Lit Lists The past year and a half of being stuck inside and working from home has led many of us to turn to our pets as consistent conversational companions. For some, we have even adopted the peculiar social practices of our furry friends. If you are lucky enough to have one of the 370 million pet cats in the world living under your roof, you likely have a sense of their aloof and introspective nature. The authors of the works in this list also took note of the inquisitive demeanor of the feline and wrote their stories from a cat’s-eye view. The novels offer humorous commentary on human behavior from a lovable, domestic critter who offers a critical and self-interested take. Sōseki Natsume I Am a Cat Trans. Aiko Ito & Graeme Wilson Tuttle, 2001 Originally published in the early 1900s, this satirical novel remains a classic in Japanese culture. Our neko narrator provides humorous commentary on the foolish ways of upper-middle-class Japan during the Meiji era—as the nation was transitioning from an empire into industrialization—as he wanders through the neighborhood picking up pieces of conversation. The cat initially concludes that “humans are selfish and immoral” until he realizes “they know as little about themselves as they do the sizes of their own noses.” May Sarton The Fur Person Rinehart, 1957 Another classic in cat literature, this novel is inspired by the true adventures of Tom Jones, Sarton’s own cat. It... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2021-12-09 15:24:00 UTC ]