Cat's Eye

By: Margaret Atwood

Narrated by: Kimberly Farr

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

Disturbing, humorous, and compassionate, Cat’s Eye is the story of Elaine Risley, a controversial painter who returns to Toronto, the city of her youth, for a retrospective of her art. Engulfed by vivid images of the past, she reminisces about a trio of girls who initiated her into the the fierce politics of childhood and its secret world of friendship, longing, and betrayal. Elaine must come to terms with her own identity as a daughter, a lover, an artist, and a woman—but above all she must seek release form her haunting memories.

Critic reviews

BOOKER PRIZE NOMINEE

"A brilliant, three-dimensional mosaic...the story of Elaine's childhood is so real and heartbreaking you want to stand up in your seat and cheer." —Boston Sunday Globe

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

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

"The best book in a long time on female friendships... Cat's Eye is remarkable, funny, and serious, brimming with uncanny wisdom." —Cosmopolitan

Childish narration

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

Great book for those with memories

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

Thinking Back

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

Less Dramatic

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

Sad Story

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