While I am a fan of her more speculative fiction, I’m finding that Margaret Atwood can write about almost anything and make it fascinating. This long mainstream novel is a character study of Elaine, a female artist growing up in Toronto who finds herself riding the wave of early feminism. The narrative moves back and forth from the present, when Elaine has returned to her native city for a showing, to her past, from her early childhood through her first marriage and divorce.

Clearly, the most formative time in Elaine’s life is when as a pre-adolescent girl, she was bullied mercilessly by her friends in the torturous ways that only girls can seem to devise. Ironically, she can’t even remember these events, having blocked the abuse completely, until she is going through her dying mother’s things and discovers some meaningful items from her childhood that bring the memories flooding back. I think all women can relate to what Elaine experienced, and I even found myself cheering out loud when she finally stands up to her tormentors. Still, she never quite gets over it, and that incident will shape her life and her art, even when she doesn’t remember it.

Atwood tells a wonderful coming-of-age story here, while aptly weaving in the history of the feminist movement, especially in art, and drawing parallels between the y ( )

This is a very layered book which while painful to read in some parts when it deals with a childhood bullying brings a level of understanding to how childhood experiences
affect you as an adult and how you gain more perspective about your experiences . It also provides a social commentary on Canada between the 1940s-80s and also touches on feminist issues. ( )

In my 30s now I still feel deep pain from those tennish years and hatred towards "those girls" Cat's Eye captures all those feelings so well and weaves the story in such a way that we are cringing in advance for Elaine and booing Cordelia. This is one of Atwood's more accessible novels as well. ( )

Long before there was "Mean Girls," Margaret Atwood was writing about the complexities and cruelties inherrent in young, female friendships, and how it has long-term effects. The novel's protagonist, Elaine, is a celebrated, yet controversial, painter showing off her work in a gallery. Her work represents the turmoil locked inside her, depictions of people and events from her past. The novel continuously skips from the present to the past to show just how Elaine's girlhood remains a shadow over her adulthood.

In the past, Elaine was at the mercy of what we, today, would call "frenemies": Ringleader Cordelia, and followers Grace and Carol. Elaine craved their acceptance, and was sorely taken advantage of, to the point of physical and emotional abuse. When one day the girls go too far in their torment, Elaine experiences an epiphany that will later shape her life and artwork.

The best thing about Atwood is how all her characters are developed. In Atwood novels, as in real life, there are no one-sided characters. We come to understand Cordelia a little better in her teen years, and see how Elaine is put into a position of power over her. This period of Elaine's life, too, works its way into lasting influence in the character's life and art.

This is one of my most favorite books, being extremely well written. A lot of emotion exudes from every page; women, in particular, may find that the girls' cruelty hits close to home. ( )

One of my all time favorites. ( )