remaining chapters of each section were flashbacks/memories.

I think most women who grew up with brothers and/or have more guy friends than girl friends will relate well to this book. Being one of those women, I found Atwood's rendering of the intricacies of girls' play versus boys' quite interesting and on the mark. It seems that women who grew up with sisters know how to play these games well while women who grew up without sisters sometimes get tripped up.

But while the childhood torment shapes Elaine and influences her life in profound ways, it is by no means the only story. Elaine and her friends grow up. Elaine and Cordelia become friends in high school where the power balance shifts. Reasons why Cordelia, the main "antagonist," becomes a sort of emotional bully and why her character, her vitality slowly fades become sadly clearer.

At the same time, because her friendship with Cordelia so powerfully shapes Elaine, she feels Cordelia's influence throughout her life even when she no longer sees her friend. At times, she seems even to hear Cordelia's voice and follow in her painful footsteps. The Toronto retrospective of Elaine's artwork allows her to come back and face the memories and figure out why Cordelia needed to emotionally abuse Elaine and why Elaine can understand and forgive Cordelia after all these years. In a way, they needed each other because they were looking for the same thing: friendship and acceptance.

The imaginative descriptions of Elaine's art workwere almost too much! While reading the book, I envied how creative Atwood's mind really was. While writing this magnificent book, she also conjured up in her writing some powerful visual images.

Finally, Atwood's ability to tell a very real and human story against the back drop of the feminist movement was exciting and nuanced. She illustrated the impact the women's movement had on relationships between the character and other women artists and Elaine and her husband. At the same time, she conveyed a sense of how difficult it was to find a comfortable position in a powerful movement; for example, how does a woman embrace feminism without feeling as if she has to give up all symbols of "female oppression," such as wanting to look pretty, shaving one's legs, having a child WITH a HUSBAND? While some may say these issues are dated in today's world, they seem relevant still when women have to justify why they do/don't identify themselves as "feminists." Or why they have to qualify the label.

This book is superbly written and realized.

CAT'S EYE by Margaret Atwood
In CAT'S EYE, Margaret Atwood tells the story of Elaine Risley, an avant-garde painter who finds herself reflecting on her tumultuous childhood when she returns to her home town of Toronto for a retrospective art exhibit. It has been many years since she set foot in Canada, where she grew up moving from place to place, due to her father's career as an entomologist. The story is told in flashbacks, as the story of her current life as a painter, on her second marriage, is told in-between the story of her childhood. Two plot lines run parallel to each other, until the very end when both the past and her present collide.
Elaine's first years were spent travelling with her family, never having a best friend. It is all she yearns for, to have a real girl friend. All she had during those early years was her brother, who as he grew older drifted away from her, leaving her alone to fend for herself. When her father finally settles down and buys a house, she begins to make her first set of real friends. However, how does one define a friend? Elaine becomes part of a group of girls that seem to be living under the steel hand of Cordelia, the ringleader. Cordelia treats them all as if she was a dictator and they were her subjects, but her treatment of Elaine is totally unforgivable. Elaine is tormented to a point where her own mental health is jeopardized, and at one point one wonders how she ever survived.
But survive she did. As Elaine tells her story, we see how she developed from a very insecure and needy young girl to a woman who understands why she made the choices she did as a child, and became a very successful painter, secure in who she was and where she had come from. The key to her understanding is her friendship with Cordelia, the young girl who treated Elaine like dirt, yet towards whom Elaine felt a type of longing for, years after she had last seen Cordelia. It is a psychologically themed book, as usual, layered upon different levels of plots and subplots and characters. Margaret Atwood is the queen of this form of novel, and it is no wonder she is one of the best storytellers today. This was my fourth Atwood novel, and I will not hesitate to read my next. Although not as complex as THE BLIND ASSASSIN, nor as prophetic as THE HANDMAID'S TALE, CAT'S EYE stands alone as a great book that is a must-read for any fan. I give this book 5 stars.

I was introduced to this book through my High School novels teacher. We read this as a class and yes, males, also read it. I didn't say they enjoyed it, but I think it made them open ther eyes a little wider.
I do have to say that this was the best book I've ever read. I absolutley fell in love with and read it so fast, this is because it reads fast, but I also couldn't put it down. When I finished it I felt like Elaine was my friend and now that the book was over I had lost her forever. So I re-read the book.

The second time was even better! I picked up on more info and realized a few things I missed the first time with the symbols and allusions that Atwood uses.

I definately recommend this book to EVERYONE!! and also read more Atwood if you like this book,( her poetry is awesome too!)

Other reviewers have used the word "haunting" to describe this novel, and I must agree. This book stayed with me long after I finished it, and compelled me to read even when I was too tired to do so. At first, I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not. Elaine, the protagonist, does not come across as a strong character; indeed, she is almost painfully introspective and introverted. Her inner life is rich, however, and her ruminations about her family and friends are quite perceptive. So I kept reading and allowed Elaine to reveal herself to me. As a girl, Elaine grows up in a family that is unusual, but loving and supportive of her. Her "friends" are another story. I don't think I've ever read anything that describes so well the cruelty that young girls are capable of. The social and psychological aspects of growing up are no better shown than here. However, this is the strongest part of the book. Elaine's adult life, colored as it was by her past, is not as richly portrayed, but she remains an interesting person. Her art is her catharsis, as personal and as difficult for an outsider to understand as is the artist herself. This book is an eerie coming-of-age tale, told with poetic beauty and sorrow.

In essence, Cat's Eye is a story about the relationship between victim and bully. But in reality, it is so much more. It is a chronicle of an era, a psychological study, and above all, a beautiful piece of writing.

Elaine Risley is a successful Canadian painter who comes back to the city she grew up in for a retrospective exhibition. Her return to Toronto, a city she always hated, sparks a chain of painful memories and forces her to confront herself. In doing so, Elaine keeps coming back to Cordelia, her best friend who bullied her mercilessly when they were young. Elaine realises that Cordelia is still a part of her life, although she hasn't seen her for years and doesn't know where she is, and that in order to free herself from her memories, she must also free Cordelia.

Elaine's early childhood was spent moving around the north of Canada with her entomologist father, mother and brother. During this time she longed for female friendship, but after moving to Toroto and a permanent school, she realises this is not what she wants. Girls are sneaky and sly. They destroy each other. Elaine feels like an imposter whenever she plays with girls, and has to learn their ways. Boys, on the other hand, are her secret allies. When Cordelia comes into the scene, she almost immediately begins to take out her feelings of inferiority on Elaine. Although Elaine eventually emerges from this bullying intact (or so she thinks), the scars still remain years later. In order to protect herself, Elaine became detached from herself and the events occurring around her, and this continues throughout her later life. This is reflected in the writing style, which can seem cold and clinical in places, but is also incredibly emotive and almost heart breaking as well.

Overall, this book is a beautiful account of someone's life and their attempts to reconcile themselves with their past. Although I know many people who absolutely hated it, I would reccomend everyone at least tries it. Interestingly enough, I didn't like this book much the first time I read it, I found it depressing. But second time round, I fell in love. So give it a try; stick with Cat's Eye till the end, it's worth it.

