Dover Publications

**** Tobermory by Saki
Teaching domestic cats to talk would certainly be an amazing scientific accomplishment - but are you sure we'd really want to hear what they have to say? Here, a group of guests at a hoity-toity British dinner party learn that they absolutely do not want to hear from the cat.
This really isn't one for the cat lovers - but it's a cuttingly humorous look at the humans.

*** The Cat that Walked by Himself by Rudyard Kipling
An entertaining fable about how humans domesticated show more animals. Several species here make what they think is a good bargain - but the house cat is clearly the cleverest of all.

***** The Cats of Ulthar by H. P. Lovecraft
A re-read (of course!)
The inhabitants of the village of Ulthar have long tolerated the creepy old couple that they suspect has been kidnapping and killing their pets. After all, they don't have any hard proof, and perhaps it's easier just to mourn Fluffy. However, a boy from a travelling nomad caravan has no such compunctions. When his beloved kitten falls victim to the unsavory couple, he will appeal to his strange gods for justice - and finally, things will change in Ulthar.

*** Cats’ Paradise by Émile Zola
So, you're going along with this one, thinking, "what an accurate depiction of the mentality of a feline!" as you follow the fat, comfortable house cat in his (mis)adventures after he runs away from his mistress. And then, it takes an abrupt turn into political allegory, and you go "Hmm."
However, I think Zola might've done a bit too good a job with the cat's perspective, because I ended up siding up more with the house cat than with the alley cat. (Clearly not the intended result.)

* The Cat’s Grave by Natsume Sōseki
Maybe it's a cultural difference, but I did not get the point of this at all. A family cat gets sick and no one much cares. It dies, and then the family summons up some gestures toward mourning. However, no real conclusions are drawn, and it ends oddly (I had to double-check that it was really meant to be the end), leaving the reader with a feeling of unfocused dislike for the family described.

*** The Black and White Dynasties by Théophile Gautier
This piece superficially resembles the previous (Natsume Sōseki) story in that it seems to be the author's reminiscence about cats he has owned. Neither follow a traditional story structure. However, the tone and feeling couldn't be more different in the two different pieces. Gautier's essay is full of affection and love, as he thinks back on the entertaining habits and charming behaviors of his pets.

*** Midshipman, the Cat by John Coleman Adams
Another in the "Cats I Have Known" genre. A group of leisure yachties are adopted by a wharf cat, who finds himself quite at home on board. Full of amusing anecdotes and the love of both cats and boats - although the ending is rather poignant.

*** The Cat by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
Left to fend for himself in a mountain cabin over the winter, a domestic cat forms a friendship with a vagrant seeking shelter. The seemingly-simple story has interesting and complex dynamics involving the limits of affection, dependency, responsibility and communication.

**** The Master Cat; or, Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault
A classic version of a classic tale.

The Watchers by Bram Stoker
No star rating, as this is not a complete work - it's actually an excerpt from Stoker's 'Jewel of Seven Stars.' I quite liked the novel, but this random bit featuring a pet cat doesn't work on its own.

*** Zut by Guy Wetmore Carryl
Two French shopkeepers get into a feud involving a lovely Angora cat. The cat belongs to one - but decides that it'd rather spend time at the new, fancy salon across the way - much like many customers! The cat's the only one here that's not upset by the situation.

** The Afflictions of an English Cat by Honoré de Balzac
Political satire often doesn't age that well, and this piece is an example of that. Probably would be more greatly appreciated by those with a in-depth, detailed knowledge of mid-19th-century issues.

*** Gipsy by Booth Tarkington
This one draws on the tradition that cats and dogs are natural enemies. Gipsy the cat falls afoul of Duke the dog one day, while trying to steal a fishbone... and all does not end well. Obviously meant to be funnier than I found it; I guess I'm just a bit too softhearted!

*** The Blue Dryad by G. H. Powell
When a naturalist brings a deadly poisonous snake home from a field excursion, it's a recipe for disaster. But the family's house cat - lazy and indolent as she may be - will save the day.
The story reminded me a lot of 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi' - and, indeed, was apparently compared to it in reviews when it was first published (1897).

**** Madame Jolicoeur’s Cat by Thomas A. Janvier
A dryly hilarious story of a widow with two suitors. When she tells both of them that, no matter what, her beloved cat will always come first in her affections, each has a very different reaction. The witty, deadpan delivery of the tale, liberally spiced with the malicious gossip of the widow's acquaintances, makes the story that much funnier. It also helps that a heaping portion of just desserts is served out, in a most appropriate manner.

*** Calvin by Charles Dudley Warner
A charming eulogy for a beloved pet. As any good eulogy should, it really makes the reader feel that they know the salient qualities of the subject - and any cat owner will chuckle and empathize. The author says that everything here is 100% true - and I see no reason to doubt his claim.
Interestingly, the cat described here was given to the author by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

*** The Queen’s Cat by Peggy Bacon
A rather peculiar fairy tale. A king who cannot stand cats marries a princess who is devoted to them. 'Hilarious' hijinks ensue.

**** Plato: The Story of a Cat by A. S. Downs
Things that make you go "awwww..."
Plato is a handsome and charming fellow, and not only that, it turns out he's quite selfless. I'd adopt him in a heartbeat.

*** Frisk’s First Rat by Charles W. Chesnutt
Intended for reading aloud to children, this brief story about a kitten catching his first rat is cute - but there's not that much to it.

*** Aunt Cynthia’s Persian Cat by L. M. Montgomery
Originally published in "Further Chronicles of Avonlea," this is an 'Anne of Green Gables"-related story. I hadn't read it before, but I recognized the setting and the style from the Montgomery books in the series that I'd read as a girl.
Two young women, living on their own, are pressured into cat-sitting their aunt's treasured feline while she's out of town - even though neither of them like cats. Of course, something goes wrong, and they must appeal to a persistent suitor to come to the rescue.
The humor and attitudes here are quite dated, in a particularly twee way - but it's still not without its charm.

*** How a Cat Played Robinson Crusoe by Charles G. D. Roberts
I kept imagining this story being told to the author's children on a Christmas Eve night; the family happily gathered around a roaring fireplace.
Ironically, it looks like it was written well after Roberts permanently left his family behind in the pursuit of his career as a freelance writer.
The story tells of a cat inadvertently left behind on a small island, when the family that summers there goes home for the winter. Originally called 'Marooned,' it's a classic survival tale, as the pampered pet learns new skills to stay alive.

*** From the Diary of a Cat by Edwina Stanton Babcock
These faux diary entries from the point of view of a cat give a humorous insight into the feline type of thought processes. Another charming piece.

**** A Black Affair by W. W. Jacobs
Those with more delicate sensibilities may find themselves put off by the rough humor here - but I found it believable and appropriate for the attitudes of the characters - 19th century sailors.
Cats and birds have always been a bad mix - and there's certainly no exception when both are on board ship. Here, a beloved ship's cat encounters the captain's new parrot - and not all ends well.
This is by the author of the famous horror story, 'The Monkey's Paw' - apparently, during his career, he was more well known for his nautical tales, such as this one.

*** The Yellow Terror by W. L. Alden
Here, a nautical character tells us a salty yarn about a ship's cat with a penchant for fighting - and religion.

**** A Talk with Mark Twain’s Cat, the Owner Being Invisible by The New York Times
Actually, by Zoe Anderson Norris.
Excellent 'save' on the part of a journalist who failed to get the requested interview with Samuel Clemens. Unfortunately, her editor didn't feel the same, although apprently Clemens himself was amused. The piece, and a must-read explanation (not included in this volume) is available here:
http://www.twainquotes.com/19050409.html

** On Cats by Guy de Maupassant
This short piece made me glad that I was not in a position, historically, to become acquainted with Monsieur de Maupassant. Guy had some issues.
I suppose it does a good job of describing the overlap of affection and sadism... but, yeah.

*** The Philanthropist and the Happy Cat by Saki
(Only a cameo here by a cat). Society lady living a life of leisure decides to go out and do a good deed, but is so ineffectual that she can't even manage her rather unambitious plan. Wryly humorous, as one might expect from Saki.

*** My Cat by Michel de Montaigne
When it comes to cats and people, who's zoomin' who?
Very brief.

*** Tom Quartz by Mark Twain
A folksy tale of a miner's cat, purportedly as it was told to Twain. (y'know, beloved & respected as this cat may have been, I'm glad to not be a miner's cat.) show less

This volume definitely loses something in an ebook format, but, nevertheless, it is a pleasing (and brief) stroll through some nostalgia-inducing advertising art from the early 20th century. It was a time when shopping and eating out was portrayed as a luxury, and these images are good evidence of that. I'd love to adapt some of them to a website.

Shelf Notes Review

Dear Reader,

This was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley to review. I really would like to purchase this book because the e-book did not give it justice. For some reason, the advance reading copy given to me was scanned horizontally and had to be read by tilting the head. I can only hope this will be fixed for the people who purchase this. I gave this book 3.5 stars, I would rate it 4 stars if the e-book was done with a little more attention.

Each page is show more beautifully rendered with a piece of lettering/sign that exudes olden days. I love how they used multiple fonts, it's very iconic of the era. The detail is amazingly precise and something we don't see as often anymore. All Artists can find great inspiration from this book and I know this is exactly what the Author was intending.

If you enjoy having books around that inspire you, feel like creative inspiration can be plucked from the past, this book is for you. I'll advise that maybe buying the actual hardcover would be well worth it, the e-book is a little less easy to navigate and I found myself wanting to have the actual physical book in my hand.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug show less

There are indeed useful phrases for the traveler, but the way they show how to pronounce things is pretty awful at parts and you'd sound really weird pronouncing some of this stuff... for example:
English: "I want to leave these packages for a while" =
Spanish: "Quiero dejar estos paquetes un rato."
Their way to pronounce this is: "KYAY-ro day-HAHR ESS-tohss pah-KAY-tess oon RRAH-toh"
I know how to pronounce things well after over a year of learning spanish...Even looking over the small show more pronunciation guide in Madrigal's Magic Key to spanish will help a lot more with pronunciation. That sentence is more like "KYEH-roh deh-HAR ESS-tohs pah-KEH-tess oon RRAH-toh"
Anyway, still there are a lot of useful phrases and people will still probably understand some things, even using the book alone. My spanish boyfriend does think some people actually do only rely on books like these for pronunciation because he says he's heard tourists from America speak similarly to this and that it sounds weird. Even though it's obviously best to read a pronunciation guide AND hearing things being said, if you are only reading how to do it, the book could be a lot more helpful and improved. show less