Cat People - Hardcover

Korda, Michael; Korda, Margaret

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060756632 ISBN 13: 9780060756635

Publisher: Harper, 2005

Synopsis

In Cat People, Michael Korda, the New York Times bestselling author of Horse People, and his wife, Margaret, provide a wildly entertaining look at the world of cat lovers -- and their devotion to their pets.

With characteristic wit, self-effacing charm, and sheer, exuberant love of a good cat story, they recount their lives as "cat people," beginning with Margaret's passion for cats (and Michael's reluctant midlife transformation into a cat person), and introduce readers to a hilarious assortment of people whose lives revolve -- often to an extraordinary degree -- around their cats, from Cleopatra, a transatlantic traveler who found happiness in Paris, to Wally, the epitome of feline dignity.

Here are people who just can't say no to acquiring another cat, who travel the world with their cats, who build their social lives around their cats -- and, of course, here are the cats themselves. The Kordas celebrate the beguiling power of cats, including many of their own who have complemented, complicated, and changed their lives together over the years. Charming, often funny, and sometimes sad portraits populate the book -- such as Margaret's beloved cat Irving, whose favorite abode was the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, and Mumsie, who arrived unexpectedly at the door with her two kittens, and special cats like Jake and the gentle Chutney, as well as "difficult" cats like Chui and poor Mrs. Bumble, and Mr. McT., the bully who found love late in life. There are graceful cats and cats like Kit-Kat that never look before they jump; in short, countless cats the reader will never forget, even those with many cats of their own.

The human characters include such unabashed cat people as one couple who keeps twenty-three cats and orders litter by the truckload; a glamorous New York agent who regularly shares lunch with her cat, Tulip, courtesy of New York's finest French restaurants; and many others, ranging from the eccentric to the bizarre. From city cats to country cats, Margaret and Michael celebrate the challenges, the joys, and the occasional heartbreak of living with -- and sometimes for -- one's cat.

Here is the perfect gift for any cat lover to give or get, illustrated with whimsical line drawings by Michael Korda.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Korda is the author of Ulysses S. Grant, Ike, Hero, and Charmed Lives. Educated at Le Rosey in Switzerland and at Magdalen College, Oxford, he served in the Royal Air Force. He took part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and on its fiftieth anniversary was awarded the Order of Merit of the People's Republic of Hungary. He and his wife, Margaret, make their home in Dutchess County, New York.

Margaret Korda was born in England and now lives with her husband in Dutchess County, New York. They are also coauthors of Horse Housekeeping: How to Keep a Horse at Home.

From Publishers Weekly

Michael Korda, Simon & Schuster's editor-in-chief, has already written about the bond between humans and animals in his acclaimed Horse People, but now he and his wife offer a personal look at their infatuation with cats. The story begins before their marriage, with each having their own first cat experiences, and moves forward as they marry and begin to add cat after cat to their home. Starting with Margaret's cat, Irving, each feline's story and quirks are detailed as they move onto the Kordas' farm. The three-legged Queenie, hunter Mumsie and the amorous Mr. McTavish all receive their own chapters that document their lives. It would be easy to see this book as a vanity project penned by two cat-besotted people, but the addition of historical and philosophical anecdotes makes it more than that. From Churchill's insistence on asking the opinion of his cat Nelson during admiralty meetings to the parable of Mallarmé's cat, these tangents transform the Kordas' story into a humorous and insightful look at just how consuming cats can be for their owners. For those who have experienced what the Kordas call "cat-harsis," this book will be a fun and often hilarious read. B&w illus.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0060756632
• ISBN 13: 9780060756635
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 176