In following up his insightful Q&A-style treatise on feline behavior, Catwatching (1987), Morris here answers 60 equally engrossing questions, this time supplied by readers of the earlier work. The questions run the gamut on feline life—everything from will one female feed another's kittens (yes) and what are the best pets for allergy-sufferers (Cornish Rexes and hairless Sphynxes) to why do some cats suck on wool (the equivalent to thumb-sucking in humans—a substitute for suckling) and how and when was the cat first domesticated and bred. Morris also deftly researches the origins of such unusual terms and expressions as "catgut" and "grinning like a Cheshire cat." Cat aficionados may take exception to one of Morris' assertions—that neutering a cat is "butchery" done only for the owner's convenience, and should be replaced by tube-tying. (Though this solution might be applicable, and in some situations even desirable, one wonders whether Morris has fully considered the dangers of unneutered cats that run away from home during mating season, and the virtual impossibility of keeping odiferous cats—toms that spray—in multifamily dwellings.) With the exception noted, perceptive and enlightening—and for cat lovers, not to be missed.
Pub Date: May 1, 1988
ISBN: 0517127415
Page Count: -
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1988
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