As for every required summer reading book for any high school student, it's heard from previous readers that the books are dull and boring; the rumor for this book was no different. I found the book to indeed be a bit slow through the first half, but it quickly picked up pace as the end approached. Granted, this was a required reading, but I slowly found myself reading more of Cat's Eye and being able to relate to the events and characters as I got farther along.

It's possible for everyone to find some part of the book to like, be it if you're a physicist, an artist (or, put it in better terms, "painter"), a school bully, or someone yearning for nostalgia of their childhood. Definitely one of the best summer reading books and one I will definitely read again when I get the chance.

Cat's Eye is one of my favorite novels and it still resonates with me today as much as it did when I first read it. First and foremost, Margaret Atwood is an incredible writer. Her deft handling of and the richness found in her descriptions and narrative is exquisite. Cat's Eye is more than a novel about girl bullies - it transcends that simple description. It is about Elaine, an adult woman, taking an introspective look at her life and the impact her childhood played in her development as well as her feelings of inadequacy and loneliness. But Cat's Eye also covers these same feelings as experienced by Elaine as an adult. Cat's Eye is still one of my favorites. Very Highly Recommended

I enjoyed reading the first part of this part, about Elaine's childhood--and could very well relate to the cruely and power plays which do occur among young girls in our society. In fact, I found the chapters which returned to the present an interruption because they just seemed to ramble on. In the present, Elaine has returned to Toronto, her hometown, for an art show, and these chapters just go on and on as she wanders around town in a jogging suit--with her whining about her flab and middle age, checking out how the streets and ambiance has changed. One chapter could have sufficed.
The second part was rather disjointed and monotonous. Here Elaine is a young adult, and again, the story switches back and forth between that time and the present. It seems like Atwood suddenly felt she was in a hurry to finish this up. We get no feeling as to what went wrong in her marriage, why they were "throwing things" and what really was going on. It seems that she suddenly remembers she has a brother, and needs to do something about him, so she kills him off. It seemed totally contrived. She does the same thing with her parents. She hasn't meantioned them for a few hundred pages, and all of a sudden, they die off too, in a few pages. Her marriage to her second husband, and birth of a second child is covered in half a page. We get no feel as to how she evolved into this whining, depressing creature who's now wandering the streets of Toronto, moaning about her friendship to Cordelia.
Cordelia is another issue. Right at the beginning, it's hinted that there's something really exciting with this Cordelia issue, that some juicy issues are going to be uncovered. But after her initial torment, at age 9 or 10,there's nothing more to it. She becomes friends with her again in high school, Cordelia no longer has power over her. She runs into her once or twice after high school, and that's it. I was waiting for something more, why this obsession with her, but nothing. I gave this book 2 stars because I liked the first part about her childhood and some of her writing is very good, but all in all, a very depressing book that promises something but doesn't deliver. No plot, no "message" nothing to learn from it.

I've read all of Margaret Atwood's books, except Alias Grace. I read my sister's copy of Cat's Eye when if first came out and remember thinking: "hmmm, kind of a rehash of themes from earlier books," specifically Lady Oracle, in which menacing ravines also figure. It seemed a so-so, traditional effort after the more obviously audacious Handmaid's Tale.
Recently, however, after 9/11, i went through a phase where I couldn't read, couldn't find a book that could hold my attention, lead me into its world, make me care.
Came upon Cat's Eye in a thrift store. Revelation: how much stronger and sure-stepped it seems to me the second time. Atwood's expert handling of the slow power shift between Elaine and Cordelia affected me more deeply this time, perhaps because I've lived longer now and have seen strong friends falter and others, once dismissed as "quiet," emerge as the real, fierce talents.
Don't hesitate. Read it.

In this rich, nostalgic, yet deeply disturbing novel, Atwood touches upon the special moments and inevitable cruelties that are part of childhood friendships. I was fascinated by the character of Cordelia, Elaine's childhood friend. However, I was distressed to find that, somewhere in the middle of the book, I lost track of Cordelia and her influence on Elaine's life. This made the last half of the book anticlimatic for me because I didn't find the other characters half as interesting as Cordelia.
I'm still not sure that I like Atwood's method of storytelling in which she relates the very dramatic parts of her novel in the same even tone as the most mundane event. It's an interesting writing technique, but I don't think it's for me.

Despite the casual and unassuming tone of the story, this book has been crafted to the smallest detail. Nothing here is said without a reason. Words are elegantly economized so that what goes unsaid is as important and as clearly felt as the written parts. This creates a sense of subjectivity very befitting, since the narrator is rendered real by the unreliability of her memories and the limitations of her necessarily incomplete knowledge of her own past.

No wonder many readers, unable to grasp the many levels on which this book can be read, found it dull. Interesting that even then, many of them acknowledge the authenticity of the narrator's voice, like the one who qualifies it as "Paragraph upon paragraph upon paragraph of childhood angst" Well, isn't this precisely the point?

I found particularly appealing the underlying thesis that the bullying and the bullied mingle with each other by a constant swapping of their roles, among each other and in their relations with third people. Also the distortions of the memory involuntarily introduced by the mind as a means of survival.

Incidentally, I found it very instructive on certain episodes of my life, which were half buried in the rapidly decaying pile of my memory.

I enjoyed reading the first part of this part, about Elaine's childhood--and could very well relate to the cruely and power plays which do occur among young girls in our society. In fact, I found the chapters which returned to the present an interruption because they just seemed to ramble on. In the present, Elaine has returned to Toronto, her hometown, for an art show, and these chapters just go on and on as she wanders around town in a jogging suit--with her whining about her flab and middle age, checking out how the streets and ambiance has changed. One chapter could have sufficed.
The second part was rather disjointed and monotonous. Here Elaine is a young adult, and again, the story switches back and forth between that time and the present. It seems like Atwood suddenly felt she was in a hurry to finish this up. We get no feeling as to what went wrong in her marriage, why they were "throwing things" and what really was going on. It seems that she suddenly remembers she has a brother, and needs to do something about him, so she kills him off. It seemed totally contrived. She does the same thing with her parents. She hasn't meantioned them for a few hundred pages, and all of a sudden, they die off too, in a few pages. Her marriage to her second husband, and birth of a second child is covered in half a page. We get no feel as to how she evolved into this whining, depressing creature who's now wandering the streets of Toronto, moaning about her friendship to Cordelia.
Cordelia is another issue. Right at the beginning, it's hinted that there's something really exciting with this Cordelia issue, that some juicy issues are going to be uncovered. But after her initial torment, at age 9 or 10,there's nothing more to it. She becomes friends with her again in high school, Cordelia no longer has power over her. She runs into her once or twice after high school, and that's it. I was waiting for something more, why this obsession with her, but nothing. I gave this book 2 stars because I liked the first part about her childhood and some of her writing is very good, but all in all, a very depressing book that promises something but doesn't deliver. No plot, no "message" nothing to learn from it.

I've read all of Margaret Atwood's books, except Alias Grace. I read my sister's copy of Cat's Eye when if first came out and remember thinking: "hmmm, kind of a rehash of themes from earlier books," specifically Lady Oracle, in which menacing ravines also figure. It seemed a so-so, traditional effort after the more obviously audacious Handmaid's Tale.
Recently, however, after 9/11, i went through a phase where I couldn't read, couldn't find a book that could hold my attention, lead me into its world, make me care.
Came upon Cat's Eye in a thrift store. Revelation: how much stronger and sure-stepped it seems to me the second time. Atwood's expert handling of the slow power shift between Elaine and Cordelia affected me more deeply this time, perhaps because I've lived longer now and have seen strong friends falter and others, once dismissed as "quiet," emerge as the real, fierce talents.
Don't hesitate. Read it.

Cat's Eye is a solid piece of storytelling. It's not as compelling as 'Alias Grace' or 'The Robber Bride' - but it's certainly a book that will stay with you.

The premise of Cat's Eye has the protagonist, Elaine, reminiscing about her transition from girl to woman in Canada. Woven into the story is her like/hate relationship with a fellow classmate, Cordelia.

I use like/hate because 'love' is not an emotion shared between these two characters - and I think that's what makes the book compelling. It's not often that a novel captures the dynamics between people who don't like each other very much, but are tied together for inexplicable reasons.

And that's what Cat's Eye accomplishes. It shows the difficulty of knowing someone that you would make an attempt *not* to know if you were in different circumstances. And it details how sometimes such relationships can have a long-lasting impact on one's outlook and sense of self.

Atwood also does an excellent job of providing glimpses into the moments when the child becomes the parent - and has no choice but to accept the sometimes poor choices one's parents made when growing up.

There is also a perfectly brief side story about the passing of a close relative of Elaine that is lyrically tragic.

If you haven't read Atwood before, it's a good jumping on point.

In this rich, nostalgic, yet deeply disturbing novel, Atwood touches upon the special moments and inevitable cruelties that are part of childhood friendships. I was fascinated by the character of Cordelia, Elaine's childhood friend. However, I was distressed to find that, somewhere in the middle of the book, I lost track of Cordelia and her influence on Elaine's life. This made the last half of the book anticlimatic for me because I didn't find the other characters half as interesting as Cordelia.
I'm still not sure that I like Atwood's method of storytelling in which she relates the very dramatic parts of her novel in the same even tone as the most mundane event. It's an interesting writing technique, but I don't think it's for me.

Despite the casual and unassuming tone of the story, this book has been crafted to the smallest detail. Nothing here is said without a reason. Words are elegantly economized so that what goes unsaid is as important and as clearly felt as the written parts. This creates a sense of subjectivity very befitting, since the narrator is rendered real by the unreliability of her memories and the limitations of her necessarily incomplete knowledge of her own past.

No wonder many readers, unable to grasp the many levels on which this book can be read, found it dull. Interesting that even then, many of them acknowledge the authenticity of the narrator's voice, like the one who qualifies it as "Paragraph upon paragraph upon paragraph of childhood angst" Well, isn't this precisely the point?

I found particularly appealing the underlying thesis that the bullying and the bullied mingle with each other by a constant swapping of their roles, among each other and in their relations with third people. Also the distortions of the memory involuntarily introduced by the mind as a means of survival.

Incidentally, I found it very instructive on certain episodes of my life, which were half buried in the rapidly decaying pile of my memory.

"Cat's Eye" is a tale about Elaine Risley, her childhood memories, her relationships, her accomplishments.
The book frankly explores topics like North American society's cultural expectancies, cruelty that exists among children, distorted perceptions of love, and the permanence of experience. As Elaine reflects on her life, the reader discovers that human beings have a persistent nature to strive for social acceptance.
The prose is a little choppy at times, but that is only Atwood's trademark. When I finished reading "Cat's Eye", I had a huge question mark hovering above my head. "Huh? That's it?" I had wondered. But upon further reflection, I realized that something must have motivated me to finish the book -- it was the blunt reality, the uncensored honesty, and the cold truths that made this book so captivating.

Margaret Atwood's "Cat's Eye" is a fascinating and immensely detailed work that deals with the interaction between adulthood and childhood, as well as the relationship between art, artists, and interpretation. The symbolic connections within the book are staggering, and unless it is read within a fairly short period, the reader is likely to forget some of the important symbols and miss key insights into Elaine's relationship with her childhood foil Cordelia.

That said, this book is not without flaws. Like Ondaatje, Atwood suffers from a serious case of smug narrator syndrome. At times, I felt the urge to groan aloud at the sheer corniness of Elaine's musings, especially in the frame narrative of 1980s Toronto. However, Atwood's rendering of the protagonist's childhood traumas are captivating, and wonderfully excruciating to read. Nine-year-old girls have never seemed so insanely cruel, and the effect of this treatment on Elaine's adult life, as well as her art, is perfectly captured. Navigating art, feminism, psychology, aging, and memory, Atwood creates a kind of fractured bildungsroman in which lessons are forgotten and memories suppressed, only to resurface in the ambiguous medium of Elaine's painting.

In terms of criticisms, I would agree with other reviewers that after Elaine's childhood, the narrative loses some steam. While the events of her later life are important to an understanding of Elaine's situation in the frame narrative, there is a sense that the events that allow us to fully understand Elaine as a character occur about mid-book. After that, things begin to drag a bit. Furthermore, the clichéd narrative voice often gets in the way of connecting and identifying with the protagonist. However, it is interesting to see how the events and symbols of the narrator's childhood resurface in a complex web connecting the past and present.

Overall, I would recommend this book, but with a warning to those who already have a bias against Atwood's style. If you give it a chance, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. But, if you already dislike Atwood, this book will not change your mind.

This was the gripping portrayal of a girl struggling to find a place in the treacherous world of young females who developed strength through her experiences and emerged as a successful artist.

The vivid details of Elaine's return to her childhood home of Toronto and her recollection of growing up was insightful and, of course, beautifully written.

While fighting the cruelty and games of pre-adolescent and teenage girls, Elaine was also trying to forge an identity and hold her own with parents and an older brother who all possessed a strong sense of self. She emerges as a confident woman, who has learned who she is and expresses both the pain and beauty of her experiences in art that is uncompromising.

This novel, much like The Robber Bride, presents how the relationships between women can twist due to certain cultural pressures. I find myself drawn to this book because of the detailed characters. A personal relationship develops between the reader and Elaine; I missed her when I finished! In fact, I almost began to think about how she would react in certain situations! I enjoyed this book because of the detail to character. Mrs. Smeath, Cordelia, Elaine's parents and brother, Carol Campbell . . . . all of these characters exist in our minds so clearly and realistically due to Atwood's detail and sharp observation of human nature.

I know a book is brilliant when I finish it and feel depressed. A few days after finishing Cat's Eye, I was missing Elaine & Cordiela. They are the kind of characters you think you know (or have known) in real life; they feel like friends or memories from childhood. Atwood has that gift -- she pulls you in. It's a wonderful story of a life that could be mine, yours, or the artist showing in the gallery across the street's. It's a book that proves how being a little girl isn't all Barbie Dolls & sunshine. It sucks regardless if you were a tormented Elaine or vendictive Cordelia. Reading this is like reliving it without the pain.

When push came to shove, Elaine shoved back at Cordelia the destructive projections that nearly klled her, and became the survivor of the headgame. Though they continually tussled over the next thirty-something years, out of each others' sight but earily never out of mind, Elaine again emerged the winner. I cheered for her each time she drew ahead, and glowed with approval as she leveled the playing field with her caution, compassion and forgiveness for Cordelia. What a friend she would have been to her tragically named counterpart, had Cordelia survived, and what grief Elaine bore at the realization that in some life battles there can be only one survivor. I myself am involved in religious education, and stumbled onto Atwood's book because of its frequent and affectionate mention in Sally Cunneen's book, In Search of Mary--the Woman and the Symbol (1996). Atwood shows that the idea of Mary as a saving mother figure is universally understood and embraced, especially so in the artistic world in which there are no limits to presentations or appellations of her. In Elaine's world, at the juncture when she rejects and is rejected by Grace's (another ironic name chice)family's reactionary style of Anglicanism, her enemy's enemy truly becomes her best friend, and so evolves her receptivity to Cathoic myth and symbol, Mary. Naturally Mary's antithesis is Mrs. Smeath; and I cheered for Elaine as she had her say through her art. I loved Elaine's wonderfully sensitive mother, and her quirky intellectual family, who without religion had acheived an inborn faith. I must confess I know nothing of marbles; so the title Cat's Eye spoke to me instead of an instictive, survivor's gift of night-sight, maybe even ancient Egptian astrologer's wisdom. In the cover picture, the robed figure is not simply holding the eye (truth), but seems in the act of placing it into our hands, our possession. Yes, Elaine had to realize the truth that she was not dysfunctional, only weak and naive, and like the elevated eye, needed to see the whole landscape of her life. What an excelent job Atwood did of illustrating a confused, criticized girl's capability for self-mutilation, a survivor's guilt becoming self-destructve. I would like Elaine to have shared more of her puberty experience and how it was handled in her family, and more about her first feelings of desire, as these were not mentioned. I agree, Amykrug, that ths is an anti-Yaya book, and was thinking that same thought as I read. Let every parent who reads this keep a cat's eye on their daughter and her friends! Lastly, I am impressed by the large number of reviews from far-off places like Malaysia, Argentina, I would like to have read more from the reader from Pakistan. (Please someone tell me what level A exams are).

This book, as others have stated, is about the way that our childhood impacts the adult we become, and the terrible way girls can treat each other. I did find it hard to get in to at the beginning, but by the first 50 pages, I was captivated. Atwood has an amazing way with words; the book is poetic. The book doesn't have as much dialogue as I normally want from a book, because Atwood is most concerned with setting a scene and creating a mood. It is very internal novel, and it is not linear. Not an easy read, but well worth it. There are so many levels to this book. Every time I read it I see something different in it.

I loved the story it gave a sincere and tantalizing story of girl growing up. I walked from it believing that I understood myself and the world a little bit better. The other reviews seemed to be disturbed that it wasn't a happy book? It was a real book! It was hard to think of it as fiction. The discriptions of what Elaine saw and painted and felt, had me wanting to paint and look and feel my own life. (I wish I could write a better review but I read the book over a year ago and picked it up again yesterday reading through it and it inspired to write this. The book was capturing me just looking through it.)

Cat's Eye is a beautiful and insightful treatment of not only the relationship among girls and young women, but how those relationships may, or may not, evolve and impact a life. This is subject matter I don't often encounter in fiction, so kudos for being the 'Mary Cassatt' of this tiny genre. Like life, the plot can amble in its later stages, however without losing thematic power.

The conclusion is a little overwritten, but nonetheless powerful.

This should be recommended reading for high school students everywhere.

Warning: my review has spoilerish parts. I didn't know how to express myself without hinting at them, sorry.

There is no torture more harrowing than the psychological torture inflicted upon little girls by each other. What adults see as children playing is, to a young girl, a cruel circle of social politics that, even years later, we as women look back upon with varying amounts of pain. In Cat's Eye, the main character, Elaine describes how her disturbing relationship with her best "friends" affects her thinking as a mature adult.

This is the second Margaret Atwood novel I have read, and like the first one (The Handmaid's Tale), I couldn't put it down. It is not a pleasant novel to read; it left me with a lump in my throat. It brought back the feelings of shame and loss of control I myself had as a 13-year-old; the aching memories of being bullied in the 7th grade, by the girls I now realize were themselves sad and abused.

Elaine is not a hero, but a survivor. She does not tell the story with the purpose of being admired (actually, there were times when I wished I could reach into the book and smack her). She is more of a character to be understood and related to. She tells her story in increments, going back and forth between her life as an adult and her life as a child.

Cordelia, the ringleader of Elaine's social circle, is also very complicated character. Reading her interactions with Elaine really hit home. It is hard for anyone to read this book and NOT realize that they, too, have either known a Cordelia or been a Cordelia- or both. Elaine's fear of her is palpable and understandable. Yet, in a character that could easily be portrayed as one- dimensional, Atwood has created her in a way that you can see, even through the evil, the pain that lies just beneath Cordelia's exterior. Cordelia gets hers, eventually, but I don't see that as a great victory.

I'm not sure whether or not the ending was a happy one. Rather, I think it was more true to life.... the story itself is a series of Elaine's victories and failures. In the end, the overwhelming feeling that I had was of loss, for Elaine and Cordelia's happy end.

Cat's Eye is amazing in it's nuances. Atwood is the queen of creating a story that never peaks, but never quite bottoms out, a steady heart beat the whole way. In Cat's Eye, I felt like I was told a story of the life of a woman, Elaine, who ruminated on all the details of her life without ever becoming insufferable. She describes each person who has touched her life with offhand comments and wit, throwing out quote after memorable quote. Even the characters that are only noticed for a moment, have awesome description, such as "She is post everything. She is what will come after post."
I felt her unspoken heart break as I read through her youth, occasionally transvering back to her middle age, where she had to deal with the subtle frustrations of the pink elephants of double standard that come with being a woman. Atwood is the master of planting little seeds of thought, and crafting an intricate world of reality around her characters. The book ended masterfully, creating and merging Elaine into an actual person, from her youth to her present, in the starlight. "There's old light and there's not much of it. But there's enough to see by."

Some discerning readers spotted that the second half of the book does not live up to the expectations set in the first half. I agree. The first half was captivating. I applaud the author's insight into a vast array of human emotions and her talent for putting these into words, which she manages to do in all her books I've read so far. She has a very 'realist' way of writing, delving into the nooks and cranny that make people tick, pretty much a psychoanalysis, which showcases excellently in Cat's Eye where she gets under the skin of characters from a range of ages. The second half of the book however is riddled with trivial and uninteresting details, and the plot is somewhat gratuitous, such as the affair with her art teacher, the casual fling with her ex-husband, her's brother's death - adding little value to the underlying theme, as if she had lost the plot of the novel herself, and was just writing to fill the pages. We lose sympathy and empathy for Elaine's plight (the lead character) and the connection between us and her emotional state becomes muddled. This part of the story reads like a diary, tracking her past and present until the two periods inevitably meet. It's a fast read so probably worth reading if only for the first half.

Cat's Eye gives a clear, if maybe exaggerated, picture of childhood cruelties and the marks they leave. The most interesting part Atwood conveys is the residue in the adult artist Elaine Risely. The scars we cover up that then have the power to affect us, years later. It will resonate with anyone who has tried to go home again. I read this book the same week I saw a childhood friend from years ago and didn't see the friend who had been the third of our trio. It was the best imaginable timing. It's a very complex study of emotional life, and in some ways very brilliant, although the scenes from childhood are excessive and long-winded. Skim a bit, but read it.

Margaret Atwood covers the subject of girl-on-girl bullying with honesty and wit. The tortures extolled by Cordelia onto, not just the protagonist, but all the girls in their group are similar to what happens in girl cliques all over the world every day. When girls bully, it is mean and subversive, while boys tend to be forthright and physical in their bullying. This novel delves right into the manipulative nature of girls and how the girl-group dynamic affects them as they grow into adults.

Highly recommended!

I really loved the part of the book that delves into Elaine's childhood & the abuse she suffers at the hands of her "friends"; I thought it was very convincing and realistic. Anyone who's been the victim of any kind of abuse (whether in their childhood or adulthood) will be able to relate; it is heartbreaking.

I found it a tad boring once Elaine grew up; I've read 3 books by Atwood so far, and in 2 out of 3 of them, the adult characters bored me to tears. In this book I found the descriptions of the various artwork (done by Elaine and her friends) way too detailed. Maybe if I were an artist myself I would have been more interested. It just seemed overdone to me, and like she was trying too hard to be deep and "abstract" or something. Luckily, the rest of the book greatly compensated for this, in my opinion.

Atwood's writing style is beautiful and poetic. I'm definitely not easily pleased with most books, but this one's a winner! My sister loved it too!

I read this book for my A- level course and i enjoyed it. Atwood is a very talented writer and this book is evidence. But i can honestly say that i don't sympathise with Elaine. Cordelia seems to give a reason as to why she bullied Elaine (not that that means she should have) but Elaine had no reason to bully Cordelia herself. She took advantage of Cordelia's deterioration .Everything is in her mind...... and she is a psyco. But the book is very interesting and i don't regret reading it

Simply put, I worship this book.

Cat's Eye follows the controversial painter Elaine as she reflects upon her childhood and younger years when she returns to Toronto (the city of her youth) for a retrospective of her works. Her reflections stir up memories of friendship, longing, betrayal, love, hate, and pain. Especially haunting are her memories of Cordelia, a childhood friend with whom she had a complex relationship. It is a truly brilliant story, so completely well-written and beautiful that I just wanted to read certain sentences over and over again. Her story also rouses intense emotions in the reader, as we can all unearth memories of childhood friendships gone awry, awkward teenage years, and failed love.

Elaine finds she needs to mourn her past in order to get through the present. Her past is so achingly realistic and personal, that you can't help but empathize and contemplate your own personal grief. That's not to say the book is fully depressing; instead, I would say that it is haunting. There are certain things to which I can relate at this exact moment in my life, which may have caused the book to have a bigger impact on me than it might for others. Regardless, I think this is another brilliant masterpiece by Atwood and would recommend it to both Atwood fans, and those new to her writing.

Good books rarely give me great ideas just vague memories and gut feelings. Often I find it hard to articulate why the book I've just read has moved me as much as it did but I sense it's special power. I first read Margaret Atwood's poetry and was was much drawn to it for so many reasons but especially it's awarness of nature and the use of nature as a metaphore for struggles within human relationships especially the relationship with self. This closeness to nature is also evident in her novel 'Surfacing' which is a must for anyone interested in 'wilderness' Cat's Eye was recommended me by a woman friend as one of the author's better novels. It took me a long time to read (I'm a very slow reader). A year later, and while the detail is extremely fussy the gut-feelings are ever as strong. Despite the drabness and almost deprived lower middle-class backdrop of the Canada of the late 40's and 50's described in the book, Atwoods accounts of her heroine's interralionships are so real, so compelling and so precisely observed that you have to read on. This is not a light book by any means, but it's full of the wisdom of the survivor and Atwoods special brand of black humour; it holds points of reference and insight for all of us. My abiding image/feeling is of the cold water in the creek under the bridge and the the deep inner glow of Our Lady of Perpetual succour (note the cover in this edition). Get stuck in and feel the power of Atwood's writing!

Margaret Atwood once wrote, "Sisterhood is powerful; women are always supposed to get along with each other. It's not true any more than it is for men." Cat's Eye is basically about jealousy and cruelty between girls, as remembered by Elaine, now an adult, who has returned to her hometown to visit. As Elaine is walking through the city, she remembers scenes that are each centered on a specific theme. Some of these topics include victimization, cultural dislocation, power struggles and violence against females. Atwood's main theme explores how girls can be fiercely competitive and very cruel. Atwood makes it clear that girls are not made of "sugar and spice and everything nice". In one scene, Cordelia, the leader of the group of girls who torment Elaine, throws Elaine's hat into an icy cold stream and orders her to fetch it, and in turn, almost kills her. In the end, Elaine rises above her tormentors and becomes more socially acceptable than her so-called friends. During her high school years, Cordelia actually tries to befriend her, but Elaine holds control over her now. The last half of the book is then devoted to her life beyond her cruel friends, and also to her guilt for not helping Cordelia. Although this may seem like a fun and exciting plot to some, the intense descriptive language is actually somewhat disturbing. Atwood vividly describes incidences such as Elaine peeling layers of skin off her feet and also how she feels while having sex. I gave it three stars because although Cat's Eye is very long and disturbing, I thought that Atwood incorporated some surprisingly true statements that I had never thought of before. I was surprised at how much I related to some of these statements, like pain keeping people in reality. Cat's Eye is very lengthy and at times monotonous, but I actually like it now that I've finished reading it.

Never in my life have I had such a personal encounter with a book as I have with "Cat's Eye." This book made me feel as if my soul and inner most feelings were exposed. Atwood is a truly gifted writer with the ability to bring fiction to life and make Elaine's painful memories of her childhood friends as real as my own. Because this book is thick with parallels between the past and present, every time I read it will be an exhilarating experience.

This is my favourite Margaret Atwood novel. It reads to be almost autobiographical. The early parts evoke the loneliness and vulnerability of childhood so painfully and beautifully. It is one of the finest tellings of tormented childhood that I have read, outside of children's literature. If you like Atwood, are interested in a feminist writer, who manages to convey messages of humanity rather than ideology, then you can't do better than this.

Margaret Atwood is an excellent author. I agree with some of the other reviewers that called this "grueling but gripping, haunting", and similar descriptions. This book weaves the life story and coming-of-age time of a woman now in her 50s. It is a retrospective & honest look into her thoughts, actions, and reasons for her responses to situations in her life. A pervasive theme in the book is how her childhood friend or FIEND shaped her and made a huge imprint on her life--it is something she constantly looks back at, and it can be a painful experience for the reader.
Atwood makes some brilliant comparisons--a true artist.

I read this book every few years because it's a multi-sense experience - I swear, you will smell and taste and feel and BE with the characters of this book. More than anything, it's the strength of Atwood's words that keep pulling me back to this book. Margaret Atwood is a master at manifesting imagery from words. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a nice, slow read that's to be savored like dark chocolate.

From the very start of the novel, I couldn't take my eyes off it. It is a psychological tale, but also talks about feminism and many other things. What impressed me most was the way in which Atwood describes Elaine's feelings, like if it was herself. It really is a good book, and -I'm not exaggerating- it makes the reader realise some important things about life. Besides, it goes deep into human feelings. It's worth reading.

Cat's Eye remains one of the best works of modern literature I've read. Elaine's life, particularly her childhood experiences, is almost frighteningly familiar. Anyone who has contact with children needs to remember this: Little girls are only cute and little to grown-ups. To each other, they are life sized. Margaret Atwood has an uncanny grasp of the pre-adolescent experience with all its terrors.

I first read Cat's Eye upon it's publication in 1989. I was twelve years old and at that time particularly enjoyed the bits about her adolescence. However, I did not fully understand the painful magic, that is the real beauty in this tale, until the age of 20. This novel is a woman's struggle to deal the demons of her past, her intense love/hate relationship with the elusive Cordelia, and her own life as a woman relating to other women. Although the main charachter, Elaine, claims to " not understand girls" and is openly heterosexual, there is a searing lesbian melodrama that lurks within her obsession with Cordelia. This subtle element provides taut frustration to the story. The grisly description of life in Toronto in the 40's and 50's is also a wonderful, perhaps educational, bonus. Ms. Atwood's clever insights into the cruelty of children, the secret relationships of women, and the workings of universe-according to Stephen Hawking, Physicist and a blurry, unaccepting and somehow unbelievable God- are truly what makes this novel an unforgettable reading experience for anyone, male or female.

Elaine Risley returns to her childhood home of Toronto, Canada. Where she is flooded with memories of her past life. None of these memories conjure very fond sentiments. Through a series of flashbacks, Risley chronologically replays her life up to the present time. Intermixed with these flashbacks are interludes into current time. In the current time, Risley is in Toronto to attend a retrospective show of her art. Risley is a controversial painter. She does not use the title artist because she feels that the title painter is more conducive to gaining respect from other people. Throughout the novel, what others think and feel is ultimately important to Risley. Beginning with her early youth, Risley aimed to please her "friends", a group of girls who tortured her and almost killed her. During the time Risley is undergoing this torture, she finds solace in a cat's eye marble. Risley claims to have always felt uncomfortable with girls, possibly this occurrence is the reason why. Also contributing to her discomfort is the untraditional lifestyle her family leads. Her father is an entomologist who does field research in the Canadian forests, and so the family leads a nomadic life for numerous parts of Risley's life. Risley's only companion during these rootless times is her older brother, Stephen, who entangles her in the world of boys. Thus, Risley relates to the world she first entered better than the world of girls to which she actually belongs. While Risley is growing up, her antagonist, Cordelia persistently follows her. The two temporarily break connection when Risley gains the strength to revolt against the horrible actions Cordelia is taking against Risley. However, after several years, the two girls again meet, only this time, Risley is the stronger one. This being the case, Risley treats Cordelia poorly, just as Cordelia had treated her in the past. Only later in her life (actually the present time in the novel) does Risley come to the conclusion that "you should never pray for justice because you might get some." The novel concludes with Risley in the present time missing Cordelia with whom she wishes she could have a relationship with again after having treated her so poorly. In its entirety, I did not find the book enjoyable. Though the plot sounds enticing, the execution was not what it should have been. Too much time was spent discussing the unpleasant aspects of Risley's life, and not enough time was devoted to plot development. Although Atwood's preliminary idea was well concieved, the execution was not. Parts of Atwood's novel contained beautiful language, but the content in which it was presented was not near as masterful.

Margaret Atwood's insightful description of memory, feelings and the power of one's childhood over the rest of life makes this book very interesting for those readers who appreciate in-depth character development and exploration.

I really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale but all the other Atwood books that I've read so far really don't compare--but hey, that's cool. There really wasn't anything that I didn't enjoy about the book, but personally it was a book that I could put down. I'd pick it up after a few days of course, but it wasn't very captivating.
One notible feature to the book was her writing technique. Atwood's writing style confronts issues in a sarcastic tone yet with good humor and wit. Though I say 'sarcastic' that doesn't mean that it is cynical and "mean." I truly suggest reading any of Atwood's works for the sole purpose of getting aquainted wit her writing style. ! Atwood stands out amongst women writers for having a unique writing style. !
Though I really don't have anything in specific to say about this book I can say that if you are a hardcore fan of Atwood then I highly recommend that you pick this up. Otherwise, you may want to try reading the Handmaid's Tale instead because I personally find it a tad more enthralling. peace out.

I've read Cat's Eye four times. Each time, I find the words Ms. Atwood uses and the way she weaves them together a delicious feast. It is rather like being served a many-coursed meal with each tantalizing dish more exquiste than the last. There is also a certain "feeling" I always carry from the story, a feeling that can only be appreciated fully in the mature years of one's womanhood looking back on one's girlhood "friendships." I love it too, perhaps, because I know that Margaret Atwood doesn't care if I, as a reader liked it, so much as she as a writer, had to write it. It's my favorite Atwood to date and I've read 'em all.

"Cat's Eye" was a good example of the cruelties that little girls face during their childhood. Elaine, the main character, goes through the first eight years of her life acting like a boy, because she has a brother, and that is the only way she knows how to act. When her parents move to Toronto, she is faced with having to make friends that are girls. Elaine finds some cruel friends that criticize her every move. She is punished in obscene ways like being put down in a hole in the ground and covered with dirt for hours. Her "friends" make Elaine feel that they are "helping" her, and that it is a little girl's game that adults don't know about. When Elaine finds out that the adults were ok with it, she learns to hate. While playing a game of marble's, Elaine wins a cat's eye marble and she honestly believes that it will keep her safe from the girls. As you read the book, you will see how the girls in her childhood affected how she lived the rest of her life. The book was a little confusing, and hard to follow, since Atwood goes back and forth between the past and the present. Overall I would say that "Cat's Eye" isn't a GREAT book, but it isn't bad either.

This books shifts between childhood and modern day life. It discusses things that happen, yet no one talks about.The secrets that go on in a young girl's life are now told. Almost eerie, I would not believe it if I had not expirienced the same. Mysterious and breathtaking. Definately one of my favorite books, I urge you to read it.

Wow. This story touched such a nerve as I read, invoking anger, rage, and sorrow for Elaine. And myself! For who among us has not had her own Cordelia? I've had TWO in my life! Argh. It speaks of how girls relate, and how very cruel they can be when they themselves feel weak and are compelled to squash the light in the eyes of others. I was riveted.

Atwood is a beautiful and a capitivating writer. She inspires me to be introspective with my experiences and to realize there importance to my becoming a woman. She can make a metaphor, that is so deep, they sidetrack you for a minute just to feel them. I'm so glad my teacher introduced me to her writing.

This book is beautifully written. Elaine's early experiences with Cordelia are pivotal to who she becomes. However, if you spend most of the novel waiting for Checkov's gun to go off, you will be disappointed. Thematically, I understand why it doesn't (the past is the past, etc.), but I still feel cheated and manipulated when the central reason for turning the page is a ruse.

I am really shocked at the negative responses to this amazing novel of Margeret Atwoods, I would recommend this book to all women. The novel concerns itself with various themes and issues, Abuse, Power, Gender, Forgiveness, Time and Justice to name but a few. It is a tale of a women on a journey of realisation and acceptance as she is forced to face and challenge her repressed memories of insufferable callousness at the hands of her childhood companion. I found it highly inspiring and enjoyable. Not only because it paints a vivid picture of the terrors of childhood but because we follow Elaine Risley on her fight to forgive and forget and in the end she wins. Very inspiring in my opinion!

Possibly my most favorite book ever. Have you ever read a book at exactly right time in your life? Although I think any time in my life would have been the right time to read this. Truly haunting in the best way. I have re-read and will continue to do so periodically. It is wonderful.

Top 50. I've probably read this book three times. The first time, I was about 21 years old and maybe not far enough yet out of the hard kind of high school years that those of us glasses-wearing skinny smart loner girls have if we're not careful. One of the creepiest, scariest, saddest books I've ever encountered. Atwood gets inside the skin of a teenage girl not only scorned, but tortured by her peers. Gripping, and makes huge demands on one's empathy, compassion, and patience for the main character. Great moments of beauty, but real encounters with evil, apathy, and terror.

I enjoyed this novel. It's a "good read." Reading about "mean girls" that hover around young girls rang true. I remember my two best friends deciding to ignore me one day on a field trip for no apparent reason. They wouldn't talk or seat next to me. Elaine's experiences are much more severe but her state of mind at the time seemed familiar.

Don't expect the great North American novel, but do expect a really personal glimpse into the main character's formative life.

In high school, I remember having to read novel after novel about the popular theme, "growing up." But every single one of them were about a male. When I finally came across this book, I was so overjoyed that someone had captured one of the female stories! Not to say the book is feminist, or even for females only. But it is filled with the aspects of my young friendships that I have come to associate with females. It is an entertaining, wonderful read that I think all people can enjoy on some level. This is an Atwood classic (and I rate it far above her popular novel, The Handmaid's Tale).

Never before has the pain and laughter of childhood been illustrated with such unique and yet accurate detail, at least for this reader. Atwood's writing is impeccable as she weaves a past-and-present story with fluidity and style, and ingeniously blends dark humor into serious themes. The novel is both poignant and bitingly funny, thanks to Atwood's insight, wit, and her ability to create characters who are hauntingly alive. An outstanding reflection on the consequences of human behavior.

An outstanding book which speaks to all readers. The tale of pre-adult relationships and how they can affect the rest of your life. This story helped me identify and understand a little more of my own childhood and taught me that everyone has their own 'cat's eye'

Not confusing poetry, though. This book isnt cluttered up with too many characters, it's a tale of a woman in search of her friend and is enscribed ever so beautifully. I LOVED IT!! Two Thumbs And Three Toes Up!

Cat's eye is a view of a life story. Atwood's handling of the parallel narrators, the middle-aged Elaine whose mind wanders back and forth in time, and the growing-up one with her restricted view of her own life is superb. We feel we are growing up with her, from a never-ending looking childhood to a sudden adulthood. Cat's eye is also a record of the passing of time from the 40's to the 80's recognized just in the clothes worn by the characters. Descriptions of smells and colours all through the novel make it so vivid. I loved this novel.

The Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood is one of those books that really draws you in. Her description of Elaine's childhood paints a vivid experience for the reader.

At times almost disturbing, the story of her childhood memories and journey to overcome them was great. I am not a huge suspense type fan, for a book to keep me engaged through to the end is an accomplishment in and of itself. @herbookreviews

I am a seventeen year old girl and this book really struck a chord within me. The things that the girls did to Elaine sent a chill down my spine but they didn't shock me. At all. I had friends much like Elaine's and I wouldn't be surprised if I had once been a friend like that.
The novel was well written and the first half of it had me entranced but as the novel continued on, I felt as though Atwood had grown bored with the plot. I forced myself to finish the book just because I had read two of her other novels (The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake) and loved them.

Engaging tale. Main character's action was interesting but disappointing at almost every turn. So much contraction in the character's weak reaction to the world around her, but strong decisions in her career path. Ending was unsatisfactory.

This was a book that was loaned to me and I read it to kill some time. It has become one of my favorite books. I actually read that original copy to pieces. I would suggest this book to anyone that wanted a good rainy day afternoon book.

Simply put, I worship this book.

Cat's Eye follows the controversial painter Elaine as she reflects upon her childhood and younger years when she returns to Toronto (the city of her youth) for a retrospective of her works. Her reflections stir up memories of friendship, longing, betrayal, love, hate, and pain. Especially haunting are her memories of Cordelia, a childhood friend with whom she had a complex relationship. It is a truly brilliant story, so completely well-written and beautiful that I just wanted to read certain sentences over and over again. Her story also rouses intense emotions in the reader, as we can all unearth memories of childhood friendships gone awry, awkward teenage years, and failed love.

Elaine finds she needs to mourn her past in order to get through the present. Her past is so achingly realistic and personal, that you can't help but empathize and contemplate your own personal grief. That's not to say the book is fully depressing; instead, I would say that it is haunting. There are certain things to which I can relate at this exact moment in my life, which may have caused the book to have a bigger impact on me than it might for others. Regardless, I think this is another brilliant masterpiece by Atwood and would recommend it to both Atwood fans, and those new to her writing.

The book is great! The cover feels different to other book covers. Different, but better. It's more flexible and if creased, there is very little damage. This might sound awkward, but its hard to describe. Also, shipping was fast and the book in a perfect condition when i received it. Thanks!!

This is a well written book, a page-turner; I like the details of Elaine's past and am interested in what viewpoints formed her as a person. However, I also think it is quite depressing. I read it a couple of times, years ago. When I saw a positive review on it I read it again, and each reading makes it more depressing. Her outlook is bleak, and I really don't see anything positive or uplifting about it.

Margaret Atwood is an excellent author. I agree with some of the other reviewers that called this "grueling but gripping, haunting", and similar descriptions. This book weaves the life story and coming-of-age time of a woman now in her 50s. It is a retrospective & honest look into her thoughts, actions, and reasons for her responses to situations in her life. A pervasive theme in the book is how her childhood friend or FIEND shaped her and made a huge imprint on her life--it is something she constantly looks back at, and it can be a painful experience for the reader.
Atwood makes some brilliant comparisons--a true artist.

First there were giants of the literary world: Joyce, Wells, and Wilde, geniuses who had mastered the human psyche and emotions and observed society in a brand new way. Then there was Margaret Atwood, annd she did writeth Cat's Eye and the world did cringe... and the lord sayeth to the world " See what your sins have brought you" and 'twas true, for this book was truly another plague upon the world. In short, we didn't like it. Margaret Atwood is nothing like these people. C.Donkin and G.Powell, two very embittered English students.

Material which is fresh and immediate in The Edible Woman loses its edge in this rehash of scenes from the Toronto of yesteryear. Retrospective wisdom and insight which might compensate for the loss of intensity is in depressingly short supply. A lazy and derivative book.

Reading Margaret Atwood -her work, the "cats eye" was emotive in a vituperative out pouring of all that wants to be seemingly human and ratiocinatively inhuman in torrents that assemble through the whip of the persona in fragment.
Novel plods warily, through characters in the guise of the selves. Ambi-orthodoxy of the characters insitu, is grudgingly carried on through discontinuities, leaving the stream of narratives palpitating in discontent. Time seethes through abstractions of vertigo, hanging individual particles to a levy a trend that stays on in a momentum of individuations.
There is a pressurized attack to transport the present in abject shocks of being humans, levitating back to a slow development of the past, leaving the beginning so startling and then again leaving the place mellow in a beginning.
The consonants of being filially attached to a brilliant paternity and a subdued maternity impinge the elan of growing up to a matrix, which traces the leftovers of what's absorbed in a normative.
The vacuum of a needy person wanting to fill a myth to relate the entirety of the self is subverted to an attachment, which tags on to the friend's anglicanised form of worship. The aversion to it forms the terra-incognito of the conscious below thresholds.
The repression of the native psyche allegorises the Risleyian development to the `still of life'. Is life ever still?? No it isn't! Every still is moving. The movement is vicarious in dialogues of celebration. The angst of growing up as a body, to be in a body, to be a body is thwarted in sublimity to subliminal intrusions that stay subdued and the torrent in ferment is forever going on as stills.
The body never grows up-only the art does and warps into the canvas as tangled intimations of childhood, maturing the pubic to shades of a black Diaspora.
Its disheartening to probe the stellar pores of the male psyche as they tend to stereotype a tendency that atrophies in intellections, objective and diffident to the within and to objectives that divine the anthropomorphic into impastos of arresting Oedipus's.
Cosmological nuances and body hermeneutics mingle in aberrations, which keep jutting, thrusting and opening the body into art psychic. It's ironic in jestor-ship to obliterate the ballocks to gyenopathic angst's in simulation.
From a sudden juxtaposition of the present, there's a shallow mellowing into the past with patches of present in between. The narratives in earlier development lead the reader guessing, at some point of time later on there would be a momentous union of Cordeila and Risley. But it does not turn out that way and leaves their meeting point as a plot left over in indigestion.
The denouement of signification is rather natural in course as though nothing has happened. The only twist of a difference is Stephen's tragic death so unnatural as it stands out quite raving and different from the whole novel.
Stephen's descent into eternity to be particles of after life is a mausoleum of digression and existing forever as a story quite different in rite. Whether they add on or diminish the periphery is mooted to introspection.
Risley's development into an avant-gardist is buildgrunsroman in effort and kunstlerroman in effect. `Still Life' is an era wanting to refract in a subjective mortality of being frozen but chaotic and moving to the intimate that wants the immortal

Elaine Risley was bullied by her friends as a child and was scarred forever after. Pile up as much philosophing and moralizing as you want, in the end what you are left with here is more than 400 pages filled with a depressing middle-aged woman's memories of her miserable childhood and bullying friends. Paragraph upon paragraph upon paragraph of childhood angst. What twaddle. Dreary, dreary, dreary.

Cat's Eye is a solid piece of storytelling. It's not as compelling as 'Alias Grace' or 'The Robber Bride' - but it's certainly a book that will stay with you.

The premise of Cat's Eye has the protagonist, Elaine, reminiscing about her transition from girl to woman in Canada. Woven into the story is her like/hate relationship with a fellow classmate, Cordelia.

I use like/hate because 'love' is not an emotion shared between these two characters - and I think that's what makes the book compelling. It's not often that a novel captures the dynamics between people who don't like each other very much, but are tied together for inexplicable reasons.

And that's what Cat's Eye accomplishes. It shows the difficulty of knowing someone that you would make an attempt *not* to know if you were in different circumstances. And it details how sometimes such relationships can have a long-lasting impact on one's outlook and sense of self.

Atwood also does an excellent job of providing glimpses into the moments when the child becomes the parent - and has no choice but to accept the sometimes poor choices one's parents made when growing up.

There is also a perfectly brief side story about the passing of a close relative of Elaine that is lyrically tragic.

If you haven't read Atwood before, it's a good jumping on point.

Material which is fresh and immediate in The Edible Woman loses its edge in this rehash of scenes from the Toronto of yesteryear. Retrospective wisdom and insight which might compensate for the loss of intensity is in depressingly short supply. A lazy and derivative book.

Reading Margaret Atwood -her work, the "cats eye" was emotive in a vituperative out pouring of all that wants to be seemingly human and ratiocinatively inhuman in torrents that assemble through the whip of the persona in fragment.
Novel plods warily, through characters in the guise of the selves. Ambi-orthodoxy of the characters insitu, is grudgingly carried on through discontinuities, leaving the stream of narratives palpitating in discontent. Time seethes through abstractions of vertigo, hanging individual particles to a levy a trend that stays on in a momentum of individuations.
There is a pressurized attack to transport the present in abject shocks of being humans, levitating back to a slow development of the past, leaving the beginning so startling and then again leaving the place mellow in a beginning.
The consonants of being filially attached to a brilliant paternity and a subdued maternity impinge the elan of growing up to a matrix, which traces the leftovers of what's absorbed in a normative.
The vacuum of a needy person wanting to fill a myth to relate the entirety of the self is subverted to an attachment, which tags on to the friend's anglicanised form of worship. The aversion to it forms the terra-incognito of the conscious below thresholds.
The repression of the native psyche allegorises the Risleyian development to the `still of life'. Is life ever still?? No it isn't! Every still is moving. The movement is vicarious in dialogues of celebration. The angst of growing up as a body, to be in a body, to be a body is thwarted in sublimity to subliminal intrusions that stay subdued and the torrent in ferment is forever going on as stills.
The body never grows up-only the art does and warps into the canvas as tangled intimations of childhood, maturing the pubic to shades of a black Diaspora.
Its disheartening to probe the stellar pores of the male psyche as they tend to stereotype a tendency that atrophies in intellections, objective and diffident to the within and to objectives that divine the anthropomorphic into impastos of arresting Oedipus's.
Cosmological nuances and body hermeneutics mingle in aberrations, which keep jutting, thrusting and opening the body into art psychic. It's ironic in jestor-ship to obliterate the ballocks to gyenopathic angst's in simulation.
From a sudden juxtaposition of the present, there's a shallow mellowing into the past with patches of present in between. The narratives in earlier development lead the reader guessing, at some point of time later on there would be a momentous union of Cordeila and Risley. But it does not turn out that way and leaves their meeting point as a plot left over in indigestion.
The denouement of signification is rather natural in course as though nothing has happened. The only twist of a difference is Stephen's tragic death so unnatural as it stands out quite raving and different from the whole novel.
Stephen's descent into eternity to be particles of after life is a mausoleum of digression and existing forever as a story quite different in rite. Whether they add on or diminish the periphery is mooted to introspection.
Risley's development into an avant-gardist is buildgrunsroman in effort and kunstlerroman in effect. `Still Life' is an era wanting to refract in a subjective mortality of being frozen but chaotic and moving to the intimate that wants the immortal

Elaine Risley was bullied by her friends as a child and was scarred forever after. Pile up as much philosophing and moralizing as you want, in the end what you are left with here is more than 400 pages filled with a depressing middle-aged woman's memories of her miserable childhood and bullying friends. Paragraph upon paragraph upon paragraph of childhood angst. What twaddle. Dreary, dreary, dreary.