Norman R. Shapiro

I have to admit, I never really understood the allure of poems. However, I love French things and j'adore cats too much. What a magnificent combination of the two! I really must thank Norman R, Shapiro for his work, all 384 pages worth of French poems about cats and the French people's deep love of the cat. At first, I thought Mr. Shapiro had written each poem. However, he worked tirelessly to give us CENTURIES' worth of poems about cats that were originally written in French, and translated show more each one into English for us English-speaking feline fanatics. Not only does he include the English translations. But he includes the original French poems, themselves, for those fortunate enough to be able to read the language and those of us who love seeing the beautiful words in print.

The oldest of the poems was originally written in about the twelfth century up until the very last of the twentieth century. This span of nearly eight centuries worth of cat poems is a real feat that blows me away. yet, Mr. Shapiro was able to find each one and give us the gift of enjoying them. They say "When the student is ready, the teacher appears". I must say that I am beginning to understand the fascination of poems, given the desired topic. Mine just happens to be all things feline. I love the way that Mr. Shapiro used the play on words, Fe-Lines! what an ingenious way to put cats and poetry together in the title of the book. I must not fail to credit Olga Pastuchiv for her feline illustrations, also. Her art is simply magnifique!!! I absolutely recommend this wonderful book for all cat lovers! This would also make a perfect conversation piece as a coffee table book, as well! I love this book! Je t'aime, "Fe-Lines"!

Thank you to the University of Illinois Press and NetGalley for giving me a free advance copy of this book to read and give an honest review. show less

The French aren’t the only ones that love cats, but this book shows how much their love affair with the cat is. I love cats and poetry. Hence, this was a natural read for me. I love this book and highly recommend it. Author Norman Shapiro translates the poems, and then provides the originals in the back of the book, making this volume ideal for those who read either or both English and French. Of course, this book is all about cats. The poems cover the modern and classic.
Overall, for show more anyone that adores poetry and/or cats, I highly recommend this book for you. show less

The French aren’t the only ones that love cats, but this book shows how much their love affair with the cat is. I love cats and poetry. Hence, this was a natural read for me. I love this book and highly recommend it. Author Norman Shapiro translates the poems, and then provides the originals in the back of the book, making this volume ideal for those who read either or both English and French. Of course, this book is all about cats. The poems cover the modern and classic.
Overall, for show more anyone that adores poetry and/or cats, I highly recommend this book for you. show less

The French aren’t the only ones that love cats, but this book shows how much their love affair with the cat is. I love cats and poetry. Hence, this was a natural read for me. I love this book and highly recommend it. Author Norman Shapiro translates the poems, and then provides the originals in the back of the book, making this volume ideal for those who read either or both English and French. Of course, this book is all about cats. The poems cover the modern and classic.
Overall, for show more anyone that adores poetry and/or cats, I highly recommend this book for you. show less